As a student receiving financial aid at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College, it is your responsibility to know and comply with the rules governing the aid you receive. Below is a listing of certain rights to which you are entitled and certain obligations for which you are responsible as an aid recipient.
What are the rights of all aid recipients?
As a student receiving financial aid, you have the right to:
- Know that the information pertaining to your financial aid application and offer is kept confidential, as mandated by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
- Know the cost to attend Penn Highlands, including fees, books, room/board, personal expenses, and transportation.
- Consult with the College’s Financial Aid Office regarding your application for assistance, budgeting, and/or financial problems that may occur.
- Receive information about the financial aid programs available, including all federal, state, and institutional aid programs.
- Review information regarding application procedures and deadlines for each of the available programs. Know how your financial aid offer was determined.
- Know about the types of aid, including how much of your financial aid must be repaid (loans), and what portion is free (grants) aid. If the offer is a loan, you have the right to know the amount which must be repaid, the interest rate, the amount of each payment, the length of time you have to repay, and when repayment begins (per your lender’s guidance).
- Know that your application will be evaluated using the same system of need analysis applied to all students.
- Understand how your financial aid will be disbursed.
- Know how to accept, decline, or reduce your financial aid offer.
- Review information regarding the financial aid refund and repayment policy.
- Understand how the financial aid office determines whether you are making satisfactory academic progress (SAP) and what happens if you do not meet SAP requirements.
- Receive a full and clear explanation of financial aid policies, procedures, and decisions.
What are the responsibilities of all aid recipients?
As a student receiving financial aid at Penn Highlands, you have a responsibility to:
- Complete all applications and forms accurately.
- Comply with all financial aid deadlines.
- Reapply for financial aid each year you are enrolled at Penn Highlands and wish to be considered for financial aid.
- Provide correct information. Misrepresented information on financial aid applications and forms is a violation of federal law and may be considered a criminal offense.
- Read and understand all documents/rules you are asked to sign and keep copies for your records.
- Return any additional documentation and new information requested by the financial aid office in a timely manner.
- Request assistance if you have questions or don’t understand the information provided to you.
- Check your myPeak Financial Aid Student Portal on a regular basis to ensure there are no outstanding items required for financial aid.
- Notify the Registrar’s Office at Penn Highlands any time your name, address and/or phone number changes.
- Know and comply with the rules governing your financial aid offer.
- Notify the Financial Aid Office of any financial aid awards you receive from outside resources including scholarships, grants, veteran’s benefits, tuition waivers or other educational/tuition assistance.
- Complete the Loan Entrance Counseling and a Master Promissory Note if you borrow Direct Loans. Comply with the conditions of any promissory note and all other agreements you sign.
- Know the financial aid implications of dropping a course; withdrawing from a course(s) or withdrawing from Pennsylvania Highlands Community College.
- Complete Direct Loan exit counseling if you:
- drop below half-time enrollment (6 credits) from one semester to the next,
- drop below half-time enrollment (6 credits) for the current semester by withdrawing from some or all classes,
- complete your program or graduate,
- transfer to another institution, or
- sit out for a semester.
- Note: exit counseling does not impact future financial aid or disallow you from attending a future semester.
- Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
- Use financial aid only for educational expenses incurred while attending Penn Highlands.
- Repay any over-award of financial aid.
What are the additional responsibilities of federal work study (FWS) recipients?
- If you have federal work study as part of your financial aid offer, you have a responsibility to:
- Complete all necessary employee hiring forms.
- Maintain the work schedule you and your supervisor have decided upon.
- Complete all work assignments.
- Professionally conduct yourself at all times.
- Notify your supervisor if you cannot report to work.
- Do not work during your scheduled class times.
- Monitor your earnings so you don’t exceed your award for the academic year.
- Accurately and honestly report your hours worked on your electronic or paper time sheets.
How can I learn more about disclosures for student aid programs?
- Download the College’s Educational Loan Code of Conduct.
- Learn more about Consumer Information.