Office of Financial Aid

Award Terms and Conditions

IMPORTANT NOTICE

If you attend classes before your financial aid payment has been received, you will incur University charges. If, for any reason, your financial aid is not awarded or is revoked, you are personally responsible for, and will be required, to pay all University charges incurred. If you should choose to separate from the University or stop attending classes, you must complete an official withdrawal for the semester. The withdrawal forms are available on-line and in the Office of the Registrar. After the withdrawal is processed, any refund for which you may be eligible, will be calculated based on the date of the official withdrawal and the published Tuition Refund Schedule.

The following information is provided to help you understand how your award was determined and how you may use the financial aid that will be made available upon your official enrollment. It is important that you read and understand the terms and conditions that govern your award.

As you read the following information, the use of "we" or "us" or "our office" refers to the Office of Student Financial Aid. The use of "award notification" refers to an email notification, paper correspondence, or combination of email and paper correspondence.

The award notification letter that is mailed to the student includes information associated with award sources offered for the fall and/or spring semesters. Summer financial aid is handled separately. By accepting the financial aid awarded, the student certifies that (s)he will maintain the minimum standard of academic progress to maintain general eligibility for financial aid and understands, agrees with, and will abide by these conditions.

The standard practice of the Office of Financial Aid:

1. assumes students will be attending full-time (12 hours undergraduates, 9 hours graduates) during both the fall and spring semester,
2. assumes students will accept the awards as offered, and
3. provides students and parents with all eligible aid based on the FAFSA results and other awards received (as funding allows).
4. Once minimum degree requirements are completed, students are no longer eligible to receive grant or scholarship funding as an undergraduate student.

The awards listed are the amounts you should receive if you meet all eligibility. The Federal Stafford Student Loan, subsidized or unsubsidized, and Parent Loan for Undergraduate Student (PLUS) awards may have fees deducted from each loan disbursement. Please note that although we certify these loans, the University is not the lender and cannot ensure that you will always receive the amount indicated. Final approval rests with your lender and guaranty agency.  Miscellaneous Loans represent Alternative loans. An award listed as "External Aid" represents an award made by an agency other than the University, generally an outside scholarship.

Required Minimum Hours of Enrollment

Failure to enroll in the minimum credits required for financial aid (scholarships, grants or loans) will result in the cancellation of your financial aid for that semester or summer session, as well as any subsequent semester or term for which aid was awarded. Additionally, should you drop below half time status during the semester or term, any future disbursement of either a Stafford or PLUS loan will be canceled.

Changing or Declining Awards

1. Students planning to take less than a full time course load must notify the Office of Financial Aid each semester. They must indicate the number of hours they plan to take. Some awards are based on full time status only and must be cancelled.
2. Students declining an aid source must notify the Office of Financial Aid prior to the start of each semester.
3. Any aid source from outside of CCU, such as churches, civic organizations, etc., must be reported to and sent to the Office of Financial Aid to ensure that these sources are coordinated with Federal and State aid and are properly credited to the student's account. It is helpful to receive this information by July 1st for fall semester and November 1st for spring semester. Students should ask the awarding agency to make checks payable to CCU and reference the student's full name and social security number. This will allow CCU to credit the account immediately. Funds will be returned to the aid source when students do not attend. Existing awards may require adjustments to accommodate the outside aid you will be receiving.
4. To decline or reduce aid awarded, e-mail your award change to finaid@coastal.edu so the aid may be adjusted. You may also make the change on your award notification and mail or fax the notice to our office. Be very specific about the type of aid involved and the change you wish to make.

Types of Financial Aid

Please click on the above link for an explanation of the types of Financial Aid available.

Financial Aid Authorization Form

By signing the Financial Aid Authorization Form, the student gives permission to Coastal Carolina University to use financial aid funds to pay direct educational costs associated with that term. If the student wants to use his/her 'Pending' financial aid to charge books, this form must be signed. The Financial Aid Authorization form needs to be submitted only once, and can be revoked at any time. The form is located on the Financial Aid Web page under the forms link.

Email Communication

It is extremely important that you maintain your Coastal Carolina University's email account via http://my.coastal.edu. It is your responsibility as a student to check your email account frequently to retrieve official CCU communication.

E-mails are sent pertaining to students' "missing or incomplete financial documents," and "information concerning financial aid packages." In the e-mail, you will be instructed to log into http://my.coastal.edu to review your current financial aid status. In some circumstances, there may be additional information needed to complete the financial aid file.

Consortium Agreements & Study Abroad

If you have received an award for study at the Coastal Carolina University campus and you plan to enroll at any other institution, on a temporary basis, including study abroad programs, you may not automatically use the aid awarded. You must first take the steps necessary to complete arrangements for a consortium agreement. A valid consortium agreement requires that the time spent studying at another institution be temporary and all courses taken must be applicable toward your CCU degree. You must follow the steps below to ensure that your financial aid will be applied:

1. Begin this process EARLY, the fall semester deadline is August 1, the spring semester deadline is December 1. Summer term deadline is April 1.
2. Provide a completed "Special Enrollment Request" form to the Office of Financial Aid. This can be obtained from your CCU advisor.
3. Register for the classes at the "other institution".
4. Obtain the name, phone# and fax# of a contact person from the "other institution".
5. Make an appointment with a CCU FA counselor and bring a copy of the class schedule, the Special Enrollment Request form, and the contact information to the appointment at the CCU Office of Financial Aid.
6. The FA counselor will provide a Consortium Contract to the "other institution" who will complete the contract and fax it back to the counselor.
7. The FA counselor will verify the financial aid available and if all costs are covered, they will fax an authorization form for payment to the "other institution" and to the CCU accounts receivable (A/R) office.
8. The CCU A/R office will mail a check for tuition payment to the other institution.
9. NOTE: If the financial aid does not cover the total costs at both CCU and the "other institution", it is the student's responsibility to pay the other institution's balance by their deadline.
10. It is the student's responsibility to attend all classes and to request an official transcript of the grade(s) from the other institution to receive credit at CCU.

Changes in Enrollment Information

1. Dropping classes before and/or during drop-add (100%):

If you drop before classes begin or during drop-add, your financial aid will be adjusted based on the hours for which you are enrolled at the end of drop-aid. If you are enrolled less than half time, you may not be eligible for assistance. The Registrar’s Office sets the schedule for drop-add each semester.

2. Withdrawing from classes after drop-add, during the "refund period" established by the "Registrar's Office":

If you withdraw from classes during 90/50/25% refund periods and you are enrolled at least half-time, you may be eligible to receive funds from the calculated refund. However, if you have received a Settlement Check and you are no longer eligible for those funds, the withdrawal may create a Balance Owed on your account. Students who withdraw from classes after drop-add are subject to the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy of CCU.

3. Complete withdrawal from school:

For students who withdraw from all classes, financial aid will be prorated based on the effective date of the withdrawal and subject to The Return of Title IV Funds Policy and Procedure.

Return of Title IV Funds & Repayment

The Return of Title IV Funds policy applies only if the student completely terminates enrollment (i.e. cancels his/her registration, withdraws, or is dismissed) or stops attending classes before completing more than 60 percent of the enrollment period. The Return of Title IV Funds policy applies to federal student financial aid programs. The Office of Financial Aid will calculate the amount of a refund of fees for students who withdraw.

Repayment Policy: The amount of Title IV aid that a student must repay is determined by the Federal Formula for Return of Title IV Funds as specified in Section 484B of the Higher Education Act. This law also specifies the order of return of the Title IV Funds to the program from which they were awarded.

A repayment may be required when aid has been credited to a student's account from financial aid funds in excess of the amount of aid the student earned during the term. The responsibility for returning unearned aid is allocated between CCU and the student according to the portion of disbursed aid that could have been used to cover CCU charges and the portion that could have been disbursed directly to the student once CCU charges were covered. CCU will distribute the unearned aid back to the Title IV programs as specified by law. The student will be billed for the amount the student owes to the Title IV programs and any amount due to CCU resulting from the return of Title IV funds used to cover charges.

Summer School

The FAFSA for the preceding year (previous fall and spring semester) and a separate summer school application are required to be considered for potential summer financial aid eligibility. The Summer Financial Aid Application should be submitted to the Office of Financial Aid when summer school registration has been completed. The deadline is May 30. The applications will be available online via the financial aid website in March each year. Click here to go to forms page for Summer School App.

Aid for Maymester and summer school sessions is available only if a student has not used all aid eligibility during the preceding academic year. In addition, students must be enrolled at least halftime (6 credit hours) during the summer.

Cost of Attendance & Student Expense Budgets

To consider a student for federal financial aid, a Cost of Attendance (COA) must first be established. The Student Expense Budget determines components for the COA.

Student expense budgets are established annually in a two-step process. In step one, "estimated" budgets are established which reflect adjustments based on the most recently administered CCU Student Survey. In step tow, "official" budgets are established when the Board of Trustees officially sets tuition and fees, room, and board costs.

Tuition & Fees: Students enrolled in 12 to 18 hours each semester (Fall & Spring) are assessed a flat rate. Tuition and fees are set on a per credit hour basis for students who enroll in less than 12 hours in a given term.

Books & Supplies: Includes textbooks, supplies, typing, photocopying, etc.

Housing: The Board of Trustees sets on-campus room costs annually. Housing rates will vary depending on the site of the dorm (on-campus or University Place). Student survey's determine off-campus housing rates and living with parent rates.

Board: For on-campus students, the rates are determined by the annual amount of a full meal plan. For off-campus students and those living with parents, the rates are determined by the survey.

Personal/Misc.: The costs include: medical/dental expenses not covered by insurance, clothing, laundry, newspapers, toiletries, etc.

Transportation: On-campus and off-campus students are budgeted with an allowance based on survey averages.

Estimated Educational Expenses