When you accept your financial aid offer, you have indicated that you have read, understood, and will comply with all of the rights and responsibilities contained therein. These include:
Your Rights:
1. Students have the right to discuss questions, concerns, or complaints regarding
their financial aid with the Financial
Aid Office. Students are encouraged to contact the Director of Financial Aid to review
their situation, better understand
their rights and responsibilities, and discuss available options for addressing financial
aid-related matters in accordance
with institutional policies and applicable regulations.
2. If you are placed on financial aid suspension for not meeting satisfactory academic
progress requirements, you may
submit a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal to request reinstatement of your
financial aid eligibility.
3. You may request a review of your financial need if your financial circumstances
change during the academic year or if
you experience changes since filing the current aid year FAFSA.
4. To know what financial assistance programs are available, including federal, state,
and institutional financial aid
programs.
5. To know the procedures, forms, eligibility requirements, and deadlines for applying
for financial aid, how recipients
are selected, and how the amount of aid is determined.
6. To know how your financial need is determined, including how cost of attendance
budgets are developed.
7. To receive an explanation of each type of assistance included in your financial
aid award, including what portion is
grant or gift aid and what portion must be repaid, as well as how to maintain eligibility
for those funds.
8. To know the interest rate on any student loan you receive, the total amount to
be repaid, repayment procedures, when
repayment begins, how long you have to repay the loan, and any cancellation or deferment
provisions.
9. To know the method and frequency of financial aid disbursements.
10. To know the cost of attendance, including tuition, books and supplies, and other
miscellaneous educational expenses.
11. To obtain information about the college’s academic programs, instructional facilities,
faculty, and the accrediting,
approving, or licensing organizations associated with Indian Hills Community College.
12. To know the college’s completion or graduation rates, job placement rates (if
available), the average indebtedness of
graduates, and the percentage of students who default on federal student loans.
13. To know statistics regarding the receipt of athletic-related student aid and to
review campus security policies and
campus crime statistics.
14. To know the types of jobs available through Federal Work-Study, including the
number of hours you may work, job
duties, pay rate, and how and when wages are paid.
15. To know the requirements and standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP),
the procedures, deadlines, and
eligibility requirements necessary to remain eligible for financial aid programs,
the facilities and services available for
students with disabilities, and who to contact within the Financial Aid Office for
assistance.
16. To expect that information provided to the Financial Aid Office will be handled
confidentially and disclosed only in
accordance with federal privacy regulations. Financial aid information may be shared
with authorized school officials
who have legitimate educational interests or with officials at other institutions
where you seek or receive enrollment.
Your Responsibilities:
As a student receiving financial aid at Indian Hills Community College, you are responsible
for:
1. Reviewing and considering all information about the college’s programs before you
enroll.
2. Accurately completing all financial aid applications, including the FAFSA, and
submitting them on time. Errors,
omissions, or falsification of information may delay or prevent you from receiving
aid and may result in penalties
under federal law.
3. Submit a valid FAFSA while still enrolled, and promptly notify the Financial Aid
Office if you receive aid from
another institution during the same academic year or if any of your personal or financial
information has changed since
you submitted your application, as federal and state aid can only be received at one
school at a time.
4. Meeting all deadlines for applying or reapplying for financial aid.
5. Reporting all outside scholarships, grants, loans, or other financial resources
not listed on your Indian Hills financial
aid award.
6. Submitting accurate and complete documentation if you or your contributor(s), if
applicable, are selected for
verification or additional financial aid review, including tax transcripts, W-2 forms,
or other requested forms. Failure to
provide required documents in a timely manner may result in loss of aid.
7. Maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) as defined by Indian Hills Community
College and understanding
the eligibility requirements for each financial aid program.
8. Reading, understanding, and keeping copies of all forms or agreements you sign,
including financial aid award
notifications, promissory notes, and counseling materials.
9. Borrowing responsibly and understanding the terms, repayment obligations, and consequences
associated with student
loans. When you sign your Master Promissory Note, know the terms of what you are borrowing.
If you owe money
from a prior overaward of federal funds at any institution, you need to arrange for
repayment of the overaward. You
are not eligible for financial aid if you owe a balance on federal funds.
10. You must repay all loans according to your established repayment schedule. You
are not eligible for financial aid if you
are in default on a Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Direct/FFEL Stafford Loan, or Federal
Direct/FFEL PLUS received
at any institution.
11. Participating in loan entrance counseling before receiving a Federal Direct Loan
and exit counseling when leaving the
college.
12. Using any federal, state-appropriated, or institutional financial aid received
solely for educational expenses related to
attendance at Indian Hills.
13. Performing any work agreed upon through Federal Work-Study or other employment
programs and understanding the
expectations for hours, duties, and payment.
14. Understanding Indian Hills’ withdrawal procedures, tuition refund policies, and
the financial implications of
withdrawing from courses or programs.
15. Maintaining current contact information, including name, address, and phone number,
and promptly notifying the
Financial Aid Office and your loan servicer of any changes in enrollment or personal
information.
16. Regularly checking your student account and Indian Hills email for financial aid
notifications and important updates.
17. Review all information related to your financial aid award, including this handbook,
and understand the requirements
for each financial aid program to maintain eligibility. Accept or decline any offered
loans by the last day of the term or
your last date of attendance, and comply with any additional conditions outlined in
the Financial Aid Handbook or
communicated by Indian Hills, the Financial Aid Office, or other aid programs.