Unusual Enrollment History Information

Unusual Enrollment History (UEH) Flags: Beginning in 2013-2014, some students who complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be flagged for “unusual enrollment history” by the U.S. Department of Education as a result of the student having received Federal Pell Grants at multiple institutions in recent years. Flags “2” and “3” require that the current institution review the student’s enrollment history and determine whether or not the student is enrolling only long enough to receive cash refunds of Federal Student Aid.


How to resolve: All students with UEH flag “3” and some students with UEH flag “2” will be required to provide to the Financial Aid Office at Northwest Technical Institute their official academic transcripts from all colleges and universities attended during the review period. The review period included academic years 2010-2011, 2011-2012, and 2012-2013. If Pell Grants were received and credit hours (passing grades: A, B, C, or D) were not earned at each institution attended during these award years, the student may be determined ineligible for further federal financial aid.

  • If your Student Aid Report (SAR) includes UEH flag “3,” please complete the Unusual Enrollment History Review form and submit it to the Financial Aid Office at Northwest Technical Institute along with all required documentation.
  • If your SAR includes UEH flag “2,” the Financial Aid Office at Northwest Technical Institute will notify you if you will be required to complete the Unusual Enrollment History Review form.

Denial of Continued Eligibility: If a student did not earn academic credit at one or more of the relevant institutes and does not provide, to the Financial Aid Office’s satisfaction, an acceptable explanation and documentation for each of those failures, Northwest Technical Institute must deny the student any additional Title IV (Pell Grant) eligibility. The student will be provided with an opportunity to question and appeal the decision, consistent with the opportunities to question and appeal similar financial aid determinations at the Northwest Technical Institute as Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) determinations.

Regaining Federal Student Aid eligibility: Students whose aid eligibility is denied as a result of their UEH can be reconsidered for Federal Student Aid after meeting with Financial Aid Director. If the Financial Aid Director approves the student’s continued eligibility, the Financial Aid Director may choose:

  • To require the student to establish an academic plan.
  • Counsel the student about the Pell Grant duration of eligibility provisions [Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU)].
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Authority: The authority for an institution to deny Title IV, HEA program assistance under these circumstances is section 454(a)(4)(A) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, which requires the student to sign a Statement of Educational Purpose. [See also 34 CFR 668.32(h)]. By signing the Statement of Educational Purpose as part of the student’s submission of the FAFSA, the student certified that he or she would use the Title IV, HEA program assistance received only to meet educational costs.