When you obtain a federal student loan you have certain Borrower’s Rights and Responsibilities.
Borrower’s Rights
You have the right:
- To know what financial aid programs are available at your school.
- To know the deadline for submitting applications for each available program.
- To know how financial aid will be distributed, how decisions are made and the basis for these decisions.
- To know how your financial need was determined. This includes how costs for tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board, travel, personal and miscellaneous expenses, etc., are considered in your budget.
- To know how much of your financial need had been met as determined by the financial aid advisor at the school or college.
- To know what resources (other financial aid, your assets, etc.) were considered in the calculation of your need.
- To know what portion of the financial aid you received must be repaid, and what portion is grant aid. If the aid is a loan, you have the right to know what the interest rate is, the total amount that must be repaid, the repayment procedures, the length of time you have to repay the loan, and when repayment is to begin. Under the Federal Stafford Loan program if you cannot meet the repayment schedule, you may request that the loan payments be reduced for a specific period of time if it will assist you in avoiding default.
- To know how the school determines whether you are making satisfactory progress and what happens if you are not.
- To request an explanation of the various programs in your student aid package.
- To know campus security policies and crime statistics.
Borrowers’ Responsibilities:
You are obligated:
- To complete all application forms accurately and submit them on time to the right place.
- To provide correct information. In most instances, misreporting information on financial aid applications is a violation of law and may be considered a criminal offense.
- To return all documentation, verification, corrections, and/or new information requested by either the Financial Aid Office or the agency to which you submitted your application.
- If you borrow a federal loan, think about how much you’re borrowing borrow wisely!
- To use any federal, state-appropriated, or institutional financial aid received during the award year solely for expenses related to attendance at Saybrook University.
- To read and understand all forms that you are asked to sign and to keep copies of them.
- To accept responsibility for all the arrangements that you sign.
- Be enrolled at least halftime as a regular student. Students admitted on provisional or conditional status will be given a defined period of eligibility (usually one year) to achieve regular admission. Your Provisional and or Conditional Acceptance require that you adhere to the stipulations listed on your Saybrook University Admissions Acceptance Letter.
- To perform the work that is agreed upon in accepting a Federal Work-Study award before you receive payment.
- To be aware of your schools refund procedures.
- To repay your student loans, even if you don’t complete your education, can’t get a job, or aren’t happy with your education.
- To maintain up-to-date address and telephone information with the Registrar’s Office.
- All schools must provide information to prospective students about the school’s programs and performance. You should consider this information carefully before deciding to attend a school.
- As a recipient of a Federal Stafford Student Loan, you must notify the lender if any of the following occur before the loan is repaid: if you change your address, Graduate, Withdraw from school or attend less than half-time status, change your name, and/or transfer to another school.
- Request a deferment or forbearance, or change repayment plans if you’re having trouble making your monthly payments.
The Borrower’s Rights and Responsibilities Statement provides information about the terms and consideration of the loans you received under the accompanying Master Promissory Note (MPN) for Federal Direct Stafford/Ford Loans (Direct Subsidized Loans) and Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford/Ford Loans (Direct Unsubsidized Loans). You can view the document here: http://www.direct.ed.gov/pubs/dlrights.pdf