Rights & Responsibilities

Financial aid recipients have an additional obligation to use the funding they receive in an ethical manner to support their educational goals. Whether you receive scholarship funding from a generous donor or loan proceeds you will repay at a later point, you are receiving assistance that carries with it an obligation to use the funding as it was intended.

You will find that this Website will offer a great deal of insight into the rights of an aid recipient. Specifically, the Student Financial Aid Office has defined the following rights that you can assure are available when seeking out and receiving financial aid.

As a financial aid recipient, you have the right to

• Know what financial aid programs are available and how to apply for them;
• Know procedures and deadlines for submitting application for financial aid;
• Understand how your cost of attendance and your financial need are determined;
• Receive a breakdown of the type and amount of assistance you will receive, and have access to information on obligations to repay any portion of that assistance;
• Have your information treated in accordance with the Family Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA);
  
• Understand the eligibility criteria for awarding aid;
• Have access to detailed requirements of any loan you accept;
• Complete required counseling when taking out student loans and when, as a loan borrower, exiting the university;
  
• Know the job description and starting pay rate for any Federal Work-Study position you accept;
• Understand how aid eligibility is affected by the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress;
• Know the requirements and eligibility impact of withdrawal, the anticipated timeline for refunds, and limitations of UC scholarship assistance;
• Meet with staff to review your financial aid package and seek review if family or financial circumstances have changed; and
  
• Have access to campus security and crime statistics. 

To assist you, the Student Financial Aid Website also offers you assistance in meeting the responsibilities of being an aid recipient.

When seeking or receiving aid, you have the responsibility to

• Use financial aid only for educational expenses related to attending the university;
• Establish plans to meet your educational and living expenses;
• Submit all forms required to complete the application process in a timely and accurate manner;
• Read, understand, and retain copies of all information sent to you and all documents signed or received as part of your aid package;
• Comply with the provisions of any aid received, as well as any promissory notes and all other agreements you sign;
• Perform satisfactorily in any work assignments accepted through Federal Work-Study;
• Notify the Student Financial Aid Office of all aid resources (especially outside scholarships) you receive that are not listed on your award offer;
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress;
  
• Register and attend classes for the number of hours required for your aid disbursement; and
• Keep UC informed of any change of address, name or marital status while you are a student, and until all loans have been repaid in full.

Loan borrowers should read all information sent to them to ensure they understand the terms and conditions of the loan. In particular, students should understand the following:

• The use of the Master Promissory Note (MPN);
• The seriousness and importance of the repayment obligation the borrower is assuming;
• The likely consequences of default, including adverse credit reports, delinquent debt collection procedures under federal law, and litigation; 
• The obligation to repay the full amount of the loan regardless of whether you complete your program or complete within regular time, are unable to obtain employment, or are otherwise dissatisfied with or do not receive the educational or other services desired;
• Information about the monthly payment amounts based on 
  • A range of student levels of indebtedness of Direct Subsidized Loan and Direct Unsubsidized Loan borrowers, or student borrowers with Direct Subsidized, Direct Unsubsidized, and Direct PLUS Loans depending on the types of loans the borrower has obtained; or
  • The average indebtedness of other borrowers in the same program at the same school as the borrower
• The effect of accepting loans on the eligibility for other aid;
• The accrual and capitalization of interest;
• The ability of unsubsidized loan borrowers to pay interest while in school; 
• Definition of half-time enrollment at UC and the use of your grace period if you are less than half-time for six months or more;
• Importance of contacting appropriate offices if you withdraw prior to completion of program of study
• Information about NSLDS and how the borrower can access the borrowers records; 
• Contact information if you have questions about your borrower rights and responsibilities or terms and conditions of the loan; 
• For loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2020, if, as a condition of enrollment, the school requires borrowers to enter into a pre-dispute arbitration agreement, as defined in 34 CFR 668.41(h)(2)(iii), or to sign a class action waiver, as defined in 34 CFR 668.41(h)(2)(i) and (ii), the school must provide a written description of the school’s dispute resolution process that the borrower has agreed to pursue, including the name and contact information for the individual or office at the school that the borrower may contact if the borrower has a dispute relating to the borrower’s loans or to the provision of educational services for which the loans were provided;
• For loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2020, if, as a condition of enrollment the school requires borrowers to enter into a pre-dispute arbitration agreement, as defined in 34 CFR 668.41(h)(2)(iii), the school must provide a written description of how and when the agreement applies, how the borrower enters into the arbitration process, and who to contact if the borrower has any questions; and
• For loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2020, if, as a condition of enrollment, the school requires borrowers to sign a class-action waiver, as defined in 34 CFR 668.41(h)(2)(i) and (ii), the school must explain how and when the waiver applies, alternative processes the borrower may pursue to seek redress, and who to contact if the borrower has any questions; and

·     first-time borrowers as defined in 685.200(f)(1)(i), explain the limitation on eligibility for Direct Subsidized Loans and possible borrower responsibility for accruing interest described in 685.200(f), including:

o    The possible loss of eligibility for additional Direct Subsidized Loans;

o    How a borrower's maximum eligibility period, remaining eligibility period, and subsidized usage period are calculated;

o    The possibility that the borrower could become responsible for accruing interest on previously received Direct Subsidized Loans and the portion of a Direct Consolidation Loan that repaid a Direct Subsidized Loan during in-school status, the grace period, authorized periods of deferment, and certain periods under the Income-Based Repayment and Pay As You Earn Repayment plans; and

The impact of borrower responsibility for accruing interest on the borrower's total debt.

Many of the policies regarding being a student are maintained by the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards.

Additionally, a specific website pulls together data, policies and information you as a student have a right to know.

Students (and faculty and staff) can turn to the University Obmuds for assistance with concerns, referral of a problem, or mediation and conflict resolution services.

Receiving aid is a partnership. The Student Financial Aid Office works with you to help you achieve your educational goals while you work to comply with the requirements of the aid programs offered.