When you accept an offer of financial assistance from Gettysburg College, you are entering into an agreement with the College. There are certain rights and responsibilities associated with this agreement.
RIGHTS
- You have the right to know what financial aid is available to you, including all federal, state and institutional programs. In addition, you have the right to know the deadlines, selection criteria, terms, policies, procedures and regulations that apply to each of the programs. Please see the specific information for prospective and continuing students.
- You have the right to know how your financial need was determined. This process includes how costs for tuition and fees, room and board, transportation, books and supplies, and miscellaneous personal expenses are allocated within your student budget. Please see the Tuition & Fees.
- You have the right to appeal your financial aid award if you feel there are special circumstances that were not originally taken into consideration. Please request the Changes in Finances Form by emailing finaid@gettysburg.edu.
- You have the right to know how the College determines whether you are making Satisfactory Academic Progress. Please see the Satisfactory Academic Progress section.
- You have the right to know how and when your financial aid will be disbursed. Please see the Financial Aid Agreement.
- You have the right to know Gettysburg College's Refund Policies.
- You have the right to expect that all information reported by you and/or your family will remain confidential and will not be released without your written consent according to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
- If you have a loan, you have the right to know the terms of the loan, such as interest rate, the total amount that must be repaid, the length of time you have to repay, when you must start repayment, cancellation provisions, deferment and forbearance possibilities and any special consolidation or refinancing options. You will be provided this information before the loan funds are disbursed.
- Your federal loans will be assigned to a Federal Loan Servicer. You will be notified as to who is servicing your loans.
- If you have a dispute over a federal loan, have contacted the school and loan servicer, and your problem has not been addressed, you may contact the Ombudsman Office. The loan Ombudsman works with student loan borrowers to informally resolve loan disputes and problems. The loan Ombudsman can be contacted by mail, phone, fax, email, or the web at the following: U.S. Department of Education, FSA Ombudsman, 830 First Street-NE, Washington, DC 20202-5144. The phone number is 1-877-557-2575 and the fax number is 1-202-275-0549. The email address is fsaombudsmanoffice@ed.gov. The web address is https://studentaid.gov/.
- You have the right to consolidate all your federal loans after graduation. Students may consolidate their Federal Direct and Perkins Loans. Parents may consolidate multiple PLUS loans. For further information, you should contact your loan servicer.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Your financial aid award is regarded as a confidential matter between Gettysburg College and your family. Respect for that policy on the part of the student/family is requested.
- You and your family are responsible for promptly responding to inquiries or requests for information from the Office of Financial Aid, your loan servicer, or any other funding sources seeking additional paperwork.
- You are responsible for understanding and complying with the terms and conditions of the aid you receive. This includes deadlines, continued eligibility, application procedures, etc.
- You are responsible for using financial aid funds only for educational expenses (tuition, fees, room, board, books, supplies and other living costs) for the enrollment period certified by the school. Financial aid recipients are expected to live within a reasonable and modest budget.
- Unless otherwise noted, your award is based on your enrollment as a full-time student, enrolling in 12 or more credits per semester. You are responsible for notifying the Office of Financial Aid if your enrollment or residency status changes. This will ensure that your financial aid award is based upon the correct enrollment and residency status.
- You are responsible for supplying accurate and thorough information on all forms submitted to the Office of Financial Aid. Funds obtained on the basis of false information will have to be repaid and might subject you to penalties under the U.S. criminal code.
- You are responsible for reporting if you have been convicted for the possession or sale of illegal drugs for an offense that occurred while you were receiving federal student aid. A federal or state drug conviction can disqualify a student for federal student aid funds. A conviction that was reversed, set aside, or removed from your record does not count, nor does one received when you were a juvenile, unless you were tried as an adult.
- You are responsible for reporting a change of address or name to the Registrar's Office. This will ensure the Office of Financial Aid will have the most recent and accurate information. If you borrow a loan, you are also responsible for notifying your lender or loan servicer of any such changes while you are attending school and after you leave school.
- If you borrow a federal loan, it is your responsibility to complete both entrance and exit counseling. Students will be notified at the appropriate time about how to complete these requirements.
- If you borrow a loan, you are responsible for repaying that loan in accordance with the repayment schedule supplied to you by your loan servicer. Failure to meet this obligation will result in a “default” status. Students in default risk legal actions (i.e. garnishment of wages and tax refunds). Defaults are also reported to credit agencies and will adversely affect your credit rating and make you ineligible for future educational loans.
- If you borrow a loan and it has not yet been repaid, you must notify your loan servicer if any of the following occur: 1) failure to enroll in the school for which you received the loan; 2) withdrawal or graduation from school or attendance on less than a half-time basis; or 3) if you transfer from one school to another school.
- If you borrow a loan and qualify for a deferment of repayment, you must provide your loan servicer with evidence that you are eligible for the deferment as soon as the condition occurs.