The Financial Aid Office is available to assist current and prospective students and families who are seeking financial aid to help cover the costs associated with attending college. A full-service financial aid office is located on the Butler of El Dorado Campus, 600 Building, Hubbard Center and on the Butler of Andover Campus, 5000 Building, Room 5026. Please visit us in person, or call El Dorado/ 316-322-3121 or Andover/316-218-6260, or email finaid@butlercc.edu.
An overview of the financial aid process, policies, and consumer information can be found on our website at www.butlercc.edu/financial-aid. For information regarding individual financial aid status and awards, log in to your account at My.Butlercc and select the Financial Aid tile.
Federal Financial Aid Eligible Coursework
In accordance with federal regulations, students may only receive federal financial aid for courses required to complete their Butler degree. Courses outside the student’s Butler Pathway will not be included in the calculation of the student’s federal financial aid cost of attendance or disbursement. Students enrolled in courses outside their Butler Pathway may receive reduced federal financial aid. You may check your course requirements by viewing your My Degree @ Butler through Pipeline.
Policy of Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements
Federal regulations require students receiving Federal Pell Grant, Federal SEOG, Federal Work Study, or Federal Direct Loans to be making “satisfactory academic progress”. This progress is measured at the end of each semester according to three factors: a semester and overall grade point average (GPA); completion rate (CR) of credit hours; and the time frame allowed for completing a certificate or degree.
Excluded Grades:
Audit hours are NOT considered for Federal Financial Aid. Grades of “NR”, “WD”, or “WT” do not count as hours completed. A grade of ‘F’ may not count as hours completed depending on the last date of attendance in the class(es).
Incomplete Grades: Incompletes are considered active hours toward completion rate; however, they will reduce GPA. Incompletes that change to a grade will be included in the next formal evaluation period and will not change the current SAP status.
Remedial Hours: For financial aid purposes, GPAs are recalculated to include remedial grades. However, remedial grades are not included in the overall GPA calculation for graduation. Once a student has attempted 30 remedial credit hours (whether or not they received Federal Financial Aid for those hours), any additional remedial hours cannot be counted in the student’s enrollment status or cost of attendance.
Repeated Coursework: Passed Courses: Once a student has passed a course with a ‘D’ or better, he/she can receive Federal Financial Aid funds to repeat the course one time, with the exception of withdrawn classes.
Failed/Withdrawn Courses: If a student fails (F) or withdraws (WD, WT) from a course, which has never been passed, they can receive Federal Financial Aid until they pass the class with a ‘D’ or better.
All attempts of a repeated course are used to calculate GPA and CR. This may result in a different GPA and CR than what is reflected on your transcript.
Transfer Credits: All previous college attempted and completed coursework officially on file will be counted when determining the student’s GPA, minimum CR and maximum time frame, regardless whether the student received Federal Financial Aid for those hours or not.
Financial Aid Statuses
Good Standing: Students maintaining the following minimum criteria will be considered in Good Standing for Federal Financial Aid Purposes:
- GPA: 2.0 semester and overall GPA
- CR: 67% minimum, semester and overall. CR is determined by dividing the hours passed by hours attempted
- Students must also be below the maximum time frame allowed (see below)
Warning: Will occur when a student’s overall GPA and CR meet the criteria for good standing, but the semester does not meet those standards. Students on Financial Aid Warning are eligible for all types of Federal Financial Aid for one additional semester.
- At the end of the Warning semester if the student meets the 2.0 GPA and 67% CR, semester and overall, they will be placed back to Good Standing
- Students that do not meet these federally mandated standards will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension
Suspension: All suspended students will receive a Financial Aid Suspension notification letter with an appeal form at the end of the term. An appeal form is also available through the Financial Aid Office or on My.Butlercc. All students placed on Financial Aid Suspension have the right to appeal except Terminated Academic Plans. Students on Financial Aid Suspension are not eligible for any type of Federal Financial Aid including loans.
Suspension from all Federal Financial Aid occurs when:
- The overall GPA is below a 2.0 GPA or overall CR is below 67% or
- A student on Warning or Probation does not meet the criteria for Good Standing
- Previous Butler students that never received Federal Financial Aid and transfer students not meeting the criteria for Good Standing will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension with the right to appeal
Reinstatement: Students suspended from Federal Financial Aid may be reinstated in the following manners:
- Submit a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form - the appeal form and any other appropriate documentation should be submitted with the initial appeal. Appeals can be based on adjustments to college and choosing a major/career, job-related difficulties, injury/illness, the death of relative, personal problems, stress/anxiety, or other special circumstances. It must include why the student failed to meet SAP, and what has changed to allow the student to reestablish his or her eligibility. The decision of the Financial Aid Review Committee is final. A student may not appeal multiple semesters citing the same reasons and be considered for reinstatement. If the appeal is granted, the student will continue to receive aid as a probationary student. If the appeal is denied the student may discuss their denial with the Director of Financial Aid; this may or may not affect the final decision of the committee.
- Self-Reinstatement – If an appeal is not submitted or granted, a student must:
- Meet the minimum criteria for Good Standing – semester and overall 2.0 GPA and a 67% CR
- If an appeal is denied, the student may re-appeal after successfully completing a minimum of 6 credit hours. The hours do not have to be completed within the same semester, but all semesters used for consideration must meet the criteria for Good Standing.
Approval is not guaranteed.
Probation/Appeal Granted: Occurs when a suspended student submits and appeal form and the appeal is granted. Probationary students will be eligible for Federal Financial Aid for one additional semester. During that semester if the student:
- Has a 2.0 GPA and 67% CR semester and overall they will go to Good Standing
- Does not meet a 2.0 GPA and 67% CR semester and overall they will go back to Financial Aid Suspension
A status of probation can only be assigned to students for whom it is mathematically possible to meet the minimum SAP standards within one semester. Students will be notified of any decisions through their pipeline Butler email and postal service.
Academic Plans: Academic Plans may be granted for students who appeal their Suspension and it is not mathematically possible to meet the minimum SAP standards within one semester. Academic Plans are individualized and are developed by the Financial Aid Office. They provide further funding on a term by term basis.
While on an Academic Plan, a student must have a 2.25 semester GPA and 75% completion rate until they are back in good standing with an overall 2.0 GPA and 67% CR. Students not meeting this criteria will be placed back on financial aid suspension. If placed back on financial aid suspension, the student cannot appeal again. In cases of extreme exceptional circumstances, the Director may approve exceptions. Once a student meets the minimum Good Standing criteria, they are no longer on an academic plan and returns back to good standing. If the semester returning the student to overall good standing does not meet the minimum standards, the student will be placed on warning status the following semester.
Maximum Time frame/PACE: Students who have exceeded the 150% maximum time frame allowed, or obtained a degree or certificate, are not eligible for Federal Financial Aid and need to submit a PACE Appeal Form for possible further funding.
150% maximum Time frame = Associate Degree: 92 credit hours attempted
Certificate A: 24 credit hours attempted
Certificate B: 45 credit hours attempted
Certificate C: 67 credit hours attempted
If the PACE Appeal is approved, one major change is allowed without the completion of the degree or certificate. Few exceptions will be made. Once the major is completed, students may be eligible for an additional PACE Appeal if they are seeking another Butler degree or certificate.
Once the degree or certificate is complete the student will no longer be eligible for additional Federal Financial Aid.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeals, including PACE Appeals, are effective for current or future terms.
Courses Included in SAP Calculations:
Butler implemented Course Program of Study (CPOS) beginning with the Spring 2020 semester. CPOS identifies courses required for the student’s declared program of study during that semester. If a student later changes their major, it does not retroactively change the student’s CPOS identified courses for prior terms.
With the implementation of CPOS, Butler made the determination to utilize CPOS identified courses as the basis for the SAP calculation for institutionally earned credit. All courses attempted prior to Spring 2020, as well as all transfer credits, are also included in the overall calculation. Courses noted with a CR are excluded.
Maximum Time frame determination is based on all hours attempted.
Scholarships 2021-22
- ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS: Eligible students are Full-Time, Regularly Admitted, Degree Seeking College Students that have never attended another college since graduating from High School in 2018, 2019, 2020 or 2021. College classes taken prior to your first regularly admitted semester do not affect offering Deans or Presidential Scholarships but can affect future eligibility. Scholarships may be awarded to graduates of either accredited or non-accredited institutions based on their ACT, SAT or GED scores. Graduates of accredited institutions may also be awarded based on their overall high school GPA including at least six completed semesters of high school. The seventh or eighth semester of high school can increase an award for these scholarships, but will not reduce an award. Students must complete 12 credit hours each semester with the required GPA to maintain academic scholarship eligibility. For scholarship purposes, Butler recognizes schools accredited by agencies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. A scholarship application is required and available through My.Butlercc by clicking on the “Scholarships” tile. The scholarship application deadline for the fall semester is August 1st, the scholarship deadline for the spring semester is January 1st, and the scholarship deadline for the summer semester is May 1st. This policy affects students that are applying for the first time for an academic scholarship during the 2021-2022 academic year. Students that have earned their associate degree are no longer eligible for academic scholarships.
- ACTIVITY/ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIPS: These are provided by various departments to students who wish to participate in activities such as sports, livestock judging, radio/television, theatre, music, spirit squad, and the Student Government Association. Scholarship selection and award is determined by the activity sponsor or division.
- TECHNICAL SCHOLARSHIPS: These scholarships are provided as an incentive for students who could not or would not otherwise enroll in technical programs at Butler. Awards are available for $265 for 12 or more hours of enrollment of which 6 or more hours have to be vocational. $132.50 is available for 6-11 credit hours of enrollment, of which 3 or more have to be vocational hours. The student must provide other costs themselves. Students can receive this scholarship for up to 4 semesters if they meet the following criteria each semester: 1 Students awarded a full scholarship must complete 12 hours with a 2.0 GPA. 2 Part-time students must complete 6 hours with a 2.0 GPA.
- BUTLER ACCESS SCHOLARSHIPS: These limited scholarships are offered on a first-come, first-served basis to any re-entry student who has not attended high school or college courses during the past 12 months, does not have a college degree, and is not eligible to receive a Pell Grant. Students must have completed high school in the United States or received their GED at least 12 months prior to application. The student is required to pay for books and fees; the college pays the tuition for the classes, for a maximum of 6 credit hours. These are one time, one semester scholarships that are non-renewable. Contact Financial Aid for more details.
- KANSAS BOARD OF REGENTS SCHOLARSHIPS: The state of Kansas provides various scholarships. Examples: Ethnic Minority, Nursing, State, Teacher, Military, and Career and Technical Workforce Grant. Applications and a complete list of scholarships are available through their website at www.kansasregents.org.
Butler Foundation Scholarships
To apply for academic and Foundation scholarships, apply online at scholarships.butlercc.edu. Students are encouraged to apply early. All Foundation scholarships vary in amount and criteria. Students must have an overall grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale to be eligible to receive a Foundation scholarship. Award notifications will be sent to the student’s Butler email. Visit the Foundation webpage at http://foundation.butlercc.edu or call 316-323-6731 for more information regarding Foundation scholarships.
The Butler Foundation is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that exists to provide support for the college. The Foundation solicits and accepts gifts of cash and other assets including deferred gifts and gifts-in-kind. Established in 1966, the Foundation is governed by a board of directors representing Butler’s service area and is responsible for maintaining donor and alumni information. Disbursements from endowed scholarships as well as annual scholarships are provided to students and administered by the Foundation through the Financial Aid Office.
Other Sources of Financial Aid
Veterans’ Benefits
Veterans should establish their Veterans’ Administration eligibility prior to enrollment. Contact the Veterans’ representative located in the Registrar’s Office in El Dorado. For more information call the Veterans’ Representative at 316-322-3102 or direct 733-3102 from the Wichita/metro area.
Native American Assistance
The Bureau of Indian Affairs administers programs of financial assistance for Native Americans. To be eligible for assistance from the BIA, a student must be able to prove that he or she is American Indian, Eskimo or Aleutian. An applicant should contact the agency which has the student’s record of tribal enrollment. The Financial Aid Office will work with each tribe on individual funding requirements.
State Assistance
Butler works with multiple state programs to assist many different types of students to overcome a variety of continuing education barriers.
For more information on any state assistance program, you can contact Accounts Receivable at 316.218.6201 for application procedures and program administration in your area.
Outside Scholarships
Scholarships are available from many different kinds of organizations, companies, churches, hospitals, etc. Some entities have scholarships available for members/employees and their children. Others accept applications from any individual that meets their criteria.
Outside scholarship checks should be made payable to Butler. The student’s name and Butler student identification number should be listed on the check and mailed directly to Butler Financial Aid – 901 S Haverhill Rd – El Dorado, KS 67042.
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