Financial Aid - Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute

The Office of Financial Aid is responsible for the administration of the student financial aid programs and financial counseling to students who apply for aid.

Students applying for financial aid should complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online. For help in filling out the FAFSA, students can go to the DOE "Applying for Financial Aid" website. SIPI Financial Aid staff are available to assist students with completing the financial aid process. Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible to meet financial aid deadlines and eliminate delays in obtaining financial aid. Information and assistance on various financial aid programs can be obtained from various high school counselors and BIA & tribal education counselors. The Financial Aid Office posts all known scholarship/internship opportunities on a bulletin board located outside the Financial Aid Office. SIPI's Title IV school code is 011185. For additional school codes click here.

To receive financial aid, students must be enrolled as a regular student in an eligible program.
To qualify for a full-time financial aid award, students are required to carry a minimum class load of twelve (12) credit hours and maintain satisfactory academic progress of 2.0 GPA minimum. Part-time students are also eligible for financial aid.
Students may not owe an overpayment on a PELL grant and must not be in default on any Title IV loans at any school previously attended.
Transfer students must provide an academic transcript from every post-secondary school they attended, even though they may not have received any financial aid. Effective July 1, 2000, schools are authorized to use data from the NSLDS to monitor the financial aid history of all applicants for Federal student aid. Academic transcripts will need to be reviewed to quantify academic progress. SIPI currently has a maximum time frame not to exceed 150% of the published length of the program for Federal financial aid eligibility.
Students must be enrolled in a eligible certificate and or degree program.

Note: SIPI does not participate in any educational student loan programs

This policy applies to students who withdraw (official, unofficially or fail to return from a Leave of Absence) or are dismissed from enrollment at the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, SIPI. The Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4) process is separate and distinct from the SIPI’s Refund Policy. The calculated amount of the "Return of Title IV Funds" that is required for students affected by this policy are determined according to the following definitions and procedures, as prescribed by regulation.

Upon the student’s withdrawal, the amount of financial aid that has been “earned” by the student is based on the number of days of attendance. Students who withdraw unofficially will also be subject to the Federal Return of Title IV Funds Policy (R2T4). According to federal guidelines of R2T4, students who receive financial aid and then withdraw from all course work before 60% completion of the trimester may have to pay back a portion of the grants received. The amount is determined by using a federal formula. The R2T4 is completed within 45 days of notification. All funds will be returned in the order of PELL, TEACH and FSEOG. The student withdraw date is determined by the withdrawal process.

Federal and State regulations require all schools participating in state and federal financial aid programs to have a Standard of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). The standard will be applied to all applicants and recipients of financial aid as a determination of eligibility. These standards are applicable to a student's entire academic record, whether or not Title IV funding was received. SAP represents minimal standards of completion for financial aid eligibility, SIPI will review SAP at the end of each trimester.

In order to receive financial aid, the student must be enrolled in an eligible program of study that leads to a Certificate or an Associate’s Degree. In addition, students must adhere to three different academic standards each trimester and cumulative.

1. DURATION: Students must complete their degree within 150% of the credit hours required for the degree per the academic catalog. This calculation includes all attempted credit hours, including transferred credits. Example: 63 credits are required to complete an Associate's Degree in Liberal Arts, 150% of your degree requirements is 94.5 (63 x 150%=94.5).

2. PACE: Students must complete at least 67% of all credit hours attempted. Equation used is completed credits/attempted credits=pace.

3. GPA: Students must maintain a minimum 2.0-grade point average (GPA).

The Title IV Consolidation Appropriation Act of 2012 limits the life time amount of Federal Pell Grant eligibility to 12 full-time semesters (or 600%) for all recipients. The new law applies to all previous, current, and future Federal Pell Grant disbursements.

In order to make sure educational goals are achieved within the 12 full-time semester’s time frame, recipients should follow a degree plan and periodically meet with an Academic Advisor or Counselor to discuss graduation or transfer plans. Once notified by the Department of Education and/or SIPI Financial Aid Office, recipients who exceed the 12 full-time semester’s (or 600%) time frame cannot receive a Federal Pell Grant for any future coursework.

Students at SIPI can receive aid through grants, work-study, and other programs, most of which are based on need. Once the Financial Aid Office determines how much and what kind of aid a student may be eligible to receive, a financial aid package is prepared to meet the student's needs. Financial Aid Programs include:

Federal & State Supplemental Funding

Federal Work-Study & New Mexico Work-Study

This program is designed to provide financial assistance to students through part-time employment on campus. Work-study students are paid the minimum wage and payments are issued on a bi-weekly basis. Work schedules are determined by class schedules and job requirements.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

The Supplemental Educational Grant (SEOG) is available to exceptionally needy students who wish to attend SIPI, such as students with the greatest of need and who are PELL eligible.

New Mexico Teacher's Preparation Affordability Scholarship Program (NMTPAS)

Eligibility Requirements:

Resident of NM or a member of a tribe located in both NM and another state.
Have financial need determined by submitting a FAFSA
Enrolled at least 6 credit hours
Has not earned appropriate educational credentials to be licensed as a teacher by the public education department

New Mexico Student Incentive Grant (NMSIG)

The NMSIG is available for New Mexico residents who are full-time students, are PELL eligible and who are determined to have exceptional need. If funds are available, part-time students may be eligible.

New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship (NMOS)

The NM Opportunity Scholarship can cover academic fees at SIPI for New Mexico state residents and students from tribes that cross the NM border. To be eligible students must be:

Enroll in 6-18 credit hours (fall/spring); 3-9 credit hours (summer)
Courses must be credit-bearing
Have a 2.5 cumulative college GPA or above
Have less than 90 total attempted credits
Enroll in an eligible certificate and/or degree program
Have financial need

No application is necessary. All students will be screened and awarded if eligible.

NOTE: SIPI does not participate in any loan programs.

The Mission of SIPI Financial Aid Office is to administer funds in order to provide financial assistance to students who demonstrate financial need and to help support institutional enrollment and retention goals. This will be accomplished by working together, as a team of financial aid professionals, to provide the highest quality of service to our students, co-workers, and the SIPI Community as a whole. Excellence is our common goal and professionalism our standard.