Rights and Responsibilities of Financial Aid Recipients
Students receiving financial aid have specific rights and responsibilities under federal and state law. Understanding these ensures you make informed decisions about funding your education.
As an aid-recipient, you have the right to:
- Receive full, accurate information about the financial aid programs available at the University — what they are, how to apply, what the eligibility conditions are, deadlines, award amounts, how and when funds are disbursed.
- Know the University’s cost of attendance (COA) and how much of that may reasonably be met by aid (grants, loans, work study, institutional aid).
- Receive, in writing or electronically, an explanation of each financial aid award offered to you — including any conditions you must meet (verification, SAP, enrollment status), and your options (accept or decline).
- Accept or decline any portion of your financial aid award (for example, you may accept some aid and reject others).
- Be notified promptly when your award changes (for reasons such as verification issues, enrollment changes, outside resource changes) and understand how to appeal or address the change.
- Access entrance and exit loan counseling (for federal loans) and other borrower resources to help you understand the terms of borrowing, repayment, and your rights and options.
- Review your rights and responsibilities at any time, including via the University’s financial aid website, and receive other disclosures the University must provide under federal/state law.
You are responsible for:
- Submitting all financial aid applications (FAFSA, state grant applications), documentation, verification forms, or other required materials accurately and on time. If information changes (income, family size, marital status, dependency status, etc.) you must notify the Office of Student Financial Services as soon as possible.
- Use the funds you receive only for authorized educational costs — e.g., tuition and fees, books and supplies, and approved living expenses when applicable. Do not use these funds for non-educational purposes.
- Inform the University (via the Office of Student Financial Services and Registrar’s Office) of changes in your enrollment status (e.g., dropping below half-time, withdrawing from a term, adding or dropping courses), program of study, or housing status if relevant. These changes may affect your aid eligibility.
- Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) under the University’s policy. This includes meeting minimum GPA, pace of progression, and maximum time-to-degree requirements. Failure to meet SAP may result in loss of aid eligibility.
- Complete required loan counseling (entrance counseling before your first federal loan disbursement; exit counseling when you graduate, transfer out, withdraw, or drop below eligible enrollment).
- Respond promptly to university requests for additional documentation or clarification (including IRS tax transcripts, verification forms, appeals) and cooperate with your responsibilities as part of the Federal Student Aid process.
Institutional & State Context
Because ÐßÐßÊÓƵ is part of the PASSHE system, our policies reflect both federal requirements and state system standards. For instance, PASSHE requires that each institution maintain clear disclosure of what constitutes satisfactory academic progress, and the University must annually publish certain consumer information (e.g., average debt, default rates) in compliance with the Higher Education Act (HEA) and federal consumer-information requirements. The University’s Student Information System (SIS) supports tracking of enrollment changes and disbursement status.