Financial Aid Rights & Responsibilities
Each year more than half of Brigham Young University students request financial assistance to help defray the cost of education. As a student financial aid recipient and partner in this process you have a number of rights and responsibilities.
Application
- Complete and submit application materials to BYU and the appropriate agencies within the required or recommended time frames.
- Re-apply every year in order to be considered for financial aid.
- Provide correct information at all times. Reporting false information is a violation of the law and may be considered a criminal offense.
- Read all materials (including emails) sent to you from the BYU Financial Aid Office and other agencies awarding you financial aid.
- Read, understand, and keep copies of all forms you sign or submit.
Know and comply with the rules governing the financial aid you receive. These rules include but are not limited to–you must:
- Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
- Be appropriately admitted and working toward a degree.
- Not be in default on any prior federal student loan
- Not owe a refund on a federal grant.
- Provide additional documentation, federal tax returns, W-2’s, and any additional information, if requested by the BYU Financial Aid Office.
- Comply with the provisions of any promissory note and all other agreements you sign.
- Complete the registration process each semester by the add/drop deadline in order to ensure availability of all student aid funds you have been awarded.
- Know and register for the required number of eligible hours to receive your financial aid.
- Use student financial aid proceeds solely for direct educational costs and related living expenses.
Maintaining Eligibility
- Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
- Know the implications of dropping a course (withdrawing) or dropping all of your courses (full withdrawal) from BYU will have on your student financial aid.
Know that if you receive one or more E Grades, you will be required to document attendance in that class(es) or your federal aid will be recalculated, and you may have to repay part or all of the federal funds received for that enrollment period.
- If you receive all E grades (or a 0.0 GPA), you will be considered a “walkaway.” Walkaway students must document attendance in all classes and provide a last date of attendance, based on the documentation received, all or part of your financial aid may be adjusted and must be repaid.
- Repay funds you are no longer eligible for; i.e., funds which exceed the Cost of Attendance, funds awarded erroneously, or funds you failed to maintain eligibility for.
Notify your loan servicer should any of the following occur before your loan is repaid:
- You change your address and/or phone number
- You graduate
- You withdraw from school or are enrolled less than half time
- You change your name (e.g., maiden to married name)
- You transfer to another university
As a financial aid recipient, you have the right to:
- Know the correct procedures for applying for student financial aid, your Cost of Attendance, and the types of financial aid available.
- Know how financial need is determined, what the criteria are for awarding financial aid, how academic progress is determined (SAP), and what you have to do to continue receiving financial aid.
- Know the type and amount of financial aid you will receive, how much of your financial need has been met, and how and when your financial aid will be disbursed.
- Know that if changes are made to your financial aid awards, you will be notified.
- Know and access BYU’s Student Consumer Information.
- View your student financial aid file in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
- Know the conditions of any loan you accept.