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.

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.