As a student consumer you have the right to:
- know what financial assistance is available, including information on all federal, state, and institutional financial assistance programs;
- know the deadlines for submitting applications for each of the financial assistance programs available;
- know how your financial need is determined. This process includes how costs for tuition and fees, room and board, travel, books and supplies, and personal expenses are decided in developing cost of attendance budgets;
- know what resources (such as parental contribution, other financial assistance, student assets, etc.) are considered in the calculation of your financial need;
- know how much of your financial need, as determined by NCTA, has been met;
- request from the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA), an explanation of the various programs in your student aid package. If you believe you have not received the financial assistance for which you are eligible, you may request reconsideration of the award which was made;
- know what portion of the financial assistance received must be repaid, and what portion is grant aid. If the aid is a loan, you have the right to know what the interest rate is, the total amount that must be repaid, the payback procedures, the length of time you have to repay the loan, and when repayment is to begin; and
- know how the OSFA determines whether you are making satisfactory academic progress, and what happens if you are not.
Student Responsibilities
It is your responsibility to:
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review and consider all information about the financial aid programs at NCTA prior to enrolling;
- complete all financial assistance applications and forms accurately, and submit them to the OSFA by the appropriate deadlines;
- fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Renewal FAFSA completely because it determines your eligibility for a wide variety of financial assistance. You may experience delays in receiving a decision about financial aid if forms are filled out incompletely or incorrectly. Falsification of information on application forms for federal financial assistance is considered a criminal offense, and you may be subject to penalties under the U.S. Criminal Code;
- respond quickly to all requests for additional documentation related to verification or corrections;
- notify the OSFA if there is a change in any of the information reported on the FAFSA;
- read and understand all forms that you are asked to submit or sign, and keep copies of these forms. You are legally responsible for all agreements which you sign;
- notify your lender of any changes in your name, address, or school status if a loan is part of your financial aid;
- report to your Federal Work-Study Program (FWSP) job according to the schedule you arranged with your supervisor, complete all work to the best of your ability, and notify your supervisor in advance if you are unable to report to work for any reason. Pay for student workers is based on the federal minimum wage scale. (Note: On average, students need to work between 10 and 15 hours per week during the academic year to earn their full awards);
- know and comply with NCTA's refund procedures, should you withdraw from the University;
- be formally admitted to NCTA in a degree-seeking program; and
- secure summer employment that will enable you to help meet expenses during the coming academic year.
Parent Responsibility to Dependent Students
A basic assumption we make when awarding federal aid is that parents of dependent students have the primary responsibility to pay for their dependent children's education. It is the aim of the federal government to help financially needy families by supplementing the Expected Family Contribution (EFC).