Financial Aid Applicants' Rights and Responsibilities

Applicant Rights

• All information given to the Office of Financial Aid as part of the financial aid application will be treated confidentially.
• Oberlin meets 100 percent of the demonstrated financial need—as calculated by the Office of Financial Aid—of all students who complete their financial aid application process by the appropriate deadlines.
• Students whose families experience circumstances that cause financial hardship—such as the loss of a job, a divorce, a death, or an illness that is not covered by insurance—may appeal the calculation of their financial need. To do this, contact the Office of Financial Aid.
• Matriculating first-time undergraduate students may apply for assistance for eight semesters (10 semesters for double-degree students). The eligibility for transfer students will be prorated based on their class standing at the time of matriculation. All students must be enrolled in an academic program leading toward their undergraduate degree (or degrees, if part of Oberlin's Double Degree Program), and show satisfactory progress toward the completion of degree requirements, as determined by the Academic Standing Committee of each division.
• Eligibility for need-based financial aid will be evaluated in a consistent manner for each year that a student is enrolled at Oberlin. However, aid eligibility may change if a family's circumstances change. The most common reason for a change in financial aid eligibility is a change to family income or a sibling entering or leaving undergraduate study.
• Students may apply for need-based financial aid from Oberlin after returning from an approved academic leave of absence (ALOA) or a personal leave of absence (PLOA).
   

Applicant Responsibilities 

• When applying for financial aid, students are responsible for providing information that to the best of their knowledge is accurate. The amount and nature of any financial aid offer is based on the information provided and is subject to change if that information is incorrect.
• Financial aid application information found to be deliberately misleading may serve as the basis for cancellation of financial aid and/or for disciplinary action.
• Students are responsible for supplying information requested by the Office of Financial Aid, even if the information requested must be obtained from parents.
• Students who wish to borrow a Federal Direct Stafford Loan must; 1) accept the loan through Banner Self Service, 2) complete a Master Promissory Note, and 3) complete the Entrance counseling session.
• Students must repay all loans according to their established payment schedule. Students who are in default on a Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Direct Stafford Loan, or Federal Direct PLUS Loan from any college or university are not eligible for financial aid.
• Students must report any additional financial aid (scholarships, grants, loans, and other educational tuition assistance) that they receive but which is not listed on their current award notification from Oberlin College. These types of financial aid will alter your aid package in accordance with Oberlin's policy on the treatment of outside scholarships and awards. Go to Policies: Scholarships