TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The enclosed award letter indicates your financial aid award for the academic year. The Financial Aid Office awards financial aid according to federal, state, and institutional policies and regulations. Your indicated aid preference was considered in the awarding process. Because of funding limitations, meeting all of a student's financial need is usually not possible. Following the philosophy of the U.S. Department of Education, financial aid is awarded to supplement the resources of the student and his/her family. It is their belief that primary responsibility for meeting educational expenses lies with the family. Detailed information regarding the types of financial aid that we have included in your award letter can be found in your campus consumer information and/or "The Student Guide" published by the U.S. Department of Education. You must repeat the financial aid application process each year. We do not automatically renew financial aid.

Financial aid for the summer session may require a separate application. Summer applicants can contact the Financial Aid Office to obtain the proper summer form(s). The Summer Application deadline is April 15.

Registration and Schedule Adjustments: Adding a course, changing from credit to audit or audit to credit, changing from one section to another, and changing the number of credits in any variable credit course must be completed by the last day to change course schedule or drop without a grade of W being recorded as published in the Master Schedule of Classes. It is the responsibility of the student to complete his/her part of the paperwork and to present the paperwork to the appropriate offices. To be officially enrolled, students must complete the registration process including schedule adjustments and the payment of fees for all classes by the official registration deadline date prescribed in the Master Schedule.

Financial Aid Awards: Financial Aid awards will only be based on a student's enrollment status during the official registration period. Should a class or classes be added after this period, Financial Aid funds will not be awarded to cover the cost of the class or classes.

Cost of Attendance: The cost of attendance (educational cost) stated in your award letter is an estimate of how much money you will spend while attending school this academic year. This figure not only includes tuition and fees but also an allowance for housing, meals, books and supplies, transportation, and miscellaneous personal expenses. Your actual cost may be less than this amount. The University bill will only include charges for tuition and fees.

You must be enrolled at least half-time (6 or more credit hours) to receive educational loan funds. Limited Federal Pell Grant funds are available for students whose enrollment status is less than half-time, but most students who enroll for fewer than 6 credit hours will not receive financial assistance. We initially base all awards on full-time enrollment. However, you may adjust your enrollment hours on the award notification letter or at the time of registration if you take less than 12 hours.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards: Pursuant to federal regulations, the Financial Aid Office is required to monitor the academic progress of all students applying for federal financial aid. Financial aid funds can be awarded only to students who are making measurable progress toward the completion of degree requirements within a reasonable period of time. It is required that students obtain at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average by the end of the fourth semester and pass a minimum number of credit hours per academic year depending upon your enrollment status. A copy of the University's SAP policy is contained in the college catalog and is available upon request.

Federal Work Study: Community service opportunities are available under the Federal Work Study program. Information about these opportunities can be found in the Financial Aid Office.

Federal Perkins Loan: We will require that students receiving this money complete a Promissory Note and Interview Questionnaire before the funds can be released.

South Carolina Need Based Grant, LIFE Scholarship, and Lottery Tuition Assistance: These funds are restricted to residents of the state of South Carolina. Other provisions, such as GPA requirements and others, can be found in your campus' college catalog.

Refunds and Repayments: Should you register for classes and withdraw before the first day of classes, you must repay all distributed financial aid immediately. Should you withdraw or reduce your course load, you may be eligible to receive a refund. However, most recipients of financial aid do not receive a refund because we credit those funds back to the appropriate financial aid account. A copy of the University's refund and repayment policy is available upon request. If you withdraw or drop classes during a refund period, we may require that you repay a portion of the student aid funds you have received. A student may not receive financial aid (federal or state) while in default on a federal student loan or while owing a repayment to a federal grant program. Should you have questions concerning course load reduction or increases in course load, you should contact the Financial Aid Office for advisement before changing your status. If you are delinquent on financial obligations to this campus, you cannot register again at this institution, transfer credits to another institution, or graduate until the obligation is met.

Pre-registered Students: If you have pre-registered for classes, the Business Office will assign you certain dates for fee payment. Information concerning fee payment dates will accompany your bill. If you are a part-time student receiving financial aid, you may need to stop by the Financial Aid Office before fee payment. "Pending" financial aid, in most cases, cannot be used to pay your bill. The Financial Aid Office can answer questions about pending aid.

Regular Registration: Students participating in regular or late registration who are enrolling full time may pay their tuition using their financial aid funds. Part-time students receiving financial aid may be required to stop by the Financial Aid Office for disbursement approval before paying their bill.

After Registration: If your financial aid was not available during pre-registration or regular registration due to a late or incomplete application, the Business Office will notify you by mail when your funds become available. You must be registered for the required credit hours at the time of disbursement.

Stafford Loan Disbursement: If you are only applying for one term, we may divide your disbursement into two equal disbursements. We will disburse one half at registration and one half at the semester midpoint. If you are a first year, first time borrower at the University, you may not receive your Federal Stafford Loan check until thirty days after the beginning of classes. If you are a first time borrower, we require that you receive loan counseling. If you do not receive loan counseling before registration, it must be completed before loan funds can be disbursed. The counseling sessions takes approximately 30-45 minutes.

If you think we have overlooked some aspect of your financial situation that would affect our evaluation of your need, you should bring this to the attention of the Financial Aid Office. With proper documentation, we can consider certain unusual circumstances.

The Financial Aid Office ensures the confidentiality of student records according to the Family Education Right and Privacy Act. Your family financial information and the type and amounts of your aid are held in confidence. Information is released only with your written consent. If you are a dependent student, your parents have a legal right to view your records. Information will be released to other offices and agencies as may be needed to administer the financial aid programs, such as scholarship donors, services of loans, etc.