Your Student Rights are as follows:

• You have the right to know how your financial need was determined and how it will be distributed.
  
• You may request an explanation of the funds in your financial aid package and refuse any portion of your award.
  
• You have the right to know what portion of your financial aid package must be repaid, and what portion is grant aid.  If you hav e a loan, you have the right to know the interest rate, payback procedures, length of repayment period, and payment start date.
  
• You have the right to examine the contents of your financial aid records with a written request.  You may not review confidential records submitted by your parents without their written permission.
  
• You may appeal any decision made by the financial aid staff.
  
• You have the right to request an explanation of State Univ. of West Georgia refund policy.  

Your Student Responsibilities are as follows:

• You must provide correct information. In most instances, misrepresenting information on any form in the financial aid application process is a violation of the law and may be considered a criminal offense, which could result in an indictment under the U.S. Criminal Code. You must provide in a timely manner any additional documentation or information requested by the Financial Aid Department.
  
• You must make satisfactory academic progress to remain eligible for financial aid. 
  
• You are responsible for keeping copies of all forms which you sign or submit to the Financial Aid Department. 
  
• You must accept responsibility for all agreements that you sign and repay all loans in accordance with repayment schedules. 
  
• You must notify the Financial Aid Department if you withdraw, change your address or name, or transfer to another school.
• You must be enrolled at least half time to receive most financial aid offered. Half time is:

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Payment of Fees
The following points are important facts to remember regarding your student account and how financial aid will be credited:

• Incoming Freshmen - Federal grants and the Georgia HOPE Scholarship will be credited to your account as quickly as possible after your signed award letter has been received by the Financial Aid Office.
  
• Your student loan will be credited toward your account once we have a completed Entrance Counseling Session and a signed Master Promissory Note on file. A Master Promissory Note is created for you after your first loan has been processed. You must sign the prom note electronically with your Federal Pin Number before your loan will disburse.
  
• If you advance register, you must have your financial aid in place before any money will be credited to your student account. You must pay any amount not covered by financial aid by the fee payment deadline each semester. This date will appear on your bill when you register for classes or in the registration bulletin (SCOOP) each term. If your financial aid is more than is needed to cover your account (tuition, fees, residence hall, and meal plan), the over award funds will be credited to your West Georgia HigherOne Card approximately one week after the last day of drop/add.
  
• Short-term loans for books may be available through the Bursar's Office, located in Aycock Hall, at the end of the preceding term and the beginning of the current term. You can apply for the Short-term loan through your BanWeb account.
  
• For information regarding the fee schedule click here.
  
• Important: If you have not completed the entire financial aid process (completed necessary documents and completed the loan entrance session), you must pay all of your fees by check, cash, money order, webcheck, Discover, American Express, or Mastercard. Payments are made to the Bursar's Office in Aycock Hall. You can be reimbursed with your financial aid once your financial aid file is complete.

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Refund Policy
Will I receive any money back if I withdraw from my classes?

Refunds will be based on a pro rata percentage determined by dividing the # of calendar days in the semester that the student completed by the total # of calendar days in the semester. Students who withdraw after 60% of the semester has been completed are not entitled to a refund of charges. 

Refund schedules and a copy of the Board of Regents policy may be obtained from the Bursar's Office, the Registrar's Office or the Financial Aid Office. 

For any question regarding this policy, contact the Bursar's Office in Aycock Hall or call 678-839-4737.

Will I have to repay any of the financial aid I received if I withdraw from my classes?

In accordance with federal regulations, you may be required to repay a portion of federal or state financial aid received or credited to your account if you withdraw prior to the end of the semester. In all cases, refunds will be credited back to the financial aid programs in the following order: 

1. Direct Stafford Loan 
2. Federal Perkins Loan 
3. Direct PLUS Loan 
4. Federal Pell Grant 
5. Federal SEOG 
6. Other Title IV assistance 
7. State Programs 
8. Private / Institutional Programs 
9. Student 

Is there a limit to the total amount of aid that I can receive?

Your total awards may not exceed your budget as determined by the Financial Aid Office. Your total need-based aid (Ford Direct Subsidized Loan, Federal Perkins Loan, Pell Grant, FSEOG, and Federal Work-Study) cannot exceed your financial need (your budget less your Expected Family Contribution as determined by the FAFSA). You are over awarded if your total aid exceeds your budget or your need-based aid exceeds your financial need. The university must revise awards or require repayment of financial aid where there is an over award. 

How does dropping or adding classes during drop-add affect my financial aid?

If you add or drop hours during drop-add, your fees and financial aid will adjust accordingly. If there is an error and you receive aid for more hours than you are taking, you could be responsible for a repayment.

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Employment
What can I do if I want to work while attending UWG?

Working while attending college can help you finance your education, and most students find that they can be successful in their studies while working 10 to 15 hours per week. As a student worker, you receive a bi-weekly payroll check. 

The basic types of student employment on campus are work-study, student assistantships, and graduate assistantships.

The Federal Work-Study Program offers employment for students with financial need as determined by the Financial Aid Office. You can work in clerical, technical, and manual positions in a variety of departments and offices on campus. In addition, some positions are available in community services areas. To improve your chances of receiving FWS, you should complete your financial aid file by April 1st.

Student Assistantships are on-campus jobs available regardless of your financial need. The jobs are similar to those available in the work-study program except there are no community service positions. 

Student Research Assistantships are also available regardless of your financial need. In this program, you work closely with a faculty or staff member on a project related to your major or career. 

If you are a graduate student, you might be interested in a Graduate Assistantship. For more information on this program, you can contact the Graduate Office at 678-839-6419. If you are awarded a Graduate Assistantship, you must notify the Financial Aid Office. It may have an effect on your financial aid eligibility. 

On-campus and off-campus employment openings are posted in the Department of Career Services. Career Services also administers the University's Cooperative Education and Internship Program. 

Please Note: 
The Immigration Reform Act of 1986 requires all employers to verify all prospective employees' U.S. citizenship status. If you are seeking employment, you must bring a picture I.D. (driver's license) and original social security card or certified copy of your birth certificate to campus with you in order to complete the employment requirements.

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Academic Progress
What are the academic requirements to receive financial aid?

You must meet several academic criteria to receive financial aid. They are as follows:

• You must complete all required developmental studies and CPC (College Preparator Curriculum) courses in no more than thirty hours. After you attempt thirty hours of developmental studies and/or CPC courses, you will lose your financial aid eligibility until you have completed these course requirements.
• You must have a 2.0 UWG Institutional Grade Point Average (GPA) after four or more semesters of enrollment at UWG. A semester that you withdraw from your classes does count as a semester of enrollment. Your financial aid eligibility can be reinstated when your UWG Institutional GPA reaches a 2.0.
• You must earn passing grades in at least 67% of all hours for which you enroll during Summer through Spring in order to remain eligible for aid during the next award year. Please be aware that the calculation for the 67% course completion is NOT rounded up. You must complete at least 67.00% each academic year. Anything below 67.00% is not considered to be making satisfactory academic progress. Grades of A, B, C, D, and S are considered passing; grades of F, W, WF, IP, I and U are considered unsatisfactory and are not passing for the purposes of this review. If you lose eligibility for aid under this provision, you may re-establish your eligibility for future awards by completing 12 hours of class work at UWG with a 2.0 GPA and receive no unsatisfactory grades of: F, W, WF, I, IP and U. Any unsatisfactory grade or less than a 2.0 term gpa will exclude all classes that term from being used toward the 12 hour requirement.
• You must complete your program within a certain number of attempted hours, including all transfer hours. Once you meet or exceed the maximum hours set for your program, you will be notified that your financial aid has been canceled for the following semester. The limits are as follows:
  
  120 Hour Bachelor's Degree - 180 attempted hours allowed
  36 Hour Master's Degree - 54 attempted hours allowed
  27 Hour Specialist Degree - 41 attempted hours allowed

Can I appeal if I fail to meet one of the requirements listed above?

If there were extenuating circumstances, such as a death in the immediate family, a personal illness or injury, or other circumstances beyond your control that affected your ability to meet the academic progress requirements, you can submit a written appeal. You will need to request an appeal form from the Financial Aid Office and provide supporting documentation such as a doctor's excuse, medical bills, etc. The deadline to submit a complete appeal for any term is 12:00pm on the second day of drop-add. If your appeal or supporting documentation is submitted after the deadline you will be responsible for paying your own fees before the fee payment deadline until a decision can be made.

UWG's Letter of Appeal for can be found at On-Line Forms. 

Please Note:
You must meet all of the requirements listed above to remain eligible for any form federal and state aid, including HOPE and loans. Eligibility for short-term loans and scholarships is not affected by these requirements. 

• It is your responsibility to notify the Financial Aid Office when you have met the requirements to have eligibility reinstated. Get the Request to Clear Satisfactory Academic Progress form from On-Line Forms. 
• We cannot release any academic progress holds on your file until your grades have been checked. This may mean that you will have to pay advance registration fees initially and be reimbursed once we can verify that you completed the requirement(s) to have your aid reinstated. 
• The Director of Financial Aid may, at any time, cancel the remainder of your award if he/she becomes aware that you are not actively pursuing your coursework. You may also make a written appeal to the Financial Aid Office regarding a decision, which affects awards or the ability to receive aid.

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