Rights & Responsibilities of Financial Aid Recipients
The receipt of federal student financial aid comes with both rights and responsibilities. It is important for students to know and understand both.
Students have a right to know:
- What financial aid programs are available;
- Descriptions of the various programs listed on the Financial Aid Offer Letter;
- The deadlines for submitting applications for each of the financial aid programs available;
- How financial aid will be distributed, how decisions on that distribution are made, and the basis for these decisions;
- How their financial need was determined. This includes how costs for tuition and fees, living expenses, transportation, books, course materials, supplies and equipment, miscellaneous personal expenses, etc., are considered in their estimated cost of attendance;
- What resources (such as student and parental contribution, other financial aid, etc.) were considered in the calculation of their need;
- How much of their financial need, as determined by the College, has been met;
- The Return of Title IV funds policy and the College’s tuition refund policy;
- What portion of the financial aid received must be repaid, and what portion is grant aid;
- If the aid they are receiving is a loan, the student has a right to know the interest rate on the loan, the total amount that must be repaid, the repayment procedures, the length of time for repayment of the loan, and when repayment begins;
- How the College determines whether students are making satisfactory academic progress and what happens if they are not; and
- How to decline having Title IV aid credited to College charges or prior year charges.
Please Note: All of the information listed above (and much more) is available through one or more of the following: the College Catalog, the links provided from the Consumer Information webpage and the Financial Aid Information webpage, and your personal Financial Aid Offer Letter.
Student Have the Responsibility To:
- Become familiar with the information provided in the College Catalog, and the information provided/linked from the Consumer Information webpage and the Financial Aid Information webpage;
- Complete all application forms accurately and submit them on time;
- Provide correct information. (In most instances, intentionally providing false or misleading information on financial aid application forms is a violation of law and may be considered a criminal offense that could result in indictment under the U.S. Criminal Code);
- Submit all additional documentation, corrections, and/or new information requested by either the Student Financial Services Office or the agency to which their application was submitted;
- Read and understand all forms that they are asked to sign, and maintain copies for their records;
- Accept responsibility for all agreements that they sign;
- Be aware of and comply with the deadlines for application or reapplication for aid;
- Be aware of the Return of Title IV Funds policy;
- Be aware of the College’s refund procedures;
- Complete on-line Entrance Counseling (if you are a student loan borrower);
- Complete on-line Exit Counseling if you are a student loan borrower and are graduating/terminating your enrollment;
- Maintain current and correct address/phone numbers with the Registrar’s Office;
- Comply with all deadlines and requirements for class registration; and
- Comply with the academic and administrative policies of the College.
If you have any questions about your rights and responsibilities, please contact the helpful staff in the Student Financial Services Office.