Terms and Conditions of Awards
1. SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS . Academic progress for financial aid recipients is checked at the end of every semester - after grades have been posted to the Registrar's Office or at the time FAFSA results are received regardless of whether the student has received financial aid. Therefore, we reserve the right to cancel this award if you do not meet the FAU policy requirements. The complete Satisfactory Academic Policy is located at www.fau.edu/finaid , then click on Policies/Rules & Regulations.
2. ENROLLMENT . To be considered eligible for most forms of financial aid, you must attend at least half-time at FAU. In Fall and Spring semesters, half time is defined as 6 credits for undergraduate students (including those pursuing a second bachelor degree) and 5 credits for graduate students. See the Summer Information Bulletin for the criteria for half time enrollment in Summer semesters. If you are not enrolled at least half-time at FAU, you will be viewed as INELIGIBLE for ALL financial aid funding with the exception of Federal Pell Grant funding (if you qualify) and certain private/alternative loan products. Consortium students (students taking ZERO credits at FAU but planning to receive aid from FAU while attending at another institution) should refer to the Consortium Student area in the Special Programs section for details on consortium processing.
You are eligible to receive Title IV funding based on your course attendance. If you withdraw from a course, your instructor may be requested to confirm there is documentation of your attendance in the course. In cases where requested documentation of attendance cannot be provided by the instructor, you may be required to repay some or all of the Title IV funds you received.
Limited Eligibility of Repeated Courses for Title IV Funding. New regulations effective 07/01/11 prohibit a student from receiving Title IV funding for more than one graded repeat attempt of a course which has previously been completed with a non-failing grade. Only one additional graded attempt of a course which has been previously completed with a non-failing grade will be considered eligible for Title IV funding. Any attempts in excess of the one additional graded attempt allowed by regulations will be viewed as ineligible for Title IV funding. Exceptions may be made for cases where the student’s program requires enrollment in same course on a continuing basis over several semesters, with each attempt having significantly different course content (such as fine arts or thesis/dissertation courses).
3. TUITION & FEE POSTPONEMENT . Tuition and fees will be automatically postponed for all financial aid and Bright Futures Scholarship recipients (except Federal Work Study) whose award offer(s) has been accepted online by the drop/add deadline. Students accepting Federal Direct Stafford Loans must complete the Master Promissory Note (MPN) and submit the Stafford Loan Requirements Checklist to the Office of Student Financial by the drop/add deadline in order to qualify for deferment. If your financial aid is insufficient to cover your tuition and fees, you will be assessed a late fee, unless you pay the difference by the drop/add deadline. Therefore, if you decide not to attend classes, YOU WILL BE FEE LIABLE UNLESS YOU FORMALLY WITHDRAW FROM ALL COURSES WITH THE REGISTRAR’S OFFICE PRIOR TO THE END OF DROP/ADD. Failure to attend classes, to pick up a check, to sign a promissory note, cancellation of financial aid, or moving out of the dormitory, etc. will not release you from fee liability.
4. HOUSING FEE POSTPONEMENT . Fees may be deferred only if you have sufficient financial aid to cover both tuition and housing fees prior to the housing deadline. A prepayment is required at the time you submit your housing agreement. For more information, you may contact the Housing Office at (561) 297-2880.
5. FEE PAYMENT . Total payment of tuition and fees must be made by the fee payment deadline established by the University. FAU uses a net check system for disbursements of nearly all financial assistance, including grants, FAU scholarships, and most loan programs. Therefore, fees owed will be deducted from financial aid starting with the first award issued and continuing until funds are exhausted or all fees are paid. If your combined financial aid award including the Bright Futures Scholarship, does not cover 100% of your tuition and fees, you will need to contact the Controller’s Office - (561) 297-6101, prior to the end of the fee payment deadline to arrange payment of the difference between your fees owed and your pending financial aid disbursements.
6. DISBURSEMENT OF FINANCIAL AID is a function of the Controller’s Office. To monitor for disbursements, log on to MyFAU . Click on the Money Matters! tab, then click on the "View Financial Aid Information" link. Since the financial aid disbursement process takes several weeks, it is essential that you set aside personal funds to cover living expenses incurred during the first few weeks of classes. FAU encourages students to open a BankAtlantic account and complete a Direct Deposit for Financial Aid authorization form (available online or hardcopy available in the Controller’s Office). However, FAU is able to directly deposit funds into your existing financial institution. Financial Aid disbursements will be made directly to the students’ bank account. For students without bank accounts, NET checks will be mailed to your local address on file with the Registrar’s Office.
7. RETURN OF FUNDS . If you withdraw from school, drop below half-time or change your enrollment status after the drop/add period, your financial aid award may be reduced or cancelled. Since the financial aid you are receiving is designed to help meet your living expenses while attending school, you may be required to repay all or a portion of any funds received prior to your standard or medical withdrawal from school. In addition, refunds issued by the Controller’s Office due to a change in enrollment may have to be returned to the financial aid program from which your aid was awarded. The amount of the refund and/or repayment owed is calculated based on a formula provided by the U.S. Department of Education.
Bright Futures Recipients : IMPORTANT: Recent changes by the Florida Legislature requires institutions to refund the state for any Bright Futures award amount received for courses which were dropped or withdrawn AFTER the drop/add period. Amendments to the Bright Futures Renewal Requirements requires students to REPAY their institution for any award amount received for course(s) which were dropped or withdrawn after the drop/add period. If you medically withdraw from school, your entire Bright Futures Scholarship disbursement must be returned to the Florida Department of Education. Full-time students are now REQUIRED to earn at least 24 semester hours or the equivalent to renew their award at the end of the Spring term of each academic year (prorated for Part-time students). Click here to review the Bright Futures Credit Hour Renewal Requirements chart. If a student DOES NOT meet the renewal requirements, they will be able to restore the award in a subsequent academic year.
8. CHANGE OF ADDRESS . All financial aid correspondence and checks will be mailed to the local address maintained by the Registrar’s Office. Therefore, it is very important that you notify that office immediately of any changes in your LOCAL ADDRESS in order to avoid delays caused by lost/forwarded mail. Address updates may be submitted online through FAU Self-Service (OWLS) on MyFAU .
9. CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT . Undergraduate students wishing to participate in a concurrent enrollment program with another eligible institution, and receive their financial aid award(s) must be ENROLLED FOR A MINIMUM OF SIX (6) CREDITS AT FAU during that term, and submit the appropriate forms to the FAU Student Financial Aid Office AFTER the drop/add deadline of the "HOST SCHOOL" each semester (except for Federal Pell which may be disbursed if enrolled in less than 6 credits at FAU). Failure to submit required documents from the "HOST SCHOOL" could result in the reduction of aid. Click here to download a copy of the Concurrent Enrollment Form.
10. FEDERAL STAFFORD AND/OR GRADUATE PLUS LOAN REQUIREMENTS:
a. A Completed DIRECT LOAN Master Promissory Note (MPN) must be on file with the Federal Government. In most cases, once a borrower has a completed MPN, additional loans can be made under the same MPN for a period of 10 years from the MPN signature date. For information regarding MPN completion for the specific loan type, please refer to the Federal Stafford Loan section or Graduate PLUS Loan section of the FAU web site.
b. Loan Entrance Counseling (first time borrowers only): Students who have not previously received a Federal Stafford Loan and/or Graduate PLUS Loan disbursement for attending FAU must complete Loan Entrance Counseling for the respective loan type prior to receiving funds. This requirement is satisfied by completing the interactive Loan Entrance Counseling session on-line at the U.S. Department Of Education Direct Loans Web Site. After logging in, students should select Entrance Counseling from the Manage My Direct Loan menu box and follow the on screen instructions. Students who have been disbursed a Federal Stafford Loan and/or Graduate PLUS Loan while attending FAU have already satisfied the Loan Entrance Counseling requirement for the respective loan type and do not need to re-satisfy this requirement.
c. Seniors in their Final Semester: When a senior's remaining period of study consists of only one semester in the academic year, the Stafford Loan eligibility for their final term must be prorated based on enrollment. Graduating seniors may be retroactively billed if it is found they have received loan disbursements in excess of their prorated eligibility. Students who owe a balance to FAU will not receive their diplomas.
d. Disbursments: Federal Stafford Loans and/or Federal PLUS Loans are disbursed via EFT after the end of the drop/add period. Disbursements will occur either (1) within 10 business days after the end of the drop/add period, if all loan disbursement eligibility requirements are met, or (2) within 10 business days after all loan disbursement eligibility requirements are met, whichever is later.
e. Exit Counseling: All Federal Stafford and/or Graduate Plus loan borrowers must complete exit counseling for the respective loan program prior to graduation orif enrollment drops below half-time. Students who have received an FFEL Stafford or FFEL Graduate PLUS loan (FFEL indicating the loan was from a bank) should satisfy FFEL exit counseling requirements on-line at www.mapping-your-future.org. Students who have received a Direct Stafford or Direct Graduate PLUS Loan (Direct indicating the loan was from the U.S. Department of Education) should satisfy Direct Loan exit counseling requirements on-line at the Direct Loans Web Site. Students who have received Stafford and/or Graduate PLUS loans from BOTH the FFEL and Direct Loan sources should complete exit counseling at BOTH sites.
11. BRIGHT FUTURES SCHOLARSHIP. The Florida Department of Education determines your eligibility for this scholarship. All awards are subject to eligibility and renewal/reinstatement criteria. ALL students receiving the Bright Futures Scholarship must be considered a Florida resident by the University. Students should also be degree-seeking and enrolled in a minimum of six credit hours per semester by the end of the drop/add deadline. In addition, the Florida legislature revised the credit hour requirements for FULL-TIME students to earn 24 semester hours (or the equivalent) per academic year (prorated for PART-TIME enrollment). RESTRICTIONS TO BRIGHT FUTURES FUNDING. A maximum of 45 semesters hours may be funded in one academic year. All hours will be paid at the undergraduate rate. Graduate hours may be funded only if they are used to satisfy undergraduate degree requirements and will be paid at the undergraduate rate. NO remedial coursework is funded.
12 . AWARD REVISIONS . Students are allowed ONE REVISION request per semester concerning changes in type of aid and/or amount of award. Requests for revisions to your award must be submitted to the Financial Aid Office by the last day of drop/add each semester OR three weeks from the date of the award email notification, if received after the drop/add period.
13. SUMMER AWARDS . Requests for summer term awards will begin the first business day in February. Complete the application exclusively online on MyFAU . Funding is limited, prompt submission of a summer application is advised. For detailed terms and conditions related to summer, please go to the FAU Financial Aid website and, and click on Summer Financial Aid Information .
Note Bright Futures: The Bright Futures Scholarship will not be available for the SUMMER term. If you need aid for the summer, you must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and complete the “Request for Summer Financial Aid” form available on MyFAU (Click on the Money Matters! tab --> Summer Financial Aid link --> Financial Aid tab or link --> My Award Information --> Aid for Aid Year --> Additional Resources tab).
14 . SHORT TERM ADVANCES . The Short Term Advance is a University monetary advance available to assist degree-seeking students enrolled at least half-time with purchasing textbooks , e mergency funds relating to educational expenses or u nanticipated living expenses incurred prior to the date that their financial aid funds are disbursed.
Applications are available on MyFAU (Click on the Money Matters! tab). You must have a bank account with any financial institution (preferably with BankAtlantic ) and complete the Direct Deposit for Financial Aid form prior to applying (online form located on MyFAU -- click on FAU Self Service (OWLS) link. If you meet ALL eligibility requirements, you will receive the proceeds during the first week of classes.
Keep in mind that the Short Term Advance is NOT a source to assist with paying your tuition and other related fees. In consideration of approval of the loan application and receipt of funds, the student promises to pay the FAU Cashier's Office the principal sum amount borrowed (up to $500) plus a non-refundable charge of $5.00 on or before FORTY FIVE CALENDAR DAYS from date funds are disbursed, or upon receipt of financial aid funds, or upon cancellation of financial aid funds, or the last day of the term, whichever comes first. For more details, visit the Short Term Advance webpage.
15. RECIPIENTS OF STATE GRANTS . For those students receiving the Florida Student Assistance Grant (FSAG), you must be enrolled full-time. You must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.000 and complete 24 credit hours within the academic year in order to receive FSAG the following year. Part time FSAG funds may be available on a limited basis, and only to students meeting certain eligibility criteria. For those students receiving the Florida First Generation Matching Grant, you must be enrolled in a minimum of six credit hours at FAU. You must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.500 and complete at least 12 credit hours within the academic year in order to receive Florida First Generation Matching Grant the following year. Additional information is available on-line at http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org .
16. RESTRICTIONS TO BRIGHT FUTURES FUNDING . A maximum of 45 semester hours may be funded in one academic year. All hours will be paid at the undergraduate rate. Graduate hours may be funded only if they are used to satisfy undergraduate degree requirements and will be paid at the undergraduate rate. NO remedial coursework is funded.
17. YOU MUST REPORT ALL OUTSIDE AWARDS . You must notify the Office of Student Financial Aid immediately if you receive assistance from outside sources. This is any form of financial assistance you receive that is awarded based on our educational pursuit. To report outside sources, print, complete and return this form to the office of Student Financial Aid. Should it later be found that your are receiving outside resources which you neglected to report; your financial aid package will be adjusted retroactively to include these resources. This may result in you being required to repay previously disbursed financial aid. Check MyFAU (Money Matters! tab) regularly for any modifications of your financial aid award(s).
18. RECIPIENTS OF PELL GRANTS . Federal Pell Grant awards will be automatically "ACCEPTED" on the system and funds will only be disbursed for credits required for degree in your current program of study. Funds will NOT be disbursed for Graduate level courses. Students must begin attendance in all of their classes in order to receive a Pell Grant. If you withdraw from a course, you must provide documentation from your professor that you attended. Failure to provide documentation will result in repayment of your Pell Grant. IMPORTANT NOTE: If a student who has been awarded a PELL grant adds a class after the drop/add deadline, the PELL grant award will NOT increase due to late enrollment. The student will be awarded for the number of credits enrolled at the end of the drop/add period.
19. INSTITUTIONAL GRANTS . ALL FAU Institutional Grants and Scholarships will ONLY be calculated and disbursed for FAU credits. Students who are taking credits at other colleges and institutions as Consortium and Concurrent Enrollment will NOT be considered when calculating financial aid eligibility for FAU Grants and Scholarships. Please be advised that, regardless of award projections, all types of grant support are directly linked to the hours for which enrolled. At the end of the drop/add week, it is your final enrollment upon which the grant disbursements will be calculated. Your grants will be reduced if you are less than Full-Time. You may be required to repay the grants if you withdraw from all of your classes.
20. STUDENT CERTIFICATION-BRIGHT FUTURES - I certify that I do not owe a repayment on a Federal Pell Grant, a Federal Perkins Loan, a Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, or a State Student Incentive Grant; nor am I in default on any federal Title IV or state loan program received for attendance at any institution. Please be advised that your estimated award prior to the end of drop/add is based on 15 credits. Your award will be adjusted at the end of drop/add. Classes added after this date will not be included in your disbursement unless you notify the Office of Student Financial Aid. For more information, please see the Bright Futures website at http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org or call the Bright Futures hotline at 1-(888) 827-2004.
21. COMMUNICATION & NOTIFICATION POLICY - All Forms of communication will be sent via the student's FAU email account. Email notifications will be the primary method of communication between students and the Office of Student Financial Aid. It is the student’s responsibility to frequently monitor their FAU email account for notifications, such as student requirements, award offers and satisfactory academic progress. It is recommended that students print any pertinent online documentation for the purpose of maintaining a personal paper file of important financial aid materials.
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I authorize Florida Atlantic University to deduct any allowable charges other than tuition, fees, residence hall and meal plans (if applicable) or prior year charges from my financial aid. Authorization may be cancelled or modified with written notification to the Financial Aid Office. I have read the conditions of this award and the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.
I FULLY UNDERSTAND THE OBLIGATIONS INCURRED IN ACCEPTING THIS AWARD. I FURTHER UNDERSTAND THAT I AM BOUND BY THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR ANY REVISIONS TO MY AWARD THAT OCCUR DURING THIS ACADEMIC YEAR.
