Student Rights and Responsibilities
Financial Aid General Rights and Responsibilities
Eligibility for Financial Aid
Eligibility requirements vary from program to program. Financial aid program awards are determined and disbursed in compliance with established federal, state and institutional requirements and guidelines. In addition to meeting program eligibility requirements, students must adhere to college policies and procedures.
Financial Need
Financial aid programs were developed on the premise that the student and spouse, if married, or the student’s family, have the primary responsibility for financing a college education. Financial aid is available to supplement the student’s and family’s resources. Most aid dollars are awarded on the basis of a federal need analysis formula established by the U.S. Congress. The formula measures each family’s ability to pay for college expenses and is calculated using all the questions and answers on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The result is the student’s Expected Family Contribution.
The following formula is used to determine an individual student’s need for financial aid: Cost of Attendance – Expected Family Contribution = Financial Need. Students may be awarded up to their total need from various financial aid programs. Depending on eligibility, an award package can be any combination of grants, scholarships, work-study and loans. The student can accept or reject all or any part of the award package.
Selection of Recipients
In addition to program eligibility requirements and financial need, students are selected to receive financial aid based on deadlines and maintaining satisfactory academic progress.
Schoolcraft College awards financial aid in the following order, depending on the student qualifications: 1) grants, 2) scholarships, 3) work-study, 4) student loans. The Student Financial Services office determines the type and amount of each award. The type and amount of award are based on a variety of factors including financial need, outside resources, class attendance, enrollment status, dependency status, program limitations and the availability of funds. When funds are limited, awards may be granted to applicants who meet all requirements and have a complete financial aid file.
Cost of Attendance for Financial Aid
The cost of attendance (COA) amounts are estimated averages of costs for an academic year. The purpose of the budget is the determination of financial aid eligibility. The cost of attendance is not a bill. It is an estimate of tuition, fees, books and supplies, living expenses, transportation costs and modest personal expenditures. Actual tuition and fee rates are published on the Tuition and Fees website area.
Typical Cost of Attendance for a Full-Time Student
|
Resident |
Non-Resident |
Out of State |
| Tuition and Fees |
4,352 |
5,834 |
7,863 |
| Books and Supplies |
1,677 |
1,677 |
1,677 |
| Transportation |
2,607 |
2,607 |
2,607 |
| Miscellaneous |
1,823 |
1,823 |
1,823 |
| Room and Board |
8,561 |
8,561 |
8,561
|
| Total |
19,020 |
20,502 |
22,531 |
Figures are based on 2022-23 academic year costs and subject to adjustment due to changes in law and Schoolcraft College Board of Trustee policy. Actual costs will vary from student to student.
Transferring to Another College
Students planning to transfer to a four-year institution should contact that institution’s Financial Aid office for financial aid requirements, deadline dates and application procedures. Students usually begin the application process in January or February for the following September. Students who transfer from one institution to another within the same academic year will have their aid prorated based on use at the first institution attended.
Financial aid is generally not transferable from one institution to another. Students must complete the award process at each institution attended.
Transfer Scholarships
Colleges and universities award many scholarships to graduates of Schoolcraft College who plan to transfer to their institutions. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic achievement, financial need or other specified criteria. Contact the college to which you plan to transfer or the Schoolcraft College Counseling and Academic Advising office for information on transfer scholarships.
Attendance at Multiple Institutions
Students may not receive financial aid at another institution and Schoolcraft College concurrently. Students will be responsible for any over awards and will not be eligible for further aid until the funds are repaid.
Study Abroad
Students may be eligible for federal assistance for attending a study abroad program that is approved for credit by Schoolcraft College. Contact the Student Financial Services office to determine individual eligibility.
Class Attendance
Students enrolled in credit class(es) need to attend their class(es) to establish and maintain financial aid eligibility. Instructors record the attendance of all students each week. To establish attendance in an Open Entry/Open Exit (OE/OE) class, students must complete the orientation and submit at least one academic assignment or take at least one academic test. To establish attendance in online courses, students must log-in weekly and submit at least one academic assignment or take at least one academic test. To establish attendance in a Hybrid class, students must attend on-campus class sessions and submit at least one academic assignment or take at least one academic test. The Student Financial Services office is notified of the financial aid students who never attend or stop attending classes.
Not attending a class(es) may affect the amount of aid a student is receiving now and in the future. Nonattendance usually results in the student owing money to the college.
Withdrawals and Refunds
The college’s tuition and fee refund policy is that tuition and fees are 100 percent refundable through the end of the schedule adjustment period for each course. Refund time frames may vary depending on the length of the course. See the Important Dates page on our website each semester for specific refund dates. Students who drop classes and receive a 100 percent refund may have their financial aid adjusted and may owe money to the college.
Students withdraw from courses through Ocelot Access. See the Important Dates page on our website each semester for specific withdrawal dates. Please contact the Registration Center with questions about online withdrawal. Students who withdraw from class(es) receive a W grade. The grade of W does not adversely affect the student’s grade-point average. However, a W is considered an attempted and not completed course and does adversely affect the student’s completion rate. See the Academic Progress Policy.
Complete Withdrawal (Return of Title IV Funds and Unearned Financial Aid)
When a student completely withdraws or walks away from his/her classes before completing at least 60 percent of the semester, federal law requires the college and sometimes the student to return a percentage of the Title IV funds received by the student. Title IV program funds include Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, College Work Study, and Federal Direct Student Loans. The number of days students have attended during the semester determines the amount of the students’ earned Federal Title IV funds. Earned Title IV financial aid may be used to pay for institutional charges of tuition and fees, or used toward noninstitutional expenses such as room and board, books, supplies and transportation. Unearned Title IV funds must be returned to the federal government. The college must return a portion of the students’ unearned aid. Students will owe the college for any resulting unpaid institutional charges (tuition, fees and bookstore charges). In addition, students must return to the federal government a portion of unearned funds received in excess of tuition and fees. Students will be ineligible for future financial aid at any college or university if the unearned funds are not repaid to the U.S. Department of Education.
Contact the Student Financial Services office for current Return to Title IV Funds schedules and examples.