University Catalogue: 2008-09

Financial Aid

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire offers financial assistance through scholarships, grants, loans, and student work experience. The majority of this assistance is awarded based on financial need. There are, however, resources available through scholarships, unsubsidized loans, and student employment for students who do not qualify for need-based aid.

Financial need is based on the student's educational expenses and the contribution that is calculated using the financial information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). For detailed information on financial aid, visit the UW-Eau Claire Financial Aid homepage at: www.uwec.edu/finaid.

HOW TO APPLY

All students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year to apply for financial aid. The FAFSA is required in order to apply for all need-based programs as well as for the Direct Unsubsidized Ford Loan, and the Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students. Students should apply online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Prospective students may obtain FAFSA information from their local high school or library. Students must reapply each year. Reminder: MyBlugold is a resource for specific information about current financial aid status and financial aid disbursed on students' accounts.

DEADLINES

Students must reapply each year they wish to be considered for financial aid. To assure first consideration for funding, the FAFSA should be submitted by April 15. Late applications will be considered only for residual amounts. Students who apply late or who do not turn in the required additional paperwork need to be prepared to pay their institutional charges by the due date if their financial aid is not available.

A separate financial aid application is required of students attending Winterim or Summer Session. This application is available through MyBlugold. Students who do not have access to MyBlugold should contact the Financial Aid office to apply.

ENROLLMENT STATUS

Students must be enrolled at least half-time to qualify for most kinds of aid, although undergraduate students who have very high need may qualify for a small Pell Grant at less than half-time status. Enrollment status for financial aid purposes is determined by the student's total credits at the end of the add/drop period. Financial aid is adjusted at that point, if necessary.

Students participating in a full-time equivalent internship may be considered for aid as a full-time student even though actual enrolled credits are less than full-time. Costs of attendance for financial aid will be calculated on actual tuition costs.

Students admitted as Special Students are not eligible for financial aid.

STANDARDS OF SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS FOR FINANCIAL AID

Federal regulations require students to maintain satisfactory academic progress toward a degree in order to receive financial aid. The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is required to develop and apply a consistent and reasonable standard of satisfactory progress for all students receiving federal financial aid. These standards are applied to all periods of attendance, regardless of whether or not a student has received financial aid in the past. A complete copy of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire's Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress policy is available in the Services and Standards handbook. There are three standards or components of satisfactory progress:

• minimum GPA,

• minimum credits completed, and

• maximum time frame.

Standard for Grade Point Average

Students need to maintain a resident GPA of 2.00 according to the University's Academic Standing and Progress policy.

Standard for Minimum Credits Completed

Students must successfully complete 67 percent of their enrolled credits. Failing a class or maintaining an incomplete in a class is not considered successfully completing the class.

Standard for Maximum Time Frame

Undergraduate students may receive financial aid for a maximum of 180 attempted credits when enrolled in degree programs which have a published minimum requirement for graduation of 120 credits. Attempted credits are credits the student was enrolled in at the end of the tenth day of classes, plus all accepted transfer credits. A degree program that requires more than 120 credits is an exception, and financial aid may be further extended. An additional 90 credits of financial aid eligibility is allowed for undergraduate students seeking a second degree. Graduate students are allowed 54 credits, which represents three years of full-time enrollment.

Monitoring Procedures and Reestablishment Options

These standards are monitored once per year at the end of spring semester using Registrar's information. Future financial aid will be denied for students who fail to meet the standards of academic progress.

Students may reestablish their financial aid eligibility by earning an academic standing which meets the above criteria. Students with extenuating circumstances that prevented them from making satisfactory progress are encouraged to describe and document those circumstances in writing. Their appeal will be reviewed by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee to determine whether financial aid eligibility should be reinstated. Students will be notified of the appeal decision in writing.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Qualified UW-Eau Claire students are awarded a combination of federal, state, university, and private scholarships on the basis of academic excellence or special talent. Some scholarship programs also specify financial need as a requirement of eligibility. Award amounts and student eligibility requir ements vary depending on the individual scholarship criteria.

UW-Eau Claire Foundation, Inc., Scholarships and Other Named Scholarships and Awards: UW-Eau Claire Foundation awards over $1 million each year to UW-Eau Claire students. Detailed information on scholarships is available on the Financial Aid office homepage.

Tuition Remission: Wisconsin Statutes provide for awarding a limited number of scholarships to students who are not residents of Wisconsin. These awards range in value and can be up to the difference between resident and nonresident tuition.

Remissions for Nonresident Students: Students who are not residents of Wisconsin are considered for tuition remission by submitting the FAFSA.

Remissions for International Students: Undergraduate international applicants are considered for an annual award ranging from $2,000-$6,000. Awards are based on academic merit and financial need, which is information provided in the admission application. No separate application is necessary.

Private Scholarships: Many private scholarships are sponsored by civic organizations, clubs, industries, and businesses. Students should contact their local high school counselors or principals for information about private scholarship programs available in the local community. The UW-Eau Claire Financial Aid office homepage features links to free scholarship search services. Visit this site at www.uwec.edu/FinAid. A collection of private scholarship information is also available in the Financial Aid office.

GRANTS

A grant is gift assistance and does not have to be repaid. Various grants are awarded to students who establish a high financial need as determined by federal and state guidelines. These grants include:

Federal Pell Grant: The Federal Pell Grant is a federal aid program designed to be awarded to high need students. It may be combined with other forms of aid in order to meet a student's total financial need.

Academic Competitiveness Grant: This federal grant is available to first and second year Pell Grant eligible students who are full-time and have taken a rigorous high school curriculum. First year students must maintain a 3.00 GPA to receive the grant a second year.

SMART Grant: This federal grant provides up to $4,000 for each of the third and fourth years of undergraduate study to full-time students who are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant and who are majoring in physical, life, or computer sciences; mathematics; technology; engineering; or in a foreign language determined critical to national security. The student must also have maintained a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00.

Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA): Native American students with one-fourth or more American Indian blood, as certified by the appropriate Indian Agency, may be eligible for BIA funds. Students should contact their respective tribes and the UW-Eau Claire Financial Aid office to obtain proper application materials and instructions.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG): This federal grant program is available to students establishing an exceptionally high financial need. It is used to supplement other types of aid in meeting a student's total financial need.

Wisconsin Higher Education Grant (WHEG): Wisconsin Statutes provide for the awarding of grants to residents of the state who can establish a high financial need. The value of these awards will vary with the financial need of each recipient.

Students who are not Wisconsin residents should contact the agency in their home state regarding the availability of state grant monies for attendance at out-of-state schools.

Wisconsin Indian Assistance (WIA): Native American students who are residents of Wisconsin and have one-fourth or more American Indian blood, as certified by the appropriate Indian Agency, are eligible for WIA funds if they show a financial need. Blood certification and WIA eligibility will be required only once; after a student has received an initial award at UW-Eau Claire, eligibility will continue, based upon an annual evaluation of financial need.

Lawton Undergraduate Diversity Retention Grant: These grants are awarded to under-represented ethnic minority students who demonstrate financial need, are Wisconsin or Minnesota residents, and have completed their freshman year with a resident GPA of 2.00 or higher. These grants are intended to improve students' opportunities for retention and graduation and lessen their burden of student debt.

Talent Incentive Program (TIP): These are need-based grants available to low income Wisconsin residents. Students may receive up to $1,800 per year for a maximum of five years. Students must complete an application for TIP which includes additional selection criteria. For an application or additional information, contact the UW-Eau Claire Financial Aid office or your local Wisconsin Educational Opportunity office.

LOANS

Federal Direct Subsidized Ford Loan: Degree seeking students who are enrolled at least half-time and who demonstrate financial need are eligible. Depending on need, students may borrow up to $3,500 as a fresh man, $4,500 as a sophomore, and $5,500 as a junior or senior, not to exceed a total of $23,000 as an undergraduate. There is no interest charged while the student is enrolled at least half-time. Six months after leaving school, or falling below half-time, the borrower begins payment. The interest rate for Federal Direct Ford Loans is 6.8 percent.

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Ford Loan: Available to students who may not qualify for any, or may qualify for only part, of the regular (subsidized) Federal Direct Loan. In any year, the combined amounts of subsidized and unsubsidized Federal Direct Ford Loans cannot exceed the loan limits for that grade level. An independent undergraduate or gradu ate student has additional Federal Direct Unsubsidized Ford Loan eligi bility. An independent student may borrow up to the potential grade maximums listed above plus a potential $4,000 for freshman and sophomores and $5,000 per year thereafter as an undergraduate, and a potential $12,000 per year as a graduate student.

This loan allows students to defer making payments on the principal of the loan while they are in school, but students are responsible for paying the interest on the loan once the money is disbursed. Students can choose to either pay the interest while they are in school or have it added to their principal to be repaid after they are no longer in school, understanding that allowing the interest to accumulate may be an expensive option.

Federal Perkins Student Loan: The amount of this loan is determined by the availability of funds and the student's financial need. Repayment must be completed within a ten-year period at the rate of five percent per annum interest, beginning nine months after the borrower ceases at least half-time enrollment. A borrower of Perkins Loan may have all or part of his/her loan (including interest) canceled for engaging in public service such as teaching, law enforcement, service in the Peace Corps or ACTION, or service in the military. Contact the Business office for specific cancellation criteria.

Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan: This loan is available to parents of dependent undergraduate students. The maximum loan amount that can be borrowed is the difference between the cost of attendance and other financial aid received. Financial need is not a criterion.

Repayment on principle and interest begins within sixty days of the final disbursement. The interest rate for new loans is fixed at 7.9 percent. Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan applications are available from the Financial Aid office. The Federal PLUS Direct Graduate Loan is also available to graduate students

Student Educational Loan Fund (SELF): Minnesota residents who have first exhausted other sources of financial aid may apply for the SELF loan. Undergraduate students may borrow up to $7,500 per year and graduate students up to $9,000 per year. The interest rate may vary quarterly throughout the life of the loan, and a credit worthy co-signer is required. Quarterly payment (interest only) begins 90 days after disbursement, and continues as long as the student is properly enrolled. At termination of study, monthly payment (interest only) begins and continues for up to 12 months. On the 13th month out of school, monthly payments of both principal and interest begin or the student may make two additional years of interest-only payments. Students interested in obtaining this loan should contact the Financial Aid office.

Short Term Loans: An endowment fund in excess of $300,000 was established, and the interest income is available for short-term loans to students. Loans must be used for educationally related expenses and typically do not to exceed $500. Loans are to be repaid within four weeks with no interest or service charges.

Ombudsman

The Department of Education has established an ombudsman to work with student borrowers to informally resolve any loan disputes or problems. If you have concerns about the terms of your loan that cannot be resolved by talking to your lender, you are encouraged to contact the Ombudsman Customer Service Line at 1-877-557-2575.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Employment opportunities are available through the University and in the local community. Available positions are posted on the UW-Eau Claire Financial Aid Web site at www.uwec.edu/fasj/index.asp.

Work-Study and University Employment: The University provides both Federal Work-Study (FWS) and University-sponsored employment opportunities for students. FWS is available for students who demonstrate financial need, and eligibility for this program must be obtained before beginning employment. FWS positions offer a wide range of opportuni ties and are available in most departments across campus. Community service placements are an option under FWS. UW-Eau Claire also offers a substantial University-funded student employment program, referred to as Non-Federal student employment. All currently enrolled students are eligible to seek employment in the Non-Federal positions, and financial need is not a criterion for employment.

Off-Campus Employment: Many positions are available in the local community. Employers often call the University to list job vacancies and those positions are posted on the online Job Board. Over 400 students are placed in community employment through these listings each year.

RETURN OF FINANCIAL AID FUNDS WHEN A STUDENT WITHDRAWS

When a student withdraws from the University during the semester, federal regulations require that the University determine whether a portion of the student's federal financial aid (other than work-study) must be returned. The amount of aid the student may keep when withdrawing is in direct proportion to the length of time the student remained enrolled during the semester. If the student was enrolled for 20 percent of the semester before withdrawing, 80 percent of the federal financial aid must be returned to the aid programs. If the student stays through 50 percent of the semester, 50 percent of the aid must be returned. Once the student completes at least 60 percent of the semester, the student may keep 100 percent of the aid received.

Consequently, if a student withdraws before completing at least 60 percent of the semester, the student may owe a repayment. The student will be billed for any balance owed to the University as a result of the University returning the financial aid funds, and the University will notify the student of the dollar amount owed.

Any financial aid that must be returned to the federal aid programs will be used first to reimburse loans received for the semester and then grant funds.

The specific repayment priority is:

1. Unsubsidized Ford Loan

2. Subsidized Ford Loan

3. Perkins Loan

4. Parent's Loan for Undergraduate Students

5. Pell Grant

6. Academic Competitiveness Grant/SMART Grant

7. Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant

8. Other federal aid programs

Examples of the refund calculations are available in the Financial Aid office. Actual, individualized calculations are done in the Business office.

For state funds, institutional funds, and outside resources:

Financial aid received from state, institutional, and outside resources is not part of the federal return of funds repayment calculation. If remaining funds are available from the institutional refund after the federal return of funds requirements are satisfied, the remaining refund will be distributed in the following priority order:

1. State aid programs

2. Institutional programs

3. Outside financial aid resources, if appropriate

4. Student

Credit Drop (but not withdrawal from the University)

If a student drops credits before financial aid has been disbursed, the aid must be adjusted, if necessary, to correctly reflect the current enrollment status before aid can be disbursed. If a student changes enrolled credits after aid is disbursed, resulting in a change in the student's eligibility, aid will be adjusted. This could result in a student having to repay some of the aid received for the term.

FUNDS FOR PURCHASING A COMPUTER

Students may be eligible for additional loan funds to cover the purchase or rental of a computer. Contact the Financial Aid office for details of this policy.

ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Graduate Students: Graduate students are eligible for scholarships, fellowship assistantships, loans, and employment programs. Contact the office of Admissions (attention: Graduate Admissions), UW-Eau Claire, Eau Claire, WI 54701, or call (715) 836-4733 for application procedures for graduate student financial aid.

Veterans Administration Grants, G.I. Bill Benefits, National Guard Tuition Grants, Wisconsin Veterans Grant, Veterans' Work Study: A Veterans Counselor is available in Schofield 128 for students seeking information or assistance with these programs.

Vocational Rehabilitation: Various financial programs are available to students who qualify. Further information is available from area Vocational Rehabilitation offices.

UW-EAU CLAIRE FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS

Each year, the UW-Eau Claire Foundation provides more than $1 million in scholarships, grants, and awards to UW-Eau Claire students. Several hundred different awards are available, all provided through the generosity of alumni and friends of the university.

Information about the various scholarships, including amounts, award criteria, and application and awarding deadlines is available on the Financial Aid office Web site. Each scholarship has different eligibility requirements, so check the information on each scholarship in which you are interested. To access this information, go to www.uwec.edu/finaid.

Awards are listed alphabetically by title and also by department. Follow the application instructions for each award. For more information about a specific scholarship or the application procedure, contact the department responsible for the award as listed in the criteria on the Web site. For other scholarship related questions, contact Pat Montayne, Financial Aid Counselor, at (715) 836-3373 or montanpa@uwec.edu.

NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP

The National Merit Scholarship is awarded to all new freshmen who are National Merit Finalists and who specify UW-Eau Claire as their first choice. The scholarship is in the amount of resident tuition and fees for the academic year. Renewable for four years. High school guidance counselors can advise regarding the application process.

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