Student Rights

As a student consumer you have the right to:

• Know what financial assistance is available, including information on all federal, state and institutional financial assistance programs.
• Know the deadlines for submitting applications for financial aid.
• Know how your financial need is determined. This process includes how costs for tuition and fees, room and board, travel, books and supplies, and personal expenses are decided in developing cost of attendance budgets.
• Know what resources (such as parental contribution, other financial assistance, student assets, etc.) are considered in the calculation of your financial need.
• Know how your financial need, as determined by the university, has been met, and how and when financial aid funds are disbursed.
• Request from the Office of Financial Aid (OFA), an explanation of the various programs in your student aid package. If you believe you have not received the financial assistance for which you are eligible, you may request in writing a review of your aid application.
• Know what portion of the financial assistance received must be repaid, and what portion is scholarship/grant aid. If the aid is a loan, you have the right to know what the interest rate is, the total amount that must be repaid, the payback procedures, the length of time you have to repay the loan and when repayment is to begin.
• Know how the OFA determines whether you are making satisfactory academic progress, and what happens if you are not.
• You have a right to privacy. All records submitted with your application for financial aid are confidential and subject to legal requirements concerning disclosure of such information.

Student Responsibilities

It is your responsibility to:

• Review and consider all information about the financial aid programs at the university prior to enrolling.
• Complete all financial assistance applications and forms accurately and submit them to the OFA by the appropriate deadlines.
• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Renewal FAFSA and the CSS PROFILE (undergraduates) in full. You may experience delays in receiving a decision about financial aid if forms are submitted after the priority filing deadlines or are filled out incompletely or incorrectly. Falsification of information on application forms for federal financial assistance is considered a criminal offense, and you may be subject to penalties under the U.S. Criminal Code.
• Respond quickly to all requests for additional documentation related to verification or corrections.
• Notify the OFA if there is a change in any of the information reported on the FAFSA or PROFILE.
• Read and understand all forms, both paper and electronic, that you are asked to submit or sign and keep copies of these forms. You are legally responsible for all agreements which you sign.
• If awarded a loan, participate in any required entrance/exit counseling.
• Notify your lender of any changes in your name, address or school status if a loan is part of your financial aid.
• If employed through Federal Work Study, report to your job according to the schedule you arranged with your supervisor, complete all work to the best of your ability and notify your supervisor in advance if you are unable to report to work for any reason.
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for financial aid eligibility.
• Know and comply with the university's refund and return of Title IV fund policies.