AWARDING PROCESS 
Other Important Information
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How a Student's Financial Need is Determined Award Notification & Promissory Notes |
Other Important Information
Dropping Semester Hours or Withdrawal (Official or Unofficial) If you drop semester hours or withdraw from The University of Iowa, your cost of attendance and financial aid may be revised to reflect any tuition adjustment, and you may have to repay a portion or all of your financial aid. The exact amount of repayment will vary, depending on when the semester hours are dropped or when the official withdrawal occurs. If you stop attending class at the half-time level and your instructors verify nonattendance, you will be classified as an unofficial withdrawal. This may result in aid repayment if you do not officially withdraw or start attending classes and earn satisfactory grades at the half-time enrollment level. In addition, you may become ineligible for future financial aid for failure to meet the Reasonable Academic Progress Standards. If you drop below half-time status before your funds for the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan(s) are received by the University Billing Office, you will not be eligible to receive the loan(s). Further details are available from the Office of Student Financial Aid. Classes Taken at Other Institutions/Study Abroad If you enroll simultaneously at The University of Iowa and another institution, you may be able to count the total enrollment hours for both institutions to determine your eligibility for University of Iowa financial aid. However, you cannot receive federal financial aid from both The University of Iowa and another college/university for the same award period. To determine whether you are able to receive financial aid for classes at another institution, bring the appropriate completed course approval form (Transfer Credit Evaluation Request or Graduate Transfer Credit Evaluation Request from the University of Iowa Office of Admissions or Study Abroad Credit Approval Form) to the Office of Student Financial Aid and ask to speak with a financial aid counselor. This must be done prior to the Registrar's last day to drop classes in order to affect tuition and fee assessments. Students who will study abroad or at an institution out-of-state are encouraged to meet with a financial aid counselor during the semester prior to the term in which they plan to enroll at the other institution. UI Tuition Scholarships University of Iowa Tuition Scholarships (Freshman Scholarship, Upperclass Scholarship, Transfer Scholarship, Iowa Community College Transfer Scholarship) are awarded to students who demonstrate both financial need and academic excellence. If you have been awarded a University of Iowa Tuition Scholarship, you must maintain both full-time enrollment (minimum 12 hours each semester) and a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 based on classes taken at The University of Iowa. If you are an upperclass student and are awarded a UI Tuition Scholarship before the end of the spring semester, spring semester grades were not available. Therefore, we will review your scholarship eligibility during the summer and if you University of Iowa cumulative grade-point average is below 3.0 or if you failed to complete at least 24 semester hours during the academic year in which you received the scholarship, your scholarship for the upcoming year will be canceled. After the semester begins, if you are enrolled for fewer than 12 semester hours after the Registrar's last day to drop classes in order to affect tuition and fee assessment, your scholarship will be canceled for that semester. If you were not awarded the UI tuition scholarship because you did not have a 3.0 UI GPA, but obtained at least a 3.0 after the spring semester, contact a financial aid counselor as soon as possible. The UI Tuition Scholarships are not guaranteed for subsequent years. They are awarded on financial need and on a first-come, first-served basis each year for a maximum of eight semesters. Renewal information is specified on the back of the award notification. Academic Competitiveness Grant/SMART Grant If part of your award includes the Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) or SMART Grant, there are specific requirements that must be met to be eligible for the awards. Additional information is available on the grant page of our web site.State of Iowa Funded Aid
If your award includes State of Iowa funded aid (Iowa Grant and/or Iowa National Guard Tuition Aid), in the event that available state funds are insufficient to pay the full amount of each approved grant, the Iowa College Student Aid Commission has the authority to administratively reduce the award to an amount less than the statutory maximum.Scholarship Checks From Other Sources
If you have been awarded a scholarship from a source other than the University of Iowa, the scholarship check should be sent to the University of Iowa Office of Student Financial Aid, 208 Calvin Hall. The bill for the fall semester is mailed on August 1 and the spring semester on January 1. Therefore, please send scholarship checks prior to August and 1 and January 1 for the scholarship to appear on the student's bill. Additional information on submitting scholarship checks to the University of Iowa is available on our web site.Private (Alternative) Educational Loans
The Office of Student Financial Aid awards federal loans, including PLUS loans to parents of dependent undergraduate students. The terms and conditions of these federal loans are favorable when compared to alternative private educational loans. Although the office does not award private educational loans, some families may choose to borrow an alternative loan. Additional information is located in the loan section of our web site.Confidentiality of Your Student Records
The Office of Student Financial Aid ensures the confidentiality of student records in accordance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 - Buckley Amendment. Your family financial information and the type and amount of your aid are held in confidence. If you filed as a dependent student, we will provide financial aid information to you, as well as to the parent(s) whose information is on your financial aid application. Information is released to non-custodial parents or non-University individuals or offices only with your written consent. A release of information form is available from the Office of Student Financial Aid. Reviewing the Status of Your Financial Aid Throughout the year, registered and returning University of Iowa students may view the status of their financial aid on the web via the Iowa Student Information Services (ISIS) web site. Click on Student Records, then choose a link under the heading Financial Aid. Applying for Financial Aid for the Following Academic Year You must reapply for financial aid each year. In December, the U.S. Department of Education will mail information about reapplying for aid to students who filed the previous year's FAFSA by September 30. For subsequent years, the University of Iowa Office of Student Financial Aid will correspond directly with the student by e-mail or U.S. postal mail at the student's University address. Transfer Students The Federal Direct Student Loan amount is based on your prior borrowing and on the transfer hours that were recorded by the UI Office of Admissions at the time of the award. If you will have additional transfer hours that will increase your earned hours from freshman to sophomore or sophomore to junior level, contact the Office of Student Financial Aid staff for a possible loan increase after the Office of Admissions has reviewed your final academic transcript. If you receive additional loans from your current school, the loans awarded by the UI Office of Student Financial Aid will be adjusted accordingly.