By accepting financial aid at to help pay for educational expenses at College of Western Idaho, you are agreeing to the following terms and conditions set by federal, state, and college regulation/policy.
-
General Conditions
- You have earned a High School diploma or equivalent, such as a General Equivalency Diploma (GED), or have completed secondary education in a home school setting, and are enrolled as a degree/certificate seeking student in a financial aid eligible program at CWI.
- Not all certificate/degree programs at CWI are eligible programs. An eligible program must be at least 16 semester credits in length and lead to a certificate or degree. Please see the Academic Catalog for program descriptions.
- You confirm that the information reported on your aid application is correct and complete. All determinations of eligibility for financial aid are made using your FAFSA data, degree program, the respective eligibility rules for each of the sources of aid, and the assumption of full-time enrollment status. Your eligibility and award amounts may change if the information used to determine eligibility changes.
- You agree to respond promptly to all requests from CWI for additional information.
- If you do not respond, your financial aid may be revised, and you may be required to repay aid for which you were not eligible.
- You certify that you have never been convicted of a drug-related crime while receiving federal financial aid, or, if convicted, you have completed an approved drug rehabilitation program, and/or all convictions have been removed from your record.
- You agree to notify CWI immediately if, after filing your FAFSA, you are convicted of possessing or selling drugs.
- You agree to notify CWI if you are incarcerated during any period in which you are receiving financial aid.
- You certify that you are not in default on any educational loan and do not owe a repayment of any federal funds you have received.
- You agree to notify CWI if you withdraw from the College.
- By accepting to receive a Federal Student Loan or Parent PLUS loan, you understand that loan information is submitted to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS).
- NSLDS is a system accessible by guaranty agencies, lenders, and schools determined to be authorized users
- You have earned a High School diploma or equivalent, such as a General Equivalency Diploma (GED), or have completed secondary education in a home school setting, and are enrolled as a degree/certificate seeking student in a financial aid eligible program at CWI.
-
Use of Financial Aid Funds
- You agree that your financial aid will only be used to pay for education and education-related expenses associated with your enrollment at CWI for the respective academic year.
- You agree that your financial aid will only be used for courses that are necessary for satisfying graduation requirements in your declared degree/certificate program.
- If you enroll in courses not required for your degree/certificate program, your financial aid awards may be revised, and you may be required to repay financial aid for which you were not eligible.
- You agree to notify CWI if you have been awarded financial aid for a semester in which you do not plan to enroll.
-
Financial Aid Offers
- You understand the award amounts indicated in your annual award notification are ESTIMATED. Aid is awarded at full-time status (12 or more credits each semester) and will be pro-rated if your actual enrollment is less-than full-time.
- Enrollment status changes after the census date may result in a revision of your financial aid awards, and you may be required to repay financial aid for which you were not eligible.
- Courses not spanning the entire length of the published dates for the semester have unique census dates determined by the beginning and ending dates of the course.
- You understand that, in order to receive the full award amounts, you must maintain the enrollment level required for each program. The actual amount awarded for each is determined every semester by your enrollment status and total Cost of Attendance budget.
- The federal Pell Grant requires a minimum enrollment of one credit but is prorated at each less-than full-time enrollment status (three-quarter-time, half-time, less-than half-time), Federal Student Loans require at least half-time enrollment but are limited by total Cost of Attendance, and most CWI Foundation and State of Idaho scholarships require at least half-time enrollment.
- You understand that any offer of financial aid is contingent upon the availability of funds to the College.
- You understand that some awards may require further action, such as completing Entrance Counseling (student loans).
- You understand, if you wish to receive the awards indicated in your annual award notification, you must accept online.
- You understand that all offers of campus based funds (work-study, FSEOG, CWI Foundation/institutionally funded scholarships) may be revoked if you do not accept within 30 days of offer and/or you fail to register for classes by the registration deadline each semester.
- You understand that any award that includes the term “loan” must be repaid, with interest.
- You understand the award amounts indicated in your annual award notification are ESTIMATED. Aid is awarded at full-time status (12 or more credits each semester) and will be pro-rated if your actual enrollment is less-than full-time.
-
Using Financial Aid to Obtain Required Books, Supplies, Course Materials, Tools, or Equipment
- You understand that you may use financial aid to purchase required books, supplies, tools, or equipment (i.e. “required course materials”) in advance of each semester at the CWI Bookstore.
- You applied for financial aid, completed all documentation requirements, received an award notification, accepted aid; and
- You have a potential financial aid credit balance on your student account at least 10 days prior to the start of each semester.
- You agree that, by purchasing your required course materials in the CWI Bookstore or CWI Online Bookstore using your potential financial aid credit balance, the charges will be added to your student account.
- If your enrollment status changes, your potential financial aid credit balance may be reduced, this may result in a balance due on your account.
- You understand that you may opt out of purchasing your required course materials at the CWI Bookstore and can make purchase(s) from any non-CWI affiliated retailer convenient to you. If you opt out, you will not have access to your funds until your potential financial aid credit balance is confirmed and issued to you (See “Refunds of Financial Aid Credit Balances” below).
- You understand that you may use financial aid to purchase required books, supplies, tools, or equipment (i.e. “required course materials”) in advance of each semester at the CWI Bookstore.
-
Refunds of Financial Aid Credit Balances
- You understand that financial aid disbursements will be credited to your student account to pay for current CWI institutional charges first. If your financial aid exceeds your current charges, you will receive a refund.
- You understand that any credit balance resulting from a federal financial aid disbursement (grant or loan) must be available to you within 14 days of the date the credit balance occurred (the day aid was credited to your student account and paid current institutional charges), per federal regulations.
- You understand that CWI, within the 14 days required, will refund any available credit balance to you through CWI’s refund agent.
- If you are owed a financial aid refund, you may choose one of these methods for receiving your refund.
- Deposited by ACH (direct deposit) into your checking/savings account
- Loaded to a Prepaid Debit MasterCard
- Mailed to you by paper check (selected by default, if you do not select another option)
- If you are owed a financial aid refund, you may choose one of these methods for receiving your refund.
- For more information on refund methods visit Refunds.
- If you choose to cancel your loan but you receive a refund, you must bring the funds to any One Stop Student Services location within 14 days of disbursement to have the loan funds credited back to your student account and returned to the lender.