It's important to know your rights and responsibilities as they relate to applying for and receiving financial aid from North Idaho College.
Your award was determined in accordance with the laws, regulations and appropriations of the U.S. Congress, the State of Idaho and NIC, and is subject to adjustment or cancellation in the event of changes to these laws or your eligibility.
- You have the right to privacy. All records and information submitted with your application for financial aid are confidential and subject to legal requirements concerning disclosure of such information.
- You have the right to know about the refund policies for NIC and the refund policies for Financial Aid if you withdraw after the semester begins. The Registrar’s Office acts as a resource for students considering withdrawal.
- You have the right to reduce or cancel your student loan. Remember that a student loan is a debt that must be repaid; borrow only what you need.
- You have the right to know specific consumer information, such as campus crime statistics and athletic information.
- You have the right to know what financial aid programs are available to you, including information on all federal, state, and college financial aid programs.
- You have the right to know the application procedures and deadlines for each of the available programs.
- You have the right to know how financial aid is distributed and the basis for these decisions.
- You have the right to know how and when financial aid is disbursed.
- You have the right to know how your financial aid eligibility was determined. This includes how costs for tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and personal and miscellaneous expenses were determined in your estimated cost of attendance. It also includes what resources were considered in the calculation of your financial aid eligibility (such as parental contribution and other financial aid or personal assets).
- You have the right to know the interest rate of your loan, the total amount to be repaid (or not to be repaid), repayment procedures, when repayment begins, and the length of the repayment period.
- You have the right to know how NIC determines whether you are making satisfactory academic progress, and what happens if you are not.
- After all the steps to voice a complaint with North Idaho College are exhausted, students have the right to forward their complaint to the State Board of Education. The Idaho State Board of Education Policy in Section III, Subsection P. 18 addresses this process.
- You must regularly check your student email account for information from NIC and the Financial Aid Office.
- Your Federal Pell Grant is in an automatic accepted status and will be applied to your account unless you notify the Financial Aid Office and/or drop your classes before the tuition payment deadline.
- If you are a dependent student, you must keep your parents or guardians informed of all financial aid requirements and deadlines.
- You must complete all application forms accurately and submit them on time to the correct location. You must read and understand all forms you are asked to sign and keep a copy of each. You are also responsible for knowing the financial aid reapplication deadlines.
- You must provide correct information at all times. Reporting false information is a violation of the law and may be considered a criminal offense.
- You must submit, by the indicated deadline, all additional documentation, verification, corrections and/or new information requested by either the Financial Aid Office or the agencies to which you submitted applications. Some examples include: Federal Tax Returns, verification forms, loan entrance counseling, loan promissory notes, and loan exit counseling prior to leaving school.
- You must notify us in writing if the information reported on your financial aid application has changed.
- You must notify the NIC Registrar’s Office and any lenders if there are changes in your name, permanent mailing address, anticipated graduation date, or enrollment status.
- You must accept responsibility for all agreements that you sign.
- After completing a Direct Loan Master Promissory Note, the Student Finance Office will disburse the maximum loan for which you are eligible to your NIC account.
- You must perform the work agreed upon if you accept a Federal Work-study job, and notify your employer if you cease enrollment or the amount of your award changes.
- You must know and comply with the refund procedures of NIC.
- You must show Satisfactory Academic Progress according to the established policies and standards of NIC. Failure to do so will result in a loss of eligibility.
- You must notify the NIC Financial Aid Office in writing if you are receiving financial aid for attendance at another institution while attending NIC.
- You must notify the NIC Financial Aid Office in writing if you have received financial aid for attendance at another institution and transfer to NIC during the same academic year.
- If you are a recipient of a Federal Direct Stafford Loan, you must notify the lender should any of the following occur before the loan is repaid:
- You change your address and/or phone number
- You graduate
- You withdraw from school or are enrolled less than half time
- You change your name (e.g., maiden to married name)
- You transfer to another college/university
- You must maintain a satisfactory status on student loans. You may be required, by your lender to complete deferment forms for loans that were previously in repayment. Students who default on their student loans or owe refunds on federal grants are not eligible for any financial aid.