Your Financial Aid Award Is Based On:

• Student's college cost:  The estimated cost for you to attend LCC for the award period. It includes tuition/fees, books/supplies, meals/housing, personal expenses and transportation.
• Student/Family Contribution (EFC):  This is what Federal Processor determined that you and/or your family are expected to pay this amount toward your college costs.
• Outside Aid:  Other aid you are receiving that is not from LCC, such as external/private scholarships (Kamehameha Schools, HCF Scholarship, Americorps, VA Benefits, DVR, etc.)
• Financial Need:  Determined by taking your college costs and subtracting your student and/or family contribution and outside aid.
• Unmet Need:  Determined by taking your Financial Need and subtracting the aid awarded.

Conditions of the Award:

• You must make corrections on MYUH Portal for any changes in your name, address, or telephone number.
• You must notify our office if you change your classified status, major, enrollment level, residency status, graduation status, etc.
• You may have to repay all or part of the awards if you stop or do not attend any classes.
• You must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (see enclosed).
• You must notify our office if you are not registered for the enrollment level shown on the award letter.
• You must use your financial aid only for expenses related to your enrollment at LCC.

  Important: Students, who are required to submit documentation of change of majors or other household member(s) in college, WILL NOT have their checks disbursed until the missing item is received.

Check Disbursement Procedures

All awards will be disbursed in one check per semester except for the Stafford Loans. If you have not yet paid your school charges at the time of financial aid disbursement, any unpaid charges for tuition and fees will be deducted from the award and the residual amount will be refunded to you. If you already paid for your school charges, a refund will be applied to your credit card or a check will be mailed to you depending on your method of payment.  Checks will begin to be mailed the week prior to the start of the semester at the address listed on your school records (it is your responsibility to maintain a correct address on MyUH Portal).  IF you are awarded a Tuition Waiver only, you must pay for your student fees. Spring awards:  If you have sufficient awards to cover the cost of tuition and fees, the Business Office will be notified and you will not need to make any payments.

Attendance Verification

Fall Awards:  Students who received their award letter by August 16, 2006 MUST submit their Attendance Verification by September 8, 2006 for Fall awards.  All other students who receive their Fall award letters after August 16, 2006 must submit the completed Attendance Verification Form within three weeks of the date of your award letter. 

Spring Awards:  Students who received their award letter by January 3, 2007 MUST submit their Attendance Verification Form by January 26, 2007.  All other students who receive their Spring award letters after January 3, 2007 must submit the Attendance Verification Form within three weeks of the date of your award letter. 

If the Attendance Verification Form is not submitted to our office, per federal regulations, your award(s) may be cancelled and you may be required to repay ALL or a part of the awards you received.  Forms are available at our office or on our Documents and Forms web site.

Special Instructions

Perkins and SHEL Loan Borrowers:  You need to attend an Entrance Interview Workshop BEFORE checks will be sent to you.  Entrance Interview Workshop dates are:  August 9, 2006 at 9:00 a.m., and August 10, 2006 at 3:00 p.m for Fall semester.  For Spring only loan recipients, Entrance Interview Workshop dates are:  December 12, 2006 at 9:00 a.m., and December 13, 2006 at 3:00 p.m.  Students must schedule an appointment to reserve the date and time.  The session will start promptly. Any late students will have to reschedule their appointment.  Students who are awarded after the semester begins must schedule an Entrance Interview by appointment only.

Stafford Loan Borrowers:  You will receive actual checks.  All recipients of these programs must obtain a Check Release Form from our office beginning the first day of instruction if the checks are already received by the Financial Aid Office.  Students should allow at least two weeks for check processing after they return the completed Promissory Note to the Guarantee Agency.  Attendance Verification Forms ARE required for each check pick up.  Full year Stafford Loans are disbursed in one check per semester.  One semester Stafford Loans are disbursed in two checks (second checks require the Attendance Verification Forms also).  First-time, first-year borrowers will have a 30-day delay in receiving their checks per federal regulations.  Once the check is available for disbursement and it is not picked up within the 30 days, it will be returned to the lender.  Per federal regulations, if graduate, transfer, not attend at least half-time or stop attending classes, you MUST notify our office to schedule an appointment for a loan exit interview.

External Scholarship:  Providing that we have received the checks, funds will also be disbursed on the first day of instruction so that we may verify enrollment for the donors at the time of disbursement.  It is assumed that full-time enrollment is required.  If you are enrolled for less than full-time, we will need authorization from the donor to release the check.

Tuition Waiver (HSIG, TWN, TM-HS, TM-SC, TWPAC, TWHAW):  You must be enrolled for at least 6 credits per semester (TWPAC must be enrolled for 12 credits), otherwise you may be billed for tuition.  The tuition waiver covers tuition only; you must pay student activity fees, board of publication fees, change of registration and late fees OR your classes will be cancelled.   If you have not registered, tuition credit should already be in the computer when you register.  If the tuition credit is not in the computer, please come to our office.  If you have already registered and paid, a refund check will be mailed to your home approximately 6 weeks after the start of the semester or be applied to your credit card, depending on your method of payment.

Federal Work-Study (FWSP):  Work-Study job openings are posted www.hawaii.edu/sece.  Work-Study jobs begin on the first day of instruction for each semester and end on the last day of finals for that semester.  If you are awarded for both semesters, you can work during the winter break and can transfer any unused Fall allocation to Spring.  You must contact the Financial Aid Office if you will exceed your allocation.

Return of TITLE IV Funds Policy for Federal Aid Recieved

The Higher Education Amendment of 1998 required schools to implement The Return of Title IV Refund Funds policy when a Title IV funds recipient withdraws from school.  A Title IV recipient is defined as a student who has received Title IV funds (excluding Federal Work Study funds but including Federal PLUS loan funds) OR has met the conditions that entitle the student to a late disbursement.

The Amendment makes clear that Title IV funds are awarded to students with the assumption that he/she will attend school for the entire enrollment/payment period.  If a student receiving the above-mentioned assistance completely withdraws from school or ceases to attend classes up through the 60% point of the semester (as calculated by calendar days), the Financial Aid Office is required to calculate the amount of funds the student earned prior to their withdrawal and calculate the amount that was unearned and must be returned to reimburse the appropriate Title IV programs.  After the 60% point, the student is deemed to have earned 100% of the Title IV funds.

The withdrawal date is used to determine the point in time that the student withdrew or ceased to attend so that the percentage of the enrollment/payment period completed can be determined. A student’s withdrawal date will vary depending on the type of withdrawal. If a student officially withdraws, the date the institution would use would be the day the student started the withdrawal process or notifies their intent to withdraw whichever is earlier. However, the school may choose to use an earlier last date of attendance at an academically related activity as the student’s withdrawal date. If a student does not notify the institution that he/she has withdrawn, the date that the student withdrew would be the date the institution became aware that the student ceased to attendance classes. The percentage of Title IV aid earned is equal to the percentage of the enrollment/payment period the student completed.

In cases in which funds must be returned, the school will reimburse the Title IV programs via the tuition revenue account. As a result, any tuition refunds due to the student will first be returned to reimburse the Title IV programs. Students will then be billed for any unpaid institutional charges that result from the return of funds to the Title IV programs. In addition, the student may be required to directly repay a portion of the Title IV funds that were received. The Financial Aid Office will send the student a repayment promissory note which details the amount that must be repaid, the federal aid program that must be repaid, and the date in which the repayment is due. Any repayment outstanding or unpaid will be referred to the U.S. Department of Education for collection and legal disposition. Furthermore, a financial obligation will be placed on the student’s account by the institution, which will prohibit the student from registering in the future semesters, receiving academic transcripts, or receiving any additional federal aid funds.

In some cases, a student may be eligible to receive a “post-withdrawal” disbursement after the student completely withdraws from school when the amount of aid earned is less than the amount of aid disbursed. In such cases, the Financial Aid Office will notify the student of the “post-withdrawal” disbursement via an award letter. The award letter must be returned to the Financial Aid Office within fourteen (14) days or the “post-withdrawal” disbursement will be cancelled.

Procedures for Officially Withdrawing from School

1. Obtain a complete withdrawal form from the Admissions and Records Office. Students who do not officially withdraw from school may receive “F” grades for all classes.
2. Obtain a financial aid clearance from the Financial Aid Office. The official withdrawal process begins when the form is signed by the Financial Aid Office. The Financial Aid Office will begin the Return of Title IV process to determine if the student must repay any funds to the financial aid accounts.
3. Return the complete withdrawal form with the signatures to the Admissions and Records Office. The Admissions and Records will officially withdraw the students from classes.