Student Rights & Responsibilities

Financial aid recipients have the right to know the following:

• What financial aid programs are available to Lewis & Clark students and the priority application deadlines to be considered for this assistance.
• The method used to determine financial need.
• The appeal procedure regarding financial aid issues.
• How and when financial aid will be disbursed.
• How Lewis & Clark determines a student is making satisfactory academic progress for the purpose of remaining eligible to receive financial aid and what happens if standards are not met.
• How the student employment program is administered at Lewis & Clark including how and when the student will be paid.
• What portion of the financial aid offered is in the form of loan(s) and must be repaid.
• Borrowers have the right to know the interest rate, the total amount that must be repaid, the repayment procedures as well as the length of the repayment period and when it begins.
• The policies for refund of charges and return of funds in the case of complete withdrawal from the College.

Financial aid recipients have the following responsibilities:

• Maintain full-time student status.
• Remain in Good Academic Standing as described in the College catalog and monitored by the Registrar.
• Make satisfactory academic progress toward a bachelor’s degree as defined in the satisfactory academic progress policy for financial aid.
• Notify the Financial Aid Office immediately regarding other assistance, including external resources and other educational benefits, received for the academic year. Such assistance must be taken into consideration when determining the financial need of a student and may affect eligibility for federal need-based aid, primarily loan and work programs.
• Notify the Financial Aid Office of changes in marital, enrollment and/or housing status which may result in a revision to financial aid eligibility.
• Provide documents upon request to validate the information provided on the financial aid application. This is commonly referred to as “verification” and provides confirmation that a student’s eligibility for financial aid is being determined using accurate information.
• Secure a job and work the number of hours necessary to earn the Federal Work-Study (FWS) or Lewis & Clark Work-Study (LCWS) award, as desired. An offer of FWS or LCWS is not a guarantee of employment.
• Complete the process for securing any loan funds offered if it is determined that the funds are needed.
• Repay loan funds received in accordance with the terms of the respective loan program.
• Pay on-time — All college charges not covered by financial aid.
• Reapply for financial aid each year, by the priority filing date of January 15, using the FAFSA.