As a financial aid applicant or recipient, you have the right to expect professional, competent, and timely service from the Financial Aid Office. However, providing financial assistance to applicants is a joint endeavor. You also have certain responsibilities when applying for and receiving financial assistance.

Rights and Opportunities for Financial Assistance

• Discuss your personal or family financial matters in a confidential setting.
• Know that your financial aid awards are based on a calculated financial need and should have every opportunity to visit with a financial aid assistant to determine how an award was made.
• Know how your aid will be distributed each semester and when and where these disbursements will be made.
• Be informed of the terms of any work program arrangement before the work award is accepted and work is performed.
• Be informed of repayment conditions of any loan program before the loan is accepted.
• Accept, reject or change your financial aid award without any prejudice related to race, creed, color, gender or sexual preference.
• Know that a financial aid award may be increased, decreased or canceled if there is a change in the conditions used to determine the initial award.
• Confidentiality. Information in your file will not be released to anyone other than college officials or agencies that provide financial assistance, without written consent from you.

Responsibilities and Obligations of Financial Aid Recipients

It is your responsibility to:

• Contribute toward the cost of your education. You are expected to contribute funds from savings, summer earnings and work during the academic year when possible to help defray the cost of your education.
• Be accepted or enrolled in a degree program in order to be eligible for financial assistance.
• Be on time when submitting your financial aid forms and requests for supplemental information, and to keep in touch with the Financial Aid Office.
• Provide timely, accurate and honest information.
• Make satisfactory academic progress as defined by Ridgewater College's Satisfactory Academic Progress. You will be expected to complete your courses successfully in order to continue receiving financial aid.
• Use the allocated funds to pay for education-related expenses and to manage these funds so that incurred expenses are met.
• Repay your loans according to the terms outlined on the promissory notes. If you default on any loan you will be denied the opportunity to receive additional funds.
• Apply every year for financial aid to continue receiving funds.

The Financial Aid Office at Ridgewater College is required by law to follow and enforce the established federal and state regulations as they pertain to the financial aid programs. Ridgewater College makes every effort to process applications in the most efficient, timely and equitable manner possible.