student outcome tracking

Maritime College has implemented Student Outcome Tracking (Course Eligibility for Financial Aid). This program will assist students in determining financial aid eligibility for each of their courses. Both students and faculty should familiarize themselves with this information.

The Federal and State governments have mandated that all students receiving financial aid (including federal loans) must take courses that apply to their programs. Schools will be held accountable to make sure students are taking the proper courses and could lose their ability to offer financial aid to students if they do not comply with this regulation. Students that enroll in courses not required for their program may have their financial aid reduced or canceled.  If a student is enrolled in courses that do not count toward their program, those courses cannot be used to determine enrollment status and aid eligibility. 

What is Student Outcome Tracking (SOT)

Student Outcome Tracking (SOT) is a computerized process which evaluates if the courses students register for are required for their degree program. SOT can operate in two modes:

Dynamic: In dynamic mode, each time the student registers for a course, a message will be displayed in Banner to indicate if the course is aid-eligible for not aid-eligible.  If a course is not aid-eligible, a student can still register for the course, but their aid may be reduced as a result.

Batch: In batch mode, students do not receive real-time messages regarding their aid-eligibility for each course. Students will be sent an email prior to the end of registration to notify them of which classes are not aid-eligible.

Maritime College will begin SOT processing in Batch mode for summer 2021. This allows the Financial Aid Office and Registrar's Office to complete additional checking to confirm the results of SOT. It is the expectation of Maritime College to move to dynamic mode in the future.

Students who repeat courses they have taken previously either at Maritime College or another institution and received a passing grade may impact both federal and state aid programs (To maintain full-time status for financial aid, a student’s coursework must be at least 12 credits without the repeated class.) An exception may be made for state aid if the student did not meet the minimum grade requirement for that class for graduation.

  • Federal Aid, including student loans, will pay for a student to repeat a passed course only once.

  • State aid (TAP and other NYS scholarships) will only pay for a repeated course once, but only if it is required to have a higher grade for graduation in the student's particular degree program.

If a student’s program does not require them to earn a higher grade for graduation, but the student is being advised to repeat coursework for academic reasons, it may be advisable for the student to be enrolled at least 12 credits of a new coursework (in addition any repeated courses) in order to maintain his/her full time status.

Please note that students may be eligible to receive financial aid based on the following credit hour requirements.

Required Credits for Aid Programs

  • Federal Pell grant: 1-12 or more credits

  • Federal SEOG: 1-12 or more credits

  • New York State TAP: 12 or more credits

  • New York State Aid for Part Time Study: 1 -11 credits

  • Federal Direct Loans (Student and Parent): 6 or more credits

Student Outcome Tracking FAQ

How does this benefit students?
When students only enroll in courses required for their degree, they can graduate faster, spend less money, and reduce loan debt. Additionally, there are lifetime limits to financial aid so graduating sooner will help ensure students do not run out of aid.

What will happen to my financial aid if I choose to take courses that are not within my program?
You will only receive financial aid for courses in your program and your financial aid award package will be reduced to reflect the number of courses you are taking that do apply to your program.

What types of courses are considered required?

  • Core courses

  • Major courses

  • Professional Option courses (Deck and Engine STCW courses)

  • Elective courses required in your degree program  

What happens if I change my major?
Students should contact the Financial Aid Office if they change their major. The Financial Aid Office will review the major change, and if needed, reprocess the student’s courses through the SOT process.

Students who change their majors will normally be expected to complete all degree requirements before reaching 150% maximum time of normal program completion.

Please refer to SAP policy.

What is the impact of taking remedial (e.g. MATH 080)? 
Students can receive federal and state aid for remedial coursework. However, students receiving the NYS Excelsior Scholarship, remedial courses such as MATH 080 (and MATH 090 in certain programs) do not count towards any degree requirement and therefore will not apply to the 12 credit enrollment minimum or the annual 30-credit (24-credit requirement for EOP) requirement.

Where can I see which courses are required?
Students should review Degree Works to determine which courses to enroll in each semester. Once registered for courses, confirm that the courses display in the audit as fulfilling requirements. Students can also see which courses are required in the College Catalog.

How will I know if I'm not taking the right courses to satisfy the financial aid requirements? How will I be notified?
Students will be notified at their Maritime College email address that they are enrolled in courses that are not aid-eligible so that they make changes to their schedule. Students should use caution when registering for classes during add/drop week because there may not be enough time for the student to be notified of issues with their registration before registration ends.

Will this only affect full time students?
No. Part time students must adhere to the same guidelines.

What do I do if I find out my courses are not going to be paid for by financial aid?
You will need to readjust the courses within your program and take courses that do count for financial aid. Otherwise you will be responsible for payment for all courses that do not meet program requirements.

I do not receive any federal or state aid. Does this apply to me?
These regulations only affect students receiving federal (including loans) and state aid. If you pay for courses on your own, you are free to take whatever courses you choose. However, taking courses outside of what is required for your major may prolong your time at Maritime and cost you additional funds. We encourage you to perform a Degree Audit periodically to ensure you are on your way to completing your degree.

Are courses taken to complete the graduate level Advanced Certificate eligible for federal aid?
The Advanced Graduate Certificate in Supply Chain Management is not eligible for federal financial aid. Students following the combined Master of Science/Advanced Certificate program cannot receive federal aid for courses taken beyond the 34 credits required to complete the Master of Science degree.

Are all courses taken within the Graduate License program eligible for federal aid?
Students in the Graduate License program must take at least 5 credits of graduate level coursework in addition to any undergraduate license courses to be eligible for federal aid with exception for terms where student is completing sea time e.g. summer sea term and cadet shipping.  

What is the minimum number of credits required for my Maritime scholarship?
Typically at least 12 credits per term is required for Maritime scholarships.