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Home » Financial Aid

Rights and Responsibilities - Financial Aid Office

Ohlone College takes Responsibility for the following:

  1. The assessment of satisfactory progress as a condition of financial eligibility. The Financial Aid staff will work in conjunction with the Office of Admissions and Records to assess a student’s progress as quickly and efficiently as possible.

  2. The Counseling Department assists the financial aid applicant with development of educational objectives and with recommendations of ability to benefit.

  3. The Financial Aid staff will notify the student of his or her financial aid eligibility, the basis for the determination, procedures for appeal, and reinstatement of aid.

  4. The Financial Aid Office, with assistance from the College, will publicize the satisfactory standards in any of the following forms:

    • Student Financial Aid Guide
    • Consumer information
    • Brochures
    • College website
    • College catalog
    • Flyers

The Student must take Responsibility for the following:

  1. Review, understand, and consider all information about Ohlone College academic programs and regulations before enrolling. Please refer to the current college catalog (available online, in the Ohlone College Bookstore, or in the Counseling Center) or consult a counselor.

  2. Complete all the application forms clearly and accurately and submit them on time and to the right place. If this is not done, aid could be delayed for months since errors cause misunderstanding and misrepresentation of the information provided. All errors must be corrected before any financial aid can be released. Intentional misreporting of information on application forms for federal financial aid is a violation of the law and is considered a criminal offense subject to penalties under the U.S. Criminal Code.

  3. Promptly return all additional documentation, verification, corrections, copies, and/or new information requested by either the Financial Aid Office or the agency to which your application has been submitted.

  4. Read and understand all forms that you are asked to sign. You should keep a copy of everything you sign or submit for a signature. These documents are legal and binding. It is a good idea to start a special file of these documents—they are important and you will need them for years.

  5. READ THE REPAYMENT OF FEDERAL FUNDS REQUIREMENT POLICY. It may be necessary for you to repay all or part of your student financial aid if you withdraw from your courses at Ohlone College.

  6. Notify the lender (if you have a loan) of a change in your name, address, or college status.

  7. Perform the work that is agreed upon in accepting a Federal Work Study award.

  8. Know and comply with the deadlines for application or re-application for financial aid.

A Student at Ohlone College, receiving Financial Aid, has the Right to the following:

  1. Information on federal, state, and institutional aid programs.

  2. Notice of deadlines of applications of each financial aid program and for any supporting documentation required.

  3. Specific information regarding fees and tuition.

  4. An explanation of how students are selected for receipt of financial aid, what resources are considered in the calculation and how financial need is determined. The process includes consideration of costs of tuition and fees, room and board, supplies, personal and miscellaneous expenses, child care, plus the student’s assets, parental contribution, and other financial aid (such as scholarships) and other information.

  5. Notice of how much financial aid need has been met and not met.

  6. An explanation of the various programs awarded in the student’s package. If the student feels unfairly treated, he or she may request a reconsideration of the award.

  7. An explanation of the portion of financial aid the student received that must be repaid and what portion is grant aid or work-study and does not need to be repaid. If the aid is a loan, the student has a right to know the interest rate, total amount to be repaid, when repayment begins, and conditions of deferments and cancellations.

  8. Notice of how Ohlone College determines whether a student is making satisfactory academic progress and what happens if he or she is not.

  9. The student has the right to appeal his or her financial aid award or any other decision of the Financial Aid Office pertaining to them which does not fall under the jurisdiction of federal or state regulations. That right includes: answers to questions, explanations of policies and decisions, and requests for reconsideration. The Financial Aid Office reserves the right to request any additional documents as deemed necessary for verification in order to comply with institutional policy.

  10. Notice of what facilities are available for disabled students.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Review the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.

Additional Policies

When is a student considered Ineligible or Disqualified from receiving financial aid?

  1. A student is considered ineligible because of one of the following reasons:
    1. They have received an AA or AS degree or higher.
    2. They have earned a cumulative number of seventy-two (72.0) or more units at any postsecondary institution.
    3. They have received financial aid for six (6) semesters or more.
  2. A student is considered to be disqualified from financial aid because of one or both of the following reasons:
    1. They have failed to make satisfactory academic progress during the semester after being placed on "FINANCIAL AID PROBATION".
    2. They have been placed on "FINANCIAL AID PROBATION" for a total number of three (3) times during their financial aid history at Ohlone College.

Appeals Process

Students have the right to appeal actions taken related to financial aid ineligibility and disqualification. An application for appeal must be submitted, including supporting documentation, to the Financial Aid Office. A counselor must assist with the preparation of an appeal. Decisions on appeals are made by members of the Financial Aid Advisory Committee and all Committee decisions are final. Contact the Financial Aid Department for the appeal form and instructions.

What Happens If I Withdraw From My Courses?

READ THE REPAYMENT OF FEDERAL FUNDS REQUIREMENT POLICY.

It may be necessary for you to repay either all or a portion of your student financial aid if you withdraw from your courses at the College.

According to Ohlone College Repayment of Federal Funds Requirements Policy, all funds received by the student must be repaid to the Student Financial Aid Programs.

Course Incompletes, Repeats, and Credit by Examination, Etc.

If you received financial aid during the semester you took the class and decided to register a second time for the same class, that class (units) will not be included when determining the total number of units to pay the student financial aid.

The financial aid program will not pay for Incompletes (I), Repeats (R), Withdrawals (W), No Credit (NC), Failures (F), or Credit by Examination (CE) Courses. Contact the Financial Aid Office for further clarification.

Are My Records Kept Confidential?

The College's basic policy is to regard information pertaining to financial aid students and the amounts of their awards as confidential. The financial aid information you, your family or your guardian submits to the Financial Aid Office is used only to establish your eligibility. In compliance with the Family Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, we will not release this information to anyone without your written permission. We appreciate your cooperation in respecting this policy. We believe that your need for student financial aid assistance to continue your education, and the amount of money required, are matters of private concern only to you and the Financial Aid.

Please DO NOT telephone the Financial Aid Office regarding confidential financial aid matters.

Students are required to come to the Financial Aid Department with the proper identification to receive information about their student financial aid status.

Concurrent Enrollment

Students who receive aid for aggregate enrollment under a consortium arrangement are assessed for satisfactory progress on the aggregate academic record. The student is responsible for providing required records upon completion of the enrollment period.