WHEN SHOULD YOU EXPECT YOUR REFUND

If you are expecting to receive Pell Grant funds, scholarship funds, SEOG or student loan funds, the money will first be applied to any outstanding balances at UACCM automatically. After expenses, any remaing funds will refunded to you. Since there is a two week refund policy for tuition and books, we are unable to start processing any financial aid refunds until after the first two weeks of school. After that, reconciling all charges to each student account usually takes another week and cutting checks, and ordering funds an additional week. Refunds will be issued in this order: loans, Pell Grants, scholarships, SEOG and all others.

Targeted Processing Dates:

• Loans processed the fourth week of school
• Pell Grants the fifth week of school
• Remainder of aid the sixth week and later

These are only target dates. The financial aid staff works very hard to insure that everyone gets their funds as quickly as possible.

FACTORS THAT MAY DELAY YOUR REFUND CHECK

• Student processing their aid paperwork late
• Student failing to bring in required transcripts, shot records, ect.
• First time loan students (must wait until mid-term grades are posted)
• Student is taking an off-schedule class
• State grant or other funds arrive late

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

Purpose:
To provide consistent decisions for student applications concerning special circumstances which may or may not affect the student's eligibility for federal or state financial aid.

Examples of Special Circumstances are as follows:

• Unusual medical and dental expenses (expenses which exceed 7.5% of Adjusted Gross Income)
• Support of extended family
• Private elementary and secondary school costs; child care and dependent care costs
• Unusual debts
• Income reduction or non-recurring income
• Divorce or death of parent
• Dependency status

NOTE: Documentation must be provided in all cases to be reviewed by the counselor.

All cases will be reviewed by a financial aid counselor. To determine eligibility for special circumstances contact your Financial Aid Director.

WHEN ARE YOU CLASSIFIED AS AN "INDEPENDENT STUDENT"

You're an independent student if at least one of the following applies to you:

• You will be at least 24 before January 1, of the school year for which you will receive aid;
• You are married at time of application;
• You have a legal dependent other than a spouse, for which you provide over one half of his/her support;
• You are an orphan or ward of the court (or were a ward of the court until age 18); or
• You are a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces.

If you claim to be an independent student, you may be asked to submit proof before you can receive any federal student aid. If you think you have unusual circumstances that would make you independent even though none of the above criteria apply to you, talk to your Financial Aid Director. Your counselor may be able to change your status if appropriate documentation can be provided and you have circumstances that warrant a change. The decision to override a student's dependency status is based on the judgement of the counselor in the Financial Aid Office.