2016-2017 Graduate Academic Catalog

Page 14 2016–17 Graduate Academic Catalog Graduate Programs Campus Services Federal Refund Policy for Stafford Loans The term “Title IV Funds” refers to the Federal Financial Aid Programs authorized under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (as amended). The following are considered Title IV programs at Cedarville University: • Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan • Subsidized Federal Direct Loan • Federal Perkins Loan • Federal Direct Plus Loan (Parent) • Federal Pell Grant • Federal Supplemental Grant (FSEOG) • Federal TEACH Grant • Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant A student’s federal financial aid eligibility must be recalculated and these regulations apply when a student fails to complete the period of enrollment for which he/she was charged due to one or more of the following situations: • Change in a student’s schedule, which results in fewer credit hours • Course or courses dropped or withdrawn • Cancellation of a class by the college • Total withdrawal or expulsion from the college As the recipient of Title IV aid, it is the student’s responsibility to earn the aid provided for their period of enrollment. Students who find it necessary to withdraw must go to the Registrar’s office to begin the official withdrawal process. Please refer to the online catalog to determine the student’s withdrawal date. Title IV aid is earned in a prorated manner on a daily basis up to the 60 percent point in the semester. Federal regulations state that a student must attend past the 60 percent point of the semester in order to earn 100 percent of their federal financial aid. Students are issued financial aid before 100 percent of their aid is earned. This is in “good faith,” meaning that students are expected to follow through by attending and completing all classes. When a recipient of Title IV aid withdraws from an institution during the semester in which the recipient began attendance, the institution must determine the amount of the Title IV grant or loan assistance (not including Federal Work Study) that the student earned as of the student’s date of withdrawal. Federal regulations mandate that a school perform a “Return to Title IV” calculation for federal aid recipients who withdraw from all classes or receive Financial Aid unearned “F”. This calculation determines how much federal aid a student has earned up to the date of withdrawal. If more assistance is received than what is earned, the unearned funds must be returned. The requirements for the “Return to Title IV” calculations are separate from Cedarville University’s refund policy. In accordance with federal regulations, when financial aid is involved, return of T-IV funds are allocated in the following order: 1. Unsubsidized Federal Direct Stafford Loan 2. Federal Perkins Loan 3. Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan 4. Other Title IV Assistance Responsibility of the University Cedarville University Financial Aid office responsibilities in regard to the Return of Title IV funds include • Providing each student with information given in this policy. • Identifying students who are affected by this policy and completing the Return of Title IV Funds calculation for those students. • Returning any Title IV funds that are due to the Title IV programs as soon as possible, but no later than 45 days from the determination of a student’s withdrawal. • Offering a post-withdrawal loan disbursement within 30 days of the date the school determined the student withdrew and issuing a post-withdrawal grant disbursement within 45 days of the date the school determined the student withdrew, if a student has eligibility for the Title IV funds. • Though Cedarville University is not required to take attendance, instructors are expected to monitor enrollment regularly and notify the Registrars’ Office of non-attendance. • The Registrars’ office contacts the student and the instructor to determine the last date of academic related activity. Responsibility of the student The student’s responsibilities in regard to the Return of Title IV Funds include: • Returning to the Title IV programs the dollar amount of any funds disbursed directly to the student subsequently determined to be ineligible via the Return of Title IV Funds calculation. • Official withdrawal information is found in the online catalog. Campus Services Summer Housing Information Residence hall housing is available for graduate students during the summer course schedule. All housing is single occupancy, air conditioned, fully furnished (desk, bed, chair, dresser, and closet). Every residence hall room is equipped to use CedarNet, the University’s intranet. Printing capabilities are available in the library, in open-access computer labs, and in classrooms across campus. Students needing residence hall housing for the summer need to contact Residence Life at 937-766-7872 at least two weeks prior to the start of class in order to secure on-campus housing. You are encouraged to make your health a priority and carry personal health insurance so that your academic progress is not interrupted by unexpected medical bills. Please contact University Medical Services at 937-766-7862 if you have any questions. Library The Centennial Library provides students with world-class information resources in physical and digital formats including printed books and journals, extensive e-book and e-journal collections, physical and digital media, and specialized, program- specific tools and databases. Through the library’s Research Center, library professionals provide research assistance in online and face-to-face modes to help students locate, use, and evaluate information. Librarians assist graduate faculty by providing research instruction and online tutorials to orient students to the library’s resources and effective research strategies. The library’s collections are supplemented by access to the resources of OhioLINK, a cooperative of more than 100 Ohio college and university libraries, with access to more than 50 million library items through a centralized computer catalog and on-campus delivery. To access the library’s catalog, online resources, services, and seek assistance, visit the Resources for Graduate Students link on the library website at cedarville.edu/library . Graduate students can use the library’s digital resources from anywhere with their 14-digit bar code number. At the conclusion of the master’s program, electronic versions of theses and projects must be submitted to the University’s open access institiutional repository, DigitalCommons@Cedarville, digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/graduate_programs/ , making them accessible through the Internet. A printed copy is bound and added to the University archives collection. Information Technology Cedarville University is nationally known as a leader in instructional technology. A computer and high-speed Internet