Rights and Responsibilities
As a recipient of financial aid, students have certain rights and responsibilities they should exercise. Knowing them will put you in a better position to make decisions about your educational goals and how to achieve them.
As a financial aid recipient, you have a right to:
- Speak with a financial aid professional regarding counseling
- Know what financial assistance is available to you, how to apply for aid and the deadlines for submitting an aid application
- Have your eligibility for financial aid be determined in an equitable manner consistent with federal regulations and university policies
- Be considered for all federal, state, and institutional aid programs for which you qualify as long as funds are available
- Understand how your financial aid eligibility was determined
- Notification of your financial aid offer and any adjustments
- Request a review of your financial aid offer if your financial situation has changed since filing the current aid year financial aid application
- Understand the school's disbursement and refund policy as well as the Federal Return of Title IV funds policy
- Know the criteria for continued financial aid eligibility, including the criteria for maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) as well as how to reestablish eligibility after failing SAP.
- Understand the terms, conditions and requirements of any loan you are offered or accept. Access to sample loan repayment schedules
- Have access to information about your student loan debt burden
- Understand the job description, rate and conditions of employment at a Federal Work Study Position.
- Expect that your financial records, your parents’ financial records, and your financial aid offer information be kept confidential in accordance with the Federal Education Right to Privacy Act.
Responsibilities:
As a financial aid recipient, you are responsible for:
- Providing complete and accurate information on which we base your eligibility for aid. Misreporting information on financial aid application forms is a violation of law and may be considered a criminal offense
- Completing and submitting all document requirements in a timely manner, and by the posted deadlines
- Reading and understanding all forms that you are asked to sign, and maintain copies for your records
- Using the aid offered for educationally related expenses as defined in the estimated student cost of attendance
- Completing entrance counseling before you receive your first loan disbursement
- Reporting additional sources of financial assistance such as scholarships, stipends, and tuition waivers
- Maintaining the same enrollment level throughout the semester and notifying the Financial Aid Office if your enrollment changes mid semester.
- Notifying the financial aid office if you withdraw from school.
- Reporting any change in your status, including informing the university and your loan servicer of changes in your name, address, social security number, and graduation date. Changes to enrollment level, living arrangements, etc.
- Completing exit counseling about loan repayment when you graduate or leave the university
- Repaying any loan you receive
- Reporting any portion of grants and scholarships that exceed tuition, fees, books, and supplies as taxable income when filing your tax return
- Being aware of and complying with the deadlines for reapplication of aid each academic year