Rights & Responsibilities for Federal Aid

Please read the items outlined below so that you are fully informed about your rights, responsibilities, and obligations when receiving federal aid. Federal aid requirements may change based on federal laws, regulations, court orders, and official guidance. Additional information about federal aid can be found on Federal Student Aid.

1. Tuition Payment, Refunds and Deadlines

Tuition and fees are due before the start of each term. Federal aid accepted in MyUSU/Banner and otherwise eligible for disbursement may count as anticipated payment before it disburses. You remain responsible for any balance if your federal aid cannot disburse, is reduced, or does not cover all charges.
You are solely responsible for paying any remaining university charges beyond your federal aid payment (and any scholarships or waivers) before the Tuition and Fee Payment Deadline.
Federal aid will be applied first to allowable current-term university charges, including tuition, fees, and, when applicable, institutionally contracted housing and meal plan charges. Other educational charges may be paid only as permitted by federal law and any authorization you provide.
Your federal aid payment may adjust as you drop and add classes at the beginning of the term.
Leftover federal aid, if any, is generally sent to you at the beginning of the semester by direct deposit or USPS mail.
Federal aid cannot be disbursed until the week before you begin attending classes. If you do not have any courses that start on the first day of the semester, your refund will be postponed until your classes begin.
There are established federal and school Federal Aid Deadlines for accepting and receiving federal aid. Missing a deadline may reduce or eliminate your eligibility for some or all federal aid for the applicable period.

2. Enrollment Affects Federal Aid Eligibility

Eligibility for Federal Pell Grants, federal or private student loans, Federal Work-Study, Federal TEACH and supplemental grants will be based on your enrollment each term.
Undergraduates taking 12 or more credits will generally receive the full amounts of aid they were offered on MyUSU/Banner.
Undergraduates enrolled in fewer than 12 eligible credits are less than full-time. Pell Grants are prorated by enrollment intensity. Beginning with the 2026-27 award year, annual Direct Loan limits for term-based programs are also reduced under a federal schedule of reductions when enrollment is less than full-time. Other aid may adjust because tuition, cost of attendance, or financial need changes.
Undergraduates enrolled in fewer than six eligible credits are less than half-time. Direct Loans cannot disburse below half-time, and cost of attendance and other aid may be adjusted.
Graduate students enrolled in at least five eligible credits are generally half-time for federal loan purposes, but half-time is not full-time. Beginning with the 2026-27 award year, less-than-full-time annual loan reductions may apply.
Graduate students enrolled in fewer than five eligible credits generally cannot receive a Direct Loan disbursement and may have their cost of attendance and other aid adjusted.
Graduate students enrolled in at least five eligible credits are generally half-time for federal loan purposes, but half-time is not full-time. Beginning with the 2026–27 award year, less-than-full-time annual loan reductions may apply. An officially approved reduced-credit full-time status will be used when determining federal aid eligibility, as applicable. Enrollment in fewer credits alone does not establish full-time status; students are responsible for completing any required approval through the School of Graduate Studies. Review USU’s Graduate Full-Time Status Graduate students enrolled in fewer than five eligible credits generally cannot receive a Direct Loan disbursement unless USU has approved an applicable reduced-credit full-time status. Cost of attendance and other aid may also be adjusted.
Students will be notified of any changes in their eligibility and may need to pay back a portion of their federal aid.

3. Federal Pell Grants

If you are eligible, Federal Pell and Supplemental Grants are automatically accepted for you at the time you receive your federal aid offer notification.
Beginning with the 2026-27 award year, a student is ineligible for a Federal Pell Grant if the student's Student Aid Index equals or exceeds twice the maximum Pell Grant for the award year, unless the student qualifies under the federal Special Rule.
Beginning with the 2026-27 award year, you cannot receive a Federal Pell Grant if USU learns before your final Pell Grant disbursement for the award year that your total non-federal grants and scholarships (funds you do not earn or repay) equal or exceed your cost of attendance. USU must either reduce institution-controlled non-federal grants or scholarships below the cost of attendance or cancel and return the entire Pell Grant and cancel remaining disbursements. You must promptly report all outside grants and scholarships. Qualifying emergency financial assistance is excluded from this rule.
Grants adjust or prorate as you add or drop classes during the first three weeks (or 20 percent) of the fall or spring term on a credit-by-credit basis.
To receive 100 percent of your scheduled Federal Pell Grant for a term, you generally must be enrolled in at least 12 eligible credits. If you are enrolled in fewer than 12 eligible credits, your Pell Grant is calculated using enrollment intensity and may be reduced.
Grants may not adjust for any classes added after the first three weeks (or 20 percent) of fall and spring semesters even if the class has not started.
Grants will adjust down for any second 7-week session classes that were dropped before the class was scheduled to start.
Summer semester grants adjust or prorate based on the number of credits you are enrolled in and what sessions you are attending.
Federal Pell grants for the entire school year cannot be combined into one semester.
You cannot receive Federal Pell Grants from more than one school during the same or overlapping periods of enrollment.
The amount of Federal Pell Grant you may receive over your lifetime is the equivalent of 12 full-time semesters.
Federal Pell Grants are generally available only to eligible undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor's or professional degree and who have not completed all academic requirements for a bachelor's degree. A limited exception may apply to students enrolled in an eligible postbaccalaureate teacher-certification program.
You must notify us in writing if you want to decline your Federal Pell Grant.

4. Federal Student Loans Have Additional Requirements

Please review the Annual, Aggregate, and Lifetime Federal Student Loan Limits. Federal loan limits are maximums, not guarantees. Your actual eligibility may be lower because of your cost of attendance, other financial assistance, remaining loan eligibility, enrollment status, loan period, grade level, program, or a consistently applied program-level loan limit. You may contact Student Financial Support to review your eligibility for possible additional amounts.
Beginning with the 2026-27 award year, annual Direct Loan limits are reduced under a federal schedule of reductions for less-than-full-time enrollment in term-based programs. This requirement also applies to borrowers who qualify for the federal continuing-student exception.
Unless a federal continuing-student exception applies, for periods of enrollment beginning on or after July 1, 2026, graduate Direct Unsubsidized Loans are limited to $20,500 annually and $100,000 in aggregate, while professional Direct Unsubsidized Loans are limited to $50,000 annually and $200,000 in aggregate. Grad PLUS Loans are not available to graduate or professional borrowers who do not qualify for the exception.
Unless the continuing-student exception applies, all parents collectively may borrow no more than $20,000 in Parent PLUS Loans per academic year for each dependent student, subject to the student's cost of attendance minus other financial assistance. The $65,000 aggregate limit is per dependent student across all parent borrowers, includes prior Parent PLUS borrowing for that student, and is calculated without regard to amounts repaid, forgiven, canceled, or discharged. Loan funds returned by the institution or borrower do not count toward the limit.
For borrowers subject to the new limits, a separate $257,500 lifetime maximum applies to all Title IV, HEA program loans borrowed as a student, including applicable Direct and FFEL Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans, Grad PLUS Loans, and Federal Perkins Loans. Parent PLUS Loans borrowed as a parent are excluded. The limit is calculated without regard to amounts repaid, forgiven, canceled, or discharged; returned loan funds do not count.
Certain borrowers may temporarily retain pre-July 1, 2026 loan limits and, for graduate and professional students, Grad PLUS eligibility if they were enrolled in the same program at the same institution as of June 30, 2026, and a Direct Loan for that program was disbursed before July 1, 2026. The exception lasts only for the expected time to credential, which is the lesser of three academic years or the remaining published program length. Under current federal rules, it may end sooner if the student withdraws or otherwise ceases to be enrolled in that program, including after certain breaks in enrollment, transfer to another institution, or enrollment in a new graduate or professional program. An approved Title IV leave of absence may not end the exception. Undergraduate major changes within the same credential generally do not end the exception. Borrowers cannot opt out of the exception to use the new professional loan limits. The $257,500 lifetime cap does not apply during the borrower's expected time to credential under the exception.
Undergraduate federal student loans at USU require half-time enrollment (at least six credits) for disbursement and loan deferment regardless of grade level or semester.
Graduate Direct Loans require at least half-time enrollment for disbursement and loan deferment. See Section 2 for graduate enrollment-status requirements and approved exceptions.
You are fully responsible for repaying your student loans, all accrued interest, and meeting all other terms and conditions of the loan.
Before a federal loan can disburse, you must complete all applicable loan requirements. Student borrowers generally must sign a Master Promissory Note and complete Entrance Counseling when required. PLUS borrowers must complete the applicable PLUS application and promissory-note requirements.
Federal Direct Loans are subject to an origination fee deducted proportionately from each disbursement before funds are sent to USU. Fee rates vary by loan type and disbursement date. Review the current Federal Student Loan Interest Rates and Fees when deciding how much to borrow.
Dropping below half-time ends your in-school status or deferment. Direct Subsidized and Direct Unsubsidized Loans generally enter a six-month grace period before Federal Student Loan Repayment, unless you have already used the grace period. Direct PLUS Loans do not have a grace period, although deferment may be available.
Undergraduate annual loan limits may be prorated when the remaining period of study is shorter than an academic year because the borrower will complete the program. This graduation proration is separate from the 2026-27 less-than-full-time schedule of reductions.
Federal loan offers and future disbursements may change if federal law, regulations, official guidance, litigation, or a court order changes the federal classification of a program as undergraduate, graduate, or professional. USU will apply the requirements in effect when eligibility and disbursement are determined.
Please contact our office about your loan options if you are finishing your bachelor’s during the school year and starting graduate school in the spring or summer.

5. Federal Work Study (FWS)

To be eligible for a Federal Work Study job, you must meet all general eligibility criteria and have financial need.
You must submit your FAFSA as soon as possible every year. Funds are limited and may be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
During a term of attendance, you must be enrolled in and attending at least one eligible course to continue earning Federal Work-Study. Employment during a period of nonattendance, including summer, is permitted only when separate federal and USU requirements are met and future enrollment is expected.
You are not permitted to work during scheduled class times. Exceptions are permitted if:

an individual class is cancelled
the instructor has excused you from attending for a particular day
you are receiving credit for employment in an internship, externship, or community work-study experience
Any such exception must be documented and approved by your supervisor before you begin working during the previously scheduled class time.

Federal work study eligibility may decrease:

if reduced enrollment lowers your cost of attendance or remaining financial need;
if you receive other financial assistance including scholarships or outside funding
due to an increase in your FAFSA Student Aid Index
see other reasons in section 9.

FWS earnings are not disbursed to your student account and will not reduce your tuition bills. They are earned wages you can use to make payments toward your college costs.
You can have more than one FWS job under certain conditions. The maximum total hours you can work in one or more combined on-campus jobs, FWS-eligible or not, is 29 hours per week. You must inform your supervisors if you have multiple jobs on campus.
Your FWS award cannot exceed your remaining financial need after grants, scholarships, and other estimated financial assistance are considered.
A Federal Work-Study award is the maximum amount you may earn; it is not a guaranteed payment or job. You must be hired, work approved hours, and submit accurate time records. You will be paid only for hours actually worked, and your total Federal Work-Study earnings cannot exceed your available award.
Hourly wages vary among FWS jobs. Higher wages or hours may cause you to run out of eligibility. If you run out of FWS funds, your department can choose to employ you if they have enough operational budget to cover 100% of your wages.
Federal Work-Study is not a grant and earned FWS funds do not need to be repaid.
Unused Federal Work-Study eligibility does not roll over to the following award year.
Summer work has different federal requirements. If you or your department plan to extend your job through the summer, please ask your supervisor to contact our office to verify if you qualify.
You can continue working in the same or different FWS job each year as long as you continue to be eligible for FWS.

To continue working in the same position, please consult with your supervisor regarding employment opportunities for the following year.

To continue FWS employment in a future award year, you must submit a new FAFSA, meet USU Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements and all other federal aid eligibility requirements, have financial need and available FWS funding, and be rehired or continue in an approved position.

6. Dropping, Failing and Repeating Courses

You may receive federal aid for only one repeat of a course you previously passed. If you pass a course, use federal aid to repeat it, and fail the repeat, that attempt still counts as the one permitted repeat. Failed or withdrawn courses may generally be repeated, but every attempt can affect satisfactory academic progress and maximum timeframe.
You must begin academic participation in every class while receiving Federal Pell Grants. For online classes, academic participation may include submitting assignments, quizzes, or tests; participating in instructor-directed academic discussions; or completing another documented academic activity. Logging in, viewing course materials, or watching online content alone does not count. If you do not start one or more classes, you may be required to repay a portion of your Federal Grants
If you drop classes during the first three weeks, you may be required to repay a portion of your Federal Grants
If you withdraw from or fail a class and USU is not able to verify class participation, you may be required to repay the grant you received for that class. Please note that grants cannot be reinstated for NF grades without a grade change and verification of participation.
You may be required to immediately repay USU all or a portion of your federal aid if you completely withdraw from your classes during the semester.
You may be required to immediately repay USU all or a portion of your federal aid if you receive failing grades in all your classes after receiving federal aid funds.
If you don't plan on attending any courses for which you are already enrolled, you are responsible for dropping those courses.

Warning: Don't Lose your Aid!

7. Your Academic Responsibility

Federal aid comes with standards and limitations to encourage you to graduate in a timely manner.
Federal law requires you to make Satisfactory Academic Progress toward a degree.
Undergraduate students must maintain a minimum cumulative 2.0 USU GPA after each term.
Undergraduate students must successfully complete at least 67 percent of attempted credits counted under USU's Satisfactory Academic Progress policy.
Graduate students must maintain a minimum cumulative 3.0 USU GPA after each term.
Graduate students must successfully complete at least 50 percent of attempted credits counted under USU's Satisfactory Academic Progress policy.
Federal aid recipients may attempt only the maximum timeframe permitted under USU's Satisfactory Academic Progress policy. Federal aid may end when you reach the maximum or when it becomes mathematically impossible to complete your program within the limit. Attempted credits are counted as described in the policy, including applicable credits attempted during terms when you did not receive federal aid.
- Certificate Programs - Maximum timeframe depends on published program length. Certain technical or post-bachelor's certificates designed for one semester have a one-semester maximum, while certificate programs requiring more than 24 credits generally have a maximum of 150 percent of published program length.
- Associate Degree - 90 credits
- First Bachelor's Degree - 180 credits
- Additional Bachelor's Degree - 60 credits
- Graduate Program - Generally 200 percent of published program length; higher-credit programs may have program-specific limits.
Appeals may be available when special circumstances prevented you from meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress. You must explain what happened and what has changed that will allow you to meet the standards or follow an approved academic plan. Supporting documentation or an academic plan may be required.

8. Other Requirements and Responsibilities

You must be officially admitted and enrolled as a regular student in a Title IV-eligible degree or certificate program. Exploratory, pre-program, nondegree, and other admission statuses do not qualify unless a specific federal exception applies.
You are responsible for providing complete and accurate information on the FAFSA and to USU, responding promptly to requests for documentation, and correcting errors or conflicting information. Federal aid may be delayed, reduced, canceled, or require repayment until eligibility is confirmed and conflicting information is resolved.
Federal aid may only be used for education-related expenses, including tuition, books, fees, transportation, and housing & food.
Eligibility and funding for Federal Work-Study are also subject to the rights and responsibilities on this page.
Federal aid generally may pay only for coursework that applies to your declared Title IV-eligible program, plus limited remedial or preparatory coursework permitted under federal rules. Audited courses and noneligible Continuing Education or Workforce Development courses do not qualify. After you complete all academic requirements for a program, additional coursework generally cannot be funded for that same program.
You must notify Student Financial Support about financial assistance received from sources not reported on the FAFSA or shown in MyUSU/Banner. This includes scholarships, rehabilitation assistance, veterans education benefits, assistantships, fellowships, stipends, tuition assistance, and similar resources.
Other financial assistance may require USU to adjust federal aid if your financial need or cost of attendance would otherwise be exceeded. The type and timing of the assistance determine which award is adjusted. Federal veterans education benefits listed in HEA Section 480(c) are excluded from other financial assistance for Title IV packaging, but you must still report them so USU can coordinate all assistance. Federal Pell Grants are subject to the separate 2026-27 rule described in Section 3.
You must notify Student Financial Support about federal aid received from another school.
Loans received from more than one school may require adjustment to remain within federal annual, aggregate, and lifetime loan limits.
USU retains Title IV program and fiscal records for the periods required by Federal Title IV Record-Retention Requirements and applicable university records-retention schedules. Retention periods vary by record type and may be extended for audits, program reviews, investigations, or unresolved findings.

9. Federal Aid Is Offered and Disbursed to You Provisionally

Important: A federal aid offer is an estimate, not a guarantee of payment. Federal aid may be adjusted, canceled, prorated, delayed, or require repayment, even after you accept it, it disburses, or you receive a refund, when eligibility changes for any reason below:

Changes in enrollment intensity or enrollment status, including adding or dropping courses, not beginning academic participation in one or more courses, or dropping below full-time or half-time enrollment.
Any errors or conflicting information found during the application, verification, quality control, awarding, auditing, processing, or disbursing of your aid.
FAFSA corrections, updates, verification, or federal reprocessing that changes your eligibility.
Failure to submit any requested documentation after federal aid has been offered or disbursed.
The addition or adjustment of scholarships, waivers, fellowships, stipends, outside federal assistance, living allowances, etc. at any time during the award year.
Attending only one semester, or a remaining period shorter than an academic year, before program completion.
Complete withdrawal, unofficial withdrawal when USU cannot document academic participation, suspension from the university, or another academic action during the term.
Expiration or loss of a federal continuing-student loan exception, including because of withdrawal, a break in enrollment, transfer to another institution, enrollment in a new graduate or professional program, or reaching the expected time to credential.
Changes in the federal classification of your program as undergraduate, graduate, or professional, including changes required by federal law, regulations, official guidance, litigation, or a court order.
Insufficient academic progress including low GPA, excessive credits, or frequent dropping, failing, or repeating classes.
Changes in residency, tuition costs, program costs, etc.
Changes in your admission status, matriculation or degree/certificate program, grade level, or graduation status.
Changes made to your academic transcript, such as the late inclusion of transfer credits.
Changes made to your federal aid awards from other schools you have attended.
Information received through federal systems or from other schools concerning grant or loan limits, default, overpayment, conflicting information, or another change or loss of eligibility.
Changes in federal and state laws, regulations, or funding appropriations.

You will be notified by mail or email if federal aid is adjusted and you must repay funds or pay a resulting university balance. You remain responsible for that balance, including when a refund was already issued. USU Payment Plans may be available for eligible university balances, subject to university enrollment deadlines, fees, and terms. A university payment plan does not change federal repayment or eligibility requirements.