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Debt Relief & Academic Forgiveness through the new SSU Finish Line Program

The Finish Line program is designed to help students overcome the academic and financial barriers that have interrupted their completion of an undergraduate degree from Shawnee State University. Finish Line offers up to $5,000 in institutional debt relief and academic forgiveness of up to 45 credit hours.

Finish Line may be for you if:

  • You have stopped out of college for at least one (1) semester, and
  • Have a GPA of 2.0 or higher (after academic forgiveness), and
  • Have filed a current FAFSA, and
  • Are within three (3) semesters of finishing your degree, and
  • Agree to meet with an Academic Advisor monthly, enroll in a minimum of 6 credit hours each semester, and remain in good standing while in the program.  
  • You also must agree to reimburse previous and any newly created balance if you do not complete your courses while in the program.

Apply to Re-enroll

Here's what the Finish Line program offers:

1. Debt Relief of up to $5,000 to help clear the path to your degree.

  • Eligible students will receive a maximum one-time amount of debt forgiveness of up to $5,000.
  • $2,500 of debt that students owe Shawnee State (does not apply to student loans or debt held by the Ohio Attorney General) will be reduced after student successfully completes the first semester after re-enrolling at Shawnee State.
  • Additional $2,500 of debt will be eliminated when student completes their degree or credential.
  • Students who do not complete their coursework and degrees will be required to reimburse all balances to Shawnee State.

 

2. Academic Forgiveness of up to 45 credit hours to get you back on track.

  • Eligible students may apply to remove up to 45 credit hours of D or F grades from their grade point average.
  • Removal of these grades, or academic forgiveness, may help students recover from any academic challenges that have harmed their academic standing at Shawnee State.
  • Students in selective admission programs will continue to be held to the admission/retention standards of their programs and re-entry into the university does not guarantee re-entry into their program if they were dismissed or denied admission based on academic performance. 
  • Students do not receive credit for forgiven courses they have failed, and students must retake courses with failing grades that apply to the General Education Program (GEP) or their degree program(s).
  • Students must meet the degree and GEP requirements for their catalog year.
  • Because low grades that have been forgiven will still appear on a student's transcript, those who are granted academic forgiveness must meet with their academic or professional advisors to discuss future plans (graduate/professional school, for instance) and how academic forgiveness may impact those plans.
  • Academic forgiveness does not exempt students from the satisfactory academic progress regulations of financial aid. Grades that are academically forgiven will still count toward academic progress ratios, maximum credits earned for financial aid eligibility, and GPA calculated for financial aid eligibility. There will be no automatic eligibility for financial aid based on academic forgiveness.