Students receiving federal student aid have certain legal rights. Your rights include the following:
- To be informed of what financial aid programs are available at Southeast Community College (SCC).
- Which programs are need-based and which are not need-based.
- For each available program, you must be advised:
- of the costs associated with the program.
- of the procedures and forms needed to apply for assistance.
- of the eligibility requirements.
- of the criteria for selecting recipients.
- how your award is determined and know what resources (such as parental contribution, other financial aid, assets, etc.) were considered in the calculation of your financial need.
- For Federal Aid programs, you must be advised how:
- to continue eligibility for each program.
- the school determines whether you are making satisfactory academic progress (SAP), and the results of not meeting these standards.
- to regain eligibility if you have failed to maintain SAP.
- To receive, from the financial aid office, the name of the agency which may be contacted regarding State grants available to residents of the state.
- To know the deadlines for submitting applications for each available financial aid programs.
- To know how financial aid will be disbursed; the frequency of the disbursements; how decisions on the distribution of funds are made, and the basis for the decisions.
- To know how your financial need was determined.
- To know how much of your financial need, as determined by the school, has been met.
- To request an explanation of the various awards in your student aid package.
- To know the school's refund policy.
- If you are Pell-elligible, how you may obtain books and supplies by the seventh (7th) day of a payment period and how you may opt out.
- To know what portion of the financial aid you receive must be repaid, and what portion is grant (free) aid.
- If the aid is a loan, you have the right to know what the terms of the loan are such as interest rate, the total repayment amount, fees during repayment, the payback procedures, the length of time you have to repay the loan, when repayment is to begin, and available options for consolidation.
- If you are offered a Federal Work-Study job, you have the right to know the required work hours, the job duties, the rate of pay, and how and when paychecks are received.
- If you have a disability, special facilities and services available.
- If you believe a mistake has been made in determining your financial aid eligibility, you have the right to ask your financial aid application be reconsidered.
- If you have a loan and the lender transfers (i.e. sells) the loan and the right to receive payments, you must be sent a notification to whom you must make payments.
- If you receive a loan, you should receive a sample repayment schedule.
- Lenders must provide you with a copy of your completed promissory note.
- The right to prepay a loan without penalty. This means you may at any time pay in full the loan balance and any interest due without being charged a penalty for early payment.
- If you cannot make a loan payment, you may request forbearance from the loan servicer where the payments may be reduced for a specific period of time.
- In borrowing money, you assume the responsibility for repaying the loan. If circumstances arise which make it difficult to meet this responsibility, you should contact the loan servicer.
- To know the exit counseling information the school provides and collects.
Responsibilities of Financial Aid Students
Any student receiving federal student aid has certain legal responsibilities. Your responsibilities include the following:
- To complete all application forms accurately and submit them on time to the appropriate location.
- Provide correct information. The intentional misreporting of information on financial aid application forms is a violation of the law and is considered a criminal offense which could result in indictment under the U.S. Criminal Code.
- Return all additional documentation, verification, corrections, and/or new information requested by either the Financial Aid Office or the agency to which an application was submitted.
- Report to the Financial Aid Office any additional financial resources received by you during the period of your financial aid award.
- Reading and understanding all forms you are asked to sign and for keeping copies of the forms.
- Accept responsibility for all agreements you sign.
- Perform the work you have agreed upon in accepting Federal Work-Study or regular student employment.
- Be aware of and comply with the deadlines for application or reapplication for aid.
- Be aware of the school's refund policy.
- All schools must provide information to prospective students about the school's programs and performance. You should consider this information carefully before deciding to attend school.
- If you receive a loan, you must notify the lender if any of the following occurs before the loan is repaid:
- Graduation.
- Withdrawal from school or less than half-time enrollment.
- Change of address.
- Name change.
- Transfer to other school(s).
- If you have accepted a Federal Stafford Loan prior to receiving your first disbursement of loan funds at SCC, you must complete entrance loan counseling.
- You must attend an exit interview if your enrollment drops below six credit hours; or if you graduate, or transfer to another school.
- You must repay any loan received at SCC, plus accrued interest, in accordance with the agreement on the promissory note and the repayment schedule.
- In borrowing money, you assume the responsibility for repaying the loan. If circumstances arise making it difficult to meet this responsibility, must contact the loan servicer. In the case of an alternative loan, you must contact the lender.
- You must notify the loan servicer if yo feel you are eligible for a deferment of repayment.
- For continued financial aid, you must re-apply for aid each year you are enrolled in school.