Financial Aid General Information

Financial aid programs at IU South Bend are designed to serve as many students as possible. In awarding aid, IU South Bend recognizes two distinct criteria: (1) scholastic ability, used in the awarding of scholarships; and (2) financial need, used in the awarding of all federal and state financial aid. Financial need is the difference between the expected family contribution and the cost of attendance, and is determined by information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Students may qualify for one or more of the following types of financial aid: scholarships, grants, loans, or student employment. IU South Bend recognizes that each student and family is different; if the family situation changes after filing the FAFSA, contact the financial aid office so they can determine if changes should be made. Information provided on any document is held in the highest confidence, according to university policy.

To be considered for the maximum available state and federal financial aid, the FAFSA should be completed by March 1 to ensure it is received by the annual March 10 deadline, as established by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. Complete applications are processed in date received order. Students must apply for financial aid each year by completing the FAFSA or Renewal FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The FAFSA for the next academic year is available online after January 1.

Paying Tuition and Fees with Financial Aid

With the exception of federal loans, aid is credited to your account, provided enrollment requirements for each award are met. Awards are indicated on your Financial Aid Notification (FAN) (freshman) and on your financial aid OneStart account.

First-time loan recipients at IU South Bend (Perkins or Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL)), must sign a Master Promissory Note before funds are disbursed to their account.

An e-mail regarding the signing of Federal Perkins Loan promissory notes at https://www.signmyloan.com is sent from the Student Loan Administration in Bloomington.

IU processes Federal Loans directly through the federal government, utilizing the Direct Loan Program. Direct Loan borrowers at IU South Bend receive information with their FAN (freshman) or via e-mail (upperclassmen) regarding the electronic signature process. No loan funds are disbursed to a student’s account without receipt of the promissory note(s). In addition, all first-time loan borrowers in the Direct Loan Program must complete an entrance interview before loan funds are disbursed. Go online to https://studentloans.gov for more information.

If financial aid awards are greater than the amount of tuition and fees due, the Office of the Bursar issues refunds no earlier than 10 days before the beginning of each semester. Students have 30 days from the date student loans credit to their bursar account to cancel any loan disbursements.

Student Status and Minimum Registration

To qualify for most federal financial aid, you must be formally admitted and enrolled in a degree-granting program. Award amounts may vary based on actual enrollment. Some awards require full-time enrollment while Pell Grants may be awarded for less than half-time enrollment.

Half-time status for undergraduate students is 6 credit hours per semester; for graduate students, half-time status is 4 credit hours. Full-time status for undergraduate students is 12 credit hours per semester; for graduate students, full-time status is 8 credit hours per semester. Students admitted as nondegree (audit or guest students) or high school students taking courses for college credit are not eligible for state or federal financial aid.

Citizenship

To be considered for financial aid, you must be a United States citizen, national, or non-United States citizen with permanent resident status. If you are an eligible noncitizen (permanent resident), you must submit a photocopy of your Alien Registration Card to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. You may also be required to provide documentation from the Social Security Administration regarding your citizenship status.

Verification

Student files are selected for verification based on specific criteria determined by the federal processor. If a student is selected for verification, additional information is required to complete the student’s file. Required information is available on OneStart via a student’s To Do List. No financial aid funds are disbursed until the verification is completed. It is recommended that students and parents check the box on the FAFSA to have IRS data imported. This will complete portions of the verification process.

Loan Default/Pell Grant Repayment

Students are not eligible to receive state or federal financial assistance if they are in default on any Title IV loan (Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Direct Loan, Federally Insured Loan, or Federal Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students), or owe a repayment on any Title IV grant, such as the Federal Pell Grant or Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant received for attendance at any institution. The financial aid office requires documentation from either the servicer of your loans indicating that your loan is in satisfactory standing or the previous school indicating any required repayment issued has been resolved before any aid is disbursed.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards

Students receiving state or federal financial assistance must meet the following standards to maintain their eligibility for funding:

• Complete 67 percent of all coursework attempted.
• Undergraduate students must maintain the minimum program grade point average required for graduation as established by their academic unit; graduate students must maintain a program grade point average of 3.0.
• All undergraduate coursework must be completed within 150 percent of the published time frame required to complete the degree (180 maximum hours for Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees; 98 hours for Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees).
• Attend all classes. Students who withdraw from all of their courses for any term (including summer sessions) or who are identified as not attending classes are subject to a repayment calculation.

Academic progress policies are applied consistently to all students receiving federal financial aid and all students are reviewed at least annually.

Students who fail to meet these standards and have mitigating circumstances may appeal by completing the satisfactory academic progress appeal process.

Graduate Financial Aid

Information regarding financial aid for graduate students at IU South Bend can be found on the Graduate Policies and Regulations website.

Federal Financial Aid Programs

Federal Pell Grants and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants

Federal Pell Grants are available only to undergraduate students and do not have to be repaid. The grant is based on financial need and the amount received is determined by your family contribution as calculated from your FAFSA data, and your enrollment (full-, three-quarter-, half-, or less than half-time).

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG) are funds provided to the institution to award to undergraduate students with exceptional financial need. Funding is limited, so students must meet the March 10 priority deadline to be considered.

Federal Work-Study Program

Federal work-study is on-campus employment or employment at an approved community service work-study site off campus. To be eligible for work-study, students must demonstrate financial need. Students typically work 15-20 hours per week and must be enrolled at least half time (6 credit hours per term for undergraduates or 4 credit hours per term for graduates) to receive this award during the academic year. Full-time work-study is available during summer, even though the student might not be enrolled in courses during either summer session.

Federal Family Education Loan Program

The Federal Family Education Loan Program is the United States Department of Education’s major form of self-help aid. Loans may either be subsidized or unsubsidized. Subsidized loans are based on a student’s financial need and do not require a student to make any interest payments while in school. Unsubsidized loans are not based on financial need and accrue interest from the time the loan is disbursed. Funding for these awards is determined by the federal government and is subject to change.

Annual subsidized and unsubsidized loan amounts for dependent students are as follows:

Students :: Amount

First year  ::  $5,500
Second year  ::  $6,500
Third year  ::  $7,500
Fourth year  ::  $7,500

Annual subsidized and unsubsidized loan amounts for independent students are as follows:

Students  ::  Amount  ::  Maximum Subsidized

First year  ::  $9,500  ::  $3,500
Second year  ::  $10,500  ::  $4,500
Third year  ::  $12,500  ::  $5,500
Fourth year  ::  $12,500  ::  $5,500

Graduate students may borrow an annual maximum of $20,500 in unsubsidized loans annually.

Federal Perkins Loan

The Federal Perkins Loan is awarded on a funds-available basis, providing students complete the FAFSA annually by the March 10 deadline preceding the next academic year of enrollment. The maximum amount of the loan is determined annually and depends upon funding available. The sum of Federal Perkins Loans made to students for both undergraduate and graduate education may not exceed $40,000. Both undergraduate and graduate students must be registered at least half time to receive these funds. Direct questions regarding cancellation and repayment of Federal Perkins Loans disbursed through IU South Bend to:

Student Loan Administration :: Post Office Box 1609 :: Bloomington, Indiana 47402-1609 :: (866) 485-6267 :: iuloans.iu.edu

Refund and the Return of Title IV Funds

Contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships before withdrawing or dropping courses to determine if these decisions will have an effect on your financial aid in the future.

All students who withdraw from coursework are subject to the institution’s refund policy. Students who withdraw from the university receive a prorated refund of educational fees, according to the following schedule:

Fall and Spring Semesters

Refund  ::  Period Ends

100 percent  ::  Last day of the first week of class
75 percent  ::  Last day of the second week of class
50 percent  ::  Last day of the third week of class
25 percent  ::  Last day of the fourth week of class

Summer Sessions

Refund  ::  Period Ends

100 percent  ::  Last day of the first week of class
50 percent  ::  Last day of the second week of class

Students can electronically drop one or more courses by visiting onestart.iusb.edu and using the eDrop process. Once completed, the withdrawal procedure enables IU South Bend to refund the maximum possible institutional charges.

Refund and Repayment Policy for Students Receiving Federal Financial Assistance

Students receiving federal Title IV assistance are subject to all institutional policies regarding refunds and course enrollment. In addition, if you receive Title IV assistance, you are subject to additional refund and repayment policies mandated by the federal government. Title IV funding includes the following: Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Direct Loan (subsidized and unsubsidized), Federal PLUS Loan, and other programs. Repayment procedures are applied consistently to all Title IV recipients who withdraw within the designated time frames.

Students (or the institution on the student’s behalf) who withdraw from courses or do not attend classes for any given term, may be required to return all or a portion of the federal funds received for that term. This is calculated through the Return of Title IV Funds formula determined by the United States Department of Education. The federal formula is applicable to students receiving federal aid, other than Federal Work-Study, if the student withdraws on or before the 60 percent point in the semester. The calculation determines the percentage of Title IV aid to be returned by dividing the number of calendar days remaining in the semester by the total number of calendar days in the semester. Scheduled breaks of five or more consecutive days are excluded.

Once the percentage is determined, funds are returned to aid programs in this order: Federal Direct Loan Unsubsidized, Federal Direct Loan Subsidized, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal PLUS Loan, Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, other state or federal programs, institutional aid. Any remaining credit balance will be returned to the student. Policies are subject to change as mandated by federal and state law.

Examples of calculations and worksheets used to determine the amount of refund or return of Title IV aid are available in the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.

Note: Students receiving an excess aid check because of a credit balance on their account prior to withdrawing from IU South Bend may be required to repay some of the federal funds.
Note: All information is correct at the time of publication. Contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships regarding financial aid changes.

Scholarships

Administration Building 157 :: (574) 520-4357 :: scholarships.iusb.edu

Over 200 scholarship opportunities are available to IU South Bend undergraduate and graduate students through the Online Scholarship Application (OSA). The OSA may be accessed through OneStart by clicking on the IU South Bend and IU Foundation Scholarship link. The OSA is due March 1 each year, and allows students to be considered for institutional, IU Foundation, alumni, and departmental scholarship opportunities. Students must be accepted at IU South Bend and create their OneStart account to apply.

Additional information regarding paper forms and outside resources may be found on the IU South Bend scholarship website. These scholarships may have different deadlines and requirements from the March 1 OSA deadline. Students are encouraged to begin researching available funding options as early as possible to provide the greatest opportunity to be considered for scholarship dollars. Tips for submitting a competitive application may also be found on the website.