Students' Rights and Responsibilities

The receipt of financial aid is a privilege, which creates both rights and responsibilities.

1. Whether or not students receive financial aid, they are PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE for all financial charges that they incur at the College. The College may permit students to register and to attend classes before the final determination is made regarding their eligibility for financial aid. If, however, students are or become ineligible for financial aid (including grants, loans, scholarships, employment and waivers) for any reason, they are responsible to pay their accounts in full, including any collection and/or attorney's fees that may be incurred by or on behalf of the College to satisfy their personal financial obligations.
2. Students have the right to know the methodology used to determine their financial need; the right to have access to information and records that are part of the student's College file used in determining need; and the right to be awarded aid as equitably as funds permit. Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA*) a student is defined as a person who has enrolled for classes at a post-secondary institution. At Presentation College individuals are not subject to FERPA until they have enrolled for classes and begun attending classes.
3. Students have a right (as defined by FERPA) to the privacy of their financial aid information. Students (and any others who inquire about an applicant's status) are required to properly identify themselves in order to receive service. Students should present their College identification card or a state-issued photo ID card. The financial aid staff is governed by strict federal privacy laws and is therefore limited in both the type of information that can be released, and the persons to whom student information can be disclosed. For additional information, please read the FERPA section of the Catalog.
4. Applicants and students have the right to receive financial aid based solely upon their ability to meet financial aid program regulations. Students are not required to, nor are they encouraged to, in any way perform favors for, provide services or goods to, or in any way to remunerate any member of the financial aid staff in exchange for financial aid, counseling, advice, processing, or funding.
5. Applicants and students should not engage in financial transactions (i.e., loaning to or borrowing from, payment for services or goods, receipt of payment for goods or services) with members of the financial aid staff. Any student to whom the suggestion is made or advice is given by a member of the financial aid staff that his or her financial aid will in any way be positively affected by the provision of remuneration, favors, goods or services should immediately report such to the Director of Financial Aid (notice may also be given to the Director of Human Resources or any Presentation College Vice President).
6. Applicants and students have the right to receive financial aid based solely upon their ability to meet financial aid program regulations. The receipt of financial aid is to be free from any threat of reprisal and is not to be under threat to in any way act beyond the specific requirements of the financial aid programs. Any student to whom a suggestion is made by a member of the financial aid staff that his financial aid will in any way be negatively affected by the failure to provide remuneration, favors, goods or services should immediately report such to the Director of Financial Aid (notice may also be given to the Director of Human Resources or any Presentation College Vice President).
7. Applicants and students are discouraged from giving gifts to members of the financial aid staff. While it is understood that the provision of a gift can be a means of expressing gratitude, office policies and College regulations prohibit staff members from accepting personal gifts.
8. Applicants and students have the right to expect professional and courteous service from the financial aid staff. Students should expect to receive accurate advice and timely responses to their inquiries. Students who have received poor customer service from the FAO are encouraged to report such to the Director of Financial Aid.
9. Students are responsible for maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Students who fail to maintain satisfactory progress will lose their eligibility for financial aid until the required credits and grade point average have been earned. For additional information about the College’s SAP policies, read the section on Federal Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (p. 37) in this catalog.
10. Students who fail to meet financial aid filing deadlines or document submission deadlines, and, as a result, have outstanding account balances with the College, will not be permitted to register for any upcoming semester, will be denied access to grades and transcripts, and will be subject to collection activity.
11. Applicants, students, parents and spouses applying for financial aid are responsible for accurately and truthfully portraying information, financial resources, and circumstances, and for notifying the FAO of any changes in status, including the receipt of outside scholarships; for applying by the deadline; and for maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress. Students who receive external scholarships or other resources (such as employee tuition benefits or any other educational benefits) are required to report the receipt of these benefits in writing to the FAO. Failure to report external scholarships or other resources may require students to repay the College or the government all or part of any need-based financial aid funds.
12. As a service, the College makes an early release of financial aid available to eligible students to help them purchase their required books and supplies. These funds are called a book voucher and are not a separate or additional type of financial aid. If eligible, students are able to use a portion of their financial aid credit to buy required books and supplies. Students are responsible for all purchases they make. When using a financial aid credit for purchase, students should buy only those books and supplies that are required for their classes. If students drop classes, fail to attend, or stop attending, their financial aid will be reduced or canceled. If the student's financial aid does not cover bookstore purchases for any reason whatsoever, including College error, the student is still responsible for payment in full of all amounts spent in the bookstore.
13. Violation of the regulations governing the financial aid programs is sufficient grounds for termination of all financial aid and referral for disciplinary action. Violations include, but are not limited to, using financial aid funds for non- educational purposes (e.g., using the book voucher to purchase non-educationally related items), transfer of financial aid funds to others (e.g., using the book voucher to purchase items for others), converting the book voucher to cash (e.g., purchasing books and/or supplies and then selling those items to other students for cash), and using someone else's book voucher.
14. Applicants, students, parents, spouses, or others who knowingly provide false or misleading information on any financial aid document (financial aid documents include but are not limited to the FAFSA, verification forms, work-study time cards, appeal applications, correspondence, and loan applications) will be referred for disciplinary action, which may include loss of financial aid, reprimand, suspension or expulsion from the College. Additionally, students and other aid recipients so identified will be billed for all aid disbursed to them for which they are ineligible. Further, such individuals may face criminal prosecution by the U.S. Department of Education, which may result in imprisonment, a fine of up to $20,000, or both.
15. Applicants, students, parents, spouses, and others are responsible for interacting with the financial aid staff with civility and courteousness. All students enrolled at the College acknowledge with their enrollment an obligation to abide by the College's regulations and policies, as approved by the administration and Board of Trustees.
16. Students are responsible for their own actions and are expected to maintain the highest standards of conduct at all times and in all places affiliated with the College. Each student must, of course, respect the rights and privileges of all other students as well as College administrators, faculty and staff. The College reserves the right to dismiss from a course or from the College, or restrict from any other College activity or facility, any student whose behavior is detrimental to the College or its students. For a full explanation of the College's Code of Conduct, read the Student Handbook. (Academic policies and procedures shall govern dismissal or suspension for academic reasons.)
17. In order to preserve the privacy, confidentiality, and comfort of other visitors and staff, cell phone use in the financial aid waiting areas and offices is prohibited except when necessary to conduct business related to the student's visit. Students and other visitors are expected to complete their cell phone conversations, text messaging, and other use prior to entering the FAO and waiting area.
18. While the FAO staff is available to assist applicants through the application process, it is the applicant's responsibility to see to the correctness and completeness of his or her applications. If the applicant receives notification that his or her FAFSA or loan application is incomplete, she/he must determine what is necessary to complete his or her application(s), and promptly submit the required information.
19. An application for financial aid will have no effect on the decision concerning admission. The admission decision is made without access or reference to financial aid data.
20. Students are required to provide their social security numbers on the FAFSA. Provision of the student ID or social security number (as specified on the individual document) is required on all supporting documents used to apply for financial aid. Students' social security numbers will be used for the College's system of student records, to process the FAFSA, to award financial aid, for compliance with federal and state reporting requirements, as well as for debt collection. The College will not disclose students' social security numbers to anyone outside the institution, except as required or allowed by law, and will make every effort to protect students' privacy.
21. Policy on Non-Discrimination in Educational Programs. The College complies with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Older Americans Act of 1975, and South Dakota's laws against discrimination. These laws (and others) prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, nationality, ancestry, age, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, sex, familial status, domestic partnership status, disability and handicap. Decisions on admission, financial aid programs, access to course offerings, or other aspects of the College's educational programs or activities are not made on the basis of any of the aforementioned factors, except when lawful to do so. Inquiries regarding these laws may be submitted to the College's Director of Human Resources or to the U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC 20201.
22. Additional Information: The administration and receipt of financial aid is a complex area governed by federal, state, and institutional regulations. Students who receive federal, state and/or institutional financial aid are subject to all of the governing regulations whether or not they are aware of these rules. For additional information about financial aid at Presentation College please visit the College's website at www.presentation.edu. The following U.S. Department of Education and other websites may also be of interest to financial aid applicants and recipients:

Definitions of terms used in the Students' Rights and Responsibilities are included in the financial aid glossary at the end of the financial aid section of the catalog.