Student Eligibility & Rights

Student Eligibility & Rights & Responsibilities

Student Eligibility

Policies, which govern student eligibility, are established by both the U. S. Department of Education and post secondary institutions. The federal policies are the same regardless of the institution one attends, but institutional policies vary and are not always the same. However to be eligible for most financial aid programs you must:

demonstrate financial need, except for some loan programs.
have a high school diploma or a GED certificate, or pass an independently administered test approved by the U. S. Department of Education.
be enrolled as a regular student working toward a degree or certificate in an eligible program. You may not receive aid for telecommunications courses unless they are part of an associate’s degree program.
be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
maintain satisfactory academic progress according to the institutional policy.
be enrolled at least half-time (six credit hours) for most federal and state financial programs.
not be in default on a Direct Stafford Loan or Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL).
not owe a repayment on any federal financial aid program.

Students Rights & Responsibilities

Your responsibilities are to:

complete applications correctly and on time.
read and understand all materials sent to you from SFS and other financial aid agencies or provided on the SFS Web site; keep copies of all forms and materials that you send in.
know and comply with the rules governing aid you receive.
provide all documentation and information requested by SFS.
comply with the provisions of any promissory note and all other agreements you sign.
register for the number of hours required for your aid disbursement.
maintain satisfactory academic progress.
use aid only for expenses related to attending CCC.
check your Calhoun student email account for financial aid info.
keep your email and mailing addresses up to date with CCC, as well as the state aid and federal aid processors.

You have the right to:

be informed of correct procedures to apply for aid, cost of attendance, aid available, how financial need is determined, criteria for awarding aid, how academic progress is determined, and what you must do to continue receiving aid.
be informed of the type and amount of your assistance, how much of your need has been met, and how and when you will be paid.
appeal student financial services office decisions about your application.
view the contents in your financial aid file, in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
know the conditions of any loan that you accept.
know the job description and pay rate for any job that you hold or for which you may apply.