Terms and Conditions for Financial Aid at UH Hilo

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Your initial financial aid offer is calculated based on the information you provided on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Other components used to determine your aid include, but are not limited to, your enrollment status, grade level, outside resources, remaining aid eligibility, and cost of attendance at the time of your aid offer.

Cost of Attendance

Your initial aid is based on an estimated Cost of Attendance (COA). Your COA will be updated at the end of the add/drop period when actual UH Hilo charges (tuition, fees, campus housing and meal charges, etc) are stabilized. Financial aid may need to be adjusted based on the accurate COA to prevent over-awards of need-based financial aid. Students will be notified via email if aid is affected.

Enrollment Status

In most cases, your initial aid will be based on full time enrollment. Aid will be adjusted accordingly at the end of the add/drop period and will not be adjusted for classes added or dropped thereafter (except for complete withdrawal or non-attendance). Depending on the type, some aid will not disburse unless you are enrolled full-time.

Establishing Eligibility for Aid

Title IV funds (Federal Student Aid) and/or institutional aid is offered to a student under the assumption that they will attend school for the entire period (semester) for which the aid is granted. A student MUST begin attendance/participation in their classes to establish eligibility for those funds. Failure to begin attendance/participation in one or more classes may result in the recalculation of your financial aid eligibility and funds will be recouped accordingly. This recalculation can occur at any time (during or after the term), regardless if aid has already been disbursed and a financial aid refund has been issued.

Withdrawing from classes

Withdrawing may have a negative impact to your financial aid eligibility and could result in you owing/returning aid already disbursed on your behalf. We advise you to consult with a Financial Aid Professional before withdrawing from classes. Please note that if you do not earn any credits (you receive all ‘F’s, ‘NC’s, etc.), you are considered Unofficially Withdrawn. In this case, your aid will be adjusted according to your last date of class attendance which could result in you owing money to UH Hilo well after the term has ended.

Concurrent Enrollment

Please be aware that courses at another institution (including UH System schools) may not count toward your financial aid enrollment. However, if courses from another institution are going to satisfy your graduation requirements, those courses could be considered providing you are enrolled in a minimum of six credits at UH Hilo and submit a completed Prior Authorization for Transfer Credit for Financial Aid form (approved by an Academic Advisor) to our office.

Course Program of Study (CPoS)

In order to be eligible for federal financial aid funds, you must be enrolled in and attend classes that are required to complete your official program of study (major) that is on file with the Office of the Registrar. Enrolling in classes not required for your degree or “not in plan” or "non-applicable" is allowed, however, those classes may not count towards your enrollment status for federal financial aid purposes. View more information regarding Course Program of Study.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

All financial aid recipients must make satisfactory academic progress toward their educational objectives. This is defined as maintaining a 2.0 cumulative GPA for undergraduate and professional students (3.0 for graduate students), keeping pace which means completing a minimum of 75% of all attempted credits at UH Hilo (as well as approved courses at other institutions) and not exceeding the normal completion timeframe for your degree program. Please read the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy in its entirety to ensure you understand these requirements and the consequences of not meeting them.

Other Resources

You must notify the Financial Aid Office of funding you receive in addition to the aid listed under Financial Aid on your MyUH Services. This may reduce the amount and/or types of financial aid you are eligible for. These include but are not limited to federal work-study, institutional stipends, scholarships and resources from Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, Kamehameha Schools, or other external organizations, etc.

Aid Disbursement and Refund

Your financial aid from UH Hilo will be disbursed no sooner than 10 days before your first day of class providing all requirements are completed. It will first be applied to any balance owed to UH Hilo for that term (tuition, fees, housing and meals, etc.), then any remaining funds will be issued to you in the form of a refund via eRefund or paper check mailed to your mailing address. This process can take up to 5-7 business days.