General Student Responsibilities

This guide highlights important information about your financial aid award(s). To ensure that your aid can be properly processed and disbursed, you need to take the appropriate actions outlined below. Let us know by phone, mail, or e-mail if you have any questions; we're here to help you.

1. If you are a new student to Ithaca College, determine if you need to return your award letter to the Office of Student Financial Services. If you are declining/reducing an aid program offered to you or informing us of other aid sources not listed on your award letter, then you must sign and return your award letter to us.  Returning students use HomerConnect to review awards and may send an email or write to us to advise us of this information.
2. Incoming students, if you have not already done so, return your Enrollment Confirmation form (sent to you previously) and your non-refundable enrollment deposit to the Office of Admission.
3. Promptly report in writing to the Office of Student Financial Services any additional funds you may receive from sources outside of Ithaca College or your family. Please be sure to indicate the source, dollar amount, whom the funds are paid to, when payment will be made, and if the aid source may be received in future academic years. Ithaca College reserves the right to revise your aid package based on receipt of awards not included on your award letter. Federal regulations also require that outside awards be taken into consideration when determining your overall aid eligibility. You may also use the Outside Scholarship Report. (See Downloadable Forms.)
4. If requested, submit to us copies of your and your parents' 2008 federal tax return(s), including schedules and W-2 forms. Make sure the tax returns are signed. Please write your name and social security number or Ithaca College ID number in the upper right-hand corner of all tax returns. If you are not required to file a tax return, you must submit a non-filer statement.
5. Respond promptly to any future request for additional information from the Office of Student Financial Services.
6. If you accept an offer of a Federal Stafford Loan and have never borrowed under the program, we will send you an individually tailored document to apply for the program by the end of May. Please do not submit an application to us prior to that time. If you do not receive application materials by June 15th contact us, and we will send you what you need right away.
7. If you accept an offer of a Federal Perkins Loan, at the start of the semester we will notify you how to sign your Perkins promissory note online.
8. Maintain satisfactory academic progress, as defined in the Ithaca College Undergraduate Catalog and at Academic Standing. Students receiving need-based financial aid (i.e., Ithaca Access Grant, W.G. Egbert Founder's Grant, Ithaca Opportunity Grant, HEOP Grant, Federal Pell Grant, Academic Competitiveness Grant, SMART Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Stafford Loan, Federal Work-Study, NYS TAP) are expected to make satisfactory progress toward achieving their degrees. If you don't, you may lose your ability to receive these programs.
   
   If you are receiving the President's Scholarship, Dean's Scholarship, ALANA Carl Sgrecci, Lawrence C. Hill, Adrian M. Nemans, Shirley Hockett, Johon B. Harcourt, Willard T. Daetsch or Patrick Conway scholarship, you must also maintain at least a 3.00 or greater cumulative grade point average at the end of every spring semester in order to renew the scholarship for the following year.
9. Unless otherwise noted in your award notification, it is assumed that you will enroll full time (at least 12 credits per semester). Changing your enrollment below the level we have assumed may result in reduction or elimination of your aid awards.
10. Re-apply for financial aid every year in order to receive full consideration for aid. The only aid programs that are exempt from a re-application process are the scholarship listed in the second paragraph in #8 above and the the  Ithaca Premier Talent, Ithaca Recognition Award scholarships, Ithaca Heritage Grant, and Ithaca Sibling Grant.