Rights and Responsibilities of Students Receiving Financial Aid
Students who receive financial aid awards have rights as well as responsibilities. These rights and responsibilities are explained in detail below.
Students have the right:
- To know that their financial aid award is based on calculated financial need. Financial need is determined by the Federal Central Processor and the Financial Aid Office. Need is defined as the difference between the costs of attending college (at a modest level) and the resources available to students from their own income and assets, their parents’ income and assets, and other sources.
- To receive their financial aid award as long as they are eligible and meet their responsibilities.
- To be informed of details of each aid program that they are offered.
- To be informed of the terms of any loan program awards that they are offered.
- To be informed of the terms of any work program awards that they are offered.
- To accept, reject or seek adjustments to their financial aid award without prejudice.
- To know how much financial aid they will receive each semester and when financial aid payments will be disbursed.
- To privacy of information regarding their financial aid files. Information from the students’ files will not be released to anyone without the student’s permission of access to their financial aid files.
- To seek financial aid counseling.
Students have the responsibilities to:
- To complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) for financial assistance annually to demonstrate continued need.
- To provide accurate and factual information on all financial aid forms. Students must notify the Financial Aid Office of any change in information submitted including (a) withdrawal from school, (b) reduction in number of credits to below half-time status, (c) change in address, name or marital status and (d) financial information provided on application form.
- To accept responsibility for all agreements that they sign.
- To read and understand all financial aid forms and keep copies of them. Request clarification if a form is not clear.
- To repay all loans according to the terms outlined in their truth-in-lending and promissory note forms. Students who are in default of any loan will be denied financial aid.
- To use their financial aid award for educational purposes and to carefully manage the funds that they receive.
- To refund a portion or all of their financial aid upon partial or total withdrawal from school. Refunds must be made to the Business Office. Failure to make such refunds could cause student to lose further eligibility.
- To submit forms by the deadlines and to keep their financial aid appointments.
- To work during the summer to supplement their financial aid awards and meet total education costs.