Download the Student Handbook - Covenant Theological Seminary

FINANCIAL AIDStudents receiving financial aid (awards, scholarships and/or government loans) are responsible for theinformation in the Financial Aid Handbook. Questions regarding financial aid procedures and/or specificfinancial aid issues not answered in the Handbook should be directed to the Financial Aid office (inOne-Stop).Students expecting to receive financial assistance from external institutions or organizations should makearrangements in advance to have the minimum payment in time for registration. If the church or agencycannot meet the financial requirements by registration, the student must meet those requirements.STUDENT LOANSStudents are encouraged not to exceed a total government loan indebtedness of $26,000 for the MDivprogram or $20,000 for the MA programs (these totals include outstanding undergraduate and graduategovernment loans). Students requesting a loan that will put them over $26,000 for an MDiv degree orover $20,000 for an MA or ThM degree will be required to meet with the Financial Aid Director oranother designated person for debt counseling.SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESSSatisfactory Academic Progress measures both the quality and quantity of academic work. It is certifiedby successful completion of 70% of a student’s attempted course load.‣ Quality and Quantity. Due to the nature of theological education, students are encouraged togain ministerial experience during their training and to avoid accumulating debt while doing so.Students need time for that practical experience, but they also need to earn money. Studentstherefore are given specified time frames within which to complete their degrees (see specificdegree descriptions for time frames). A student must maintain a pace which allows the student tocomplete his or her degree within the specified timeframe for that degree. Students who taketime off school will not lose satisfactory academic progress as long as they complete the requiredunits in the specified time frames. These time frames begin with the first course which countstoward the student’s degree. Consequently, the time frame for students with transfer creditbegins with the semester in which the transfer coursework was taken if that work pre-dates thestudent’s work at Covenant. The only exception to the specific degree timeframes that will be[26]