Right to Know Act

Students' Rights & Responsibilities

Rights

You have the right to know what financial aid is available to you, including all federal, state and institutional programs. In addition, you have the right to know the deadlines, selection criteria, terms, policies, procedures, and regulations that apply to each of the programs.

You have the right to know how your financial need was determined and how much of it, as determined by the college, was met. This process includes how costs for tuition and fees, room and board, transportation, books and supplies, and miscellaneous personal expenses are included in your student budget.

If you have a student loan, you have the right to know the terms of the loan, such as interest rate, the total amount that must be repaid, the length of time you have to repay it, when you must start repayment, cancellation provisions, deferment and forbearance possibilities, and any special consolidation or refinancing options.

You have the right to appeal your financial aid award if you feel there are special circumstances that were not originally taken into consideration.

You have the right to know how the college determines whether you are making satisfactory academic progress and what happens if you are not.

You have the right to know how and when your financial aid will be disbursed.

You have the right to know University of Silicon Valley’s refund policies, the portion, if any, of tuition and fees that are refunded to you if you withdraw before the end of the term, and the portion, if any, of the financial aid you received that you must pay back immediately if you withdraw before the end of the term.

You have the right to expect that all information reported by you and/or your family will remain confidential and will not be released without your written consent according to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

By law, you have the right to examine (with a financial aid counselor) records maintained in our office that relate to your financial aid file.

You have the right to expect equitable treatment under the college’s policy prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or veteran’s status.

Disclosures

Responsibilities

You are responsible for reading, retaining and understanding all information supplied to you from the Financial Aid Office. If you have any questions or concerns, you are welcome to contact the office.

You are responsible for promptly responding to inquiries or requests for information from the Financial Aid Office.

You are responsible for using financial aid funds only for educational expenses (tuition, fees, room, board, books, supplies, and other living costs).

You are responsible for understanding and complying with the terms and conditions of the aid you receive. This includes deadlines, continued eligibility, application procedures, etc.

You are responsible for obtaining all forms required to apply (or re-apply) for the type of assistance you wish to receive. Forms are not automatically mailed to you each year.

If you receive any type of financial assistance from an outside agency, it is your responsibility to inform the Financial Aid Office. By law, when determining your financial aid eligibility, the Financial Aid Office is required to consider all sources of funding.

You are responsible for notifying the Financial Aid Office if your enrollment or residency status changes. This will ensure that your financial aid award is based upon the correct enrollment and residency status.

You are responsible for supplying accurate and thorough information on all forms submitted to our office. Funds obtained on the basis of false information will have to be repaid and might subject you to penalties under the US criminal code.

You are responsible for reporting a change of address or name to the Registrar’s Office. This will ensure the Financial Aid Office will have the most recent and accurate information.

You are responsible for maintaining good academic standing consistent with the College’s satisfactory academic progress policy.

If you borrow a loan, it is your responsibility to attend entrance and exit counseling.

If you borrow a loan, you are responsible for repaying that loan. Failure to meet this obligation will adversely affect your credit rating and make you ineligible for future educational loans.

If you borrow a loan, you are responsible for notifying your lender or loan servicer of any changes in name or address while you are attending school and after you leave school.

Clery Act

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act require postsecondary institutions to provide timely warnings of crimes that represent a threat to the safety of students or employees and to make public their campus security policies. It also requires that crime data be collected, reported, and disseminated to the campus community and to the Department annually. The Clery Act is intended to provide students and their families with accurate, complete and timely information about safety on campuses so that they can make informed decisions. Such disclosures are permitted under FERPA. The following Web site provides more information about these and other provisions about campus safety: http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/campus.html.

You can see the current Campus Safety and Security Report here.