Financial Aid Policy for Repeat Coursework

Federal regulations limit the number of times a student may repeat a course and receive federal financial aid for that course. 

• A student may receive federal financial aid when repeating a course that was previously failed.
• A student may receive federal financial aid to repeat a previously passed course (with a D or better, including Pass grade) one additional time, whether or not a student received federal financial aid for an earlier enrollment of the course.
• Once a student has completed any course twice and earned a passing grade (with a D or better, including Pass grade) they are no longer eligible to receive federal financial aid for that course
• If a student retakes a course that is no longer eligible for financial aid, the units are excluded from the total enrollment and the student’s financial aid will be adjusted to exclude these units.

Once a repeated course can no longer be counted within a student’s enrollment for federal financial aid purposes;

• It is irrelevant if a student is required to retake a class to meet major/program GPA requirements. 
• It is irrelevant if a student has a personal desire to receive an improved grade
• This rule may seem unfriendly to the academic career of student. The rule is federal law and there is no appeal process.

The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid does not determine if a student may repeat a class, only if the student is eligible for federal financial aid for the repeated class(es). Repeat coursework can also have consequences on a student’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) calculation.  For more information on how repeat courses are counted for SAP, please see the Financial Aid Policy for Satisfactory Academic Progress.

The University of Arizona’s academic repeat policy is different from the federal financial aid repeat regulations. Academic Policies surrounding repeat coursework can be found through the Office of the Registrar.