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All awards from financial aid programs are funded by federal, state,
institutional and/or outside agencies and are administered according to the
laws, regulations, and requirements governing these programs. The program
awards are contingent upon allocation and receipt of funds by University
of Houston-Victoria from these agencies.
Determining Financial Need
Financial need is the difference between the cost of attending
the university and the resources available to the student. Thus, financial need
is determined to be the cost of attendance minus expected
parental contribution; if
applicable, expected student contribution and other available resources.
Receipt of additional scholarships or grants that arrive after a
student’s award letter has been processed, or after funds have been disbursed,
may necessitate recalculation of a student’s eligibility for aid. Students must
notify the Office of Financial Aid of all outside awards. Any amount beyond the
legal package limits is called an "over award." Federal and state laws require
that such an over award be corrected, usually by the return of the over award
amount to one or more of the programs. When such an over award amount to one or
more of the programs is detected, required adjustments will be made. Details
regarding University of Houston-Victoria packaging philosophy are available in
the Office of Financial Aid.
Your financial aid awards are based on information you reported
on the
FAFSA as well as your classification and enrollment status. Any change to your enrollment
status may change your financial aid awards. You must report any changes to the
Office of Financial Aid immediately. Failure to do so could result in
cancellation of your award and you may have to repay any amounts over-awarded to
you.
Special Circumstances/Dependency Overrides
Students can complete a Financial Aid Special Consideration Form to report
unusual circumstances which may impact their ability to pay for their education
at UHV. These circumstances can be conditions which have reduced their income
for the current calendar year or extraordinary expenses that provide less disposable income.
If a student does not
meet the definition of an independent student as prescribed by the U.S.
Department of Education and feels that they have relevant unusual circumstances,
he/she can complete the Financial Aid Special Consideration Form.
Funding Process
A student receives financial aid in the following order of
priority, depending upon availability of funds and student eligibility:
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Grants
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Scholarships
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Student Employment
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Loans
Financial Aid Correspondence
Prior to
awarding financial aid, the student's file must be complete. All requested
documentation must be turned into the Office of Financial Aid. If the
student's file is incomplete, PeopleSoft will send a Missing Information Notice email to the students
UHV email account and creates a task for the student to act on. If the
applicant has not been admitted to UHV yet, a Missing Information Letter is sent
to the student.
If the student
has been awarded financial aid, PeopleSoft will send an Award Notice email to the student's
UHV email account and posts each award that the
student should accept, decline or modify in the UHV Self-Service Financial Aid
section.
Non-Discrimination Policy
UHV is an equal opportunity, affirmative action, co-educational
institution which does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex,
physical handicap, national or ethnic origin. Gender designations on financial
aid applications are used in order to complete required federal and state
reports.
Responsibilities And Rights Of The Students
While student financial aid often seems to be at the discretion of the
institution, you have certain rights and responsibilities.
Rights
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You have the right to know what student financial aid programs are available at the
university.
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You have the right to know the deadlines for submitting applications for each of the
student financial aid programs available.
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You have the right to know how student financial aid will be distributed, how decisions
on that distribution are made and the basis for these decisions.
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You have the right to know how your financial aid was determined. This includes how the
costs for tuition and fees, room and board, travel, books and supplies, and personal and
miscellaneous expenses were considered in your budget.
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You have the right to know what resources (such as parental contribution, other student
financial aid and your assets) were considered in the calculation of your award.
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You have the right to know how much of your financial need, as determined by the
university, has been met.
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You have the right to request an explanation of the various programs in your student
financial aid package.
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You have the right to know the University’s Return of Title IV Funds Policy.
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You have the right to know what portion of the student financial aid you receive must be
repaid and what portion is from a grant. If you receive a loan, you have the right to know
what the interest rate is, the total amount to be repaid, the payback procedures, the
length of time you have to repay the loan and when repayment is to begin.
Responsibilities
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You must complete all application forms and submit them on time to the right place.
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You must provide correct information. In most instances, misreporting information on
student financial aid forms is a violation of federal law and may be considered a criminal
offense that could result in indictment under the U.S. Criminal Code.
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You must provide all additional documentation, verifications, corrections and other
information requested by either the Office of Financial Aid or the agency to which you
submitted your application.
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You are responsible for reading and understanding all forms that you sign and for
retaining your copies.
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You must accept responsibility for all agreements that you sign.
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You must perform the work that is agreed upon in accepting a FCWS or TXCWS award.
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You must be aware of, and comply with, the deadlines for application or re-application
for student financial aid.
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You should be aware of your institution’s refund policies and procedures.
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The university must provide information upon request to prospective students about the
institution's academic program, its student retention, its student placement rate and its
crime rate. You should consider this information carefully before deciding to attend a
specific institution.
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You should be familiar with this section of the financial aid and general
catalog dealing with student financial aid. Special attention should be paid to academic
progress standards.
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You should be aware that if you transfer from one institution to another, your student
financial aid does not automatically transfer with you.
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You are responsible for reporting name and address changes directly to the Office of
Financial Aid and the lenders of any educational loans you receive.
Right to Privacy
Aid to Disabled Students
Special aid to students who have certain physical or emotional handicaps
is offered by the
Texas Rehabilitation Commission (TRC). To be eligible for TRC services,
the individual must have a physical or mental disability which constitutes or results in a
substantial handicap to employment.
In addition, there must be a reasonable expectation that the vocational
rehabilitation services will benefit the individual in terms of employment. TRC clients
are entitled to diagnostic evaluation, counseling and guidance, career planning, job
development, placement and follow-up.
In cases where economic need can be demonstrated, disabled college
students may be eligible for compensation of tuition and fees, physical restoration and
assistive devices. Severely handicapped students may also be eligible for room and board,
mobility assistance, note-takers, tutors and attendant care. An appointment to see a
TRC
counselor may be arranged by calling (361) 578-1594.
Consortium Agreements
Federal regulations prohibit students from receiving some federal financial aid from
two separate institutions at the same time. Therefore, UHV has consortium
agreements with several colleges so that students can get their financial aid
from UHV for the hours they are taking at UHV and the consortium institutions.
UHV has consortiums with Austin Community College, The Victoria College, Wharton County Junior College,
Coastal Bend College, UHD, and Houston Community College campuses.
Federal guidance prohibits UHV from offering financial aid for Virtual College
of Texas (VCT) courses unless UHV has a signed consortium agreement with that
institution.
Each
semester a student co-enrolls, a Consortium Agreement form must be completed and
submitted with a copy of the Paid Fee Receipt from the other college.
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