Institutional Financial Aid - Reduction/Cancellation

If a student-athlete is receiving institutional financial aid based in any degree on athletics ability, that financial aid MAY be reduced or canceled during the period of award (e.g., during that year or term) only if the student-athlete:

1. Renders himself or herself ineligible for intercollegiate competition; or
2. Misrepresents any information on an application, letter of intent or financial aid agreement; or
3. Commits serious misconduct which warrants a substantial disciplinary penalty (the misconduct determination must be made by the university's regular student disciplinary authority); or
4. Voluntarily quits the sport for personal reasons. In this case, the student-athlete's financial aid may not be given to another student-athlete during the term in which the aid was reduced or canceled.

Institutional financial aid based in any degree on athletics ability MAY NOT be reduced, canceled or increased during the period of award:

1. Based on a student-athlete's ability, performance, or contribution to a team's success; or
2. Because an injury prevents the student-athlete from participating; or
3. For any other athletics reason.

Please contact the certifying institution or conference for additional information. You also may contact the NCAA membership services staff at 317/917-6222 if you have further questions

Institutional Financial Aid Renewal/Nonrenewal

Aid based in any degree on athletics ability cannot be awarded in excess of one academic year; the decision of whether a student-athlete is awarded institutional financial aid is made on a year-by-year basis, depending on the regulations of the institution.

If a student-athlete is receiving institutional financial aid based in any degree on athletics ability, the institution must notify the student in writing on or before July 1 whether the aid has been renewed or not renewed for the next academic year. This written notification comes from the institution's financial aid authority and not from the athletics department.

If the institution decides not to renew the aid, or is going to reduce the aid, the institution must notify the student-athlete in writing that he or she has the right to a hearing. This hearing is held before the institutional agency making the award.

Keep in mind that the decision to renew or not renew the financial aid is left to the discretion of the institution, to be determined with its normal practices for students generally.

Please contact the certifying institution or conference for additional information. You also may contact the NCAA membership services staff at 317/917-6222 if you have further questions.

[NOTE: This is not a complete list of NCAA regulations regarding the National Letter of Intent or financial aid. Please call or write NCAA membership services or the National Letter of Intent office if you have specific questions.]

Many financial options are available to assist you and your parents in meeting the costs of college tuition. Below we review the major financial aid categories and provide links to sites where you may obtain more information.

Scholarships

Scholarships are forms of aid that help students pay for their education. Unlike loans, they do not have to be repaid. Generally, scholarships are reserved for students with special qualifications, such as academic, athletic or artistic talent. Awards are also available for students who are interested in particular fields of study, who are members of underrepresented groups, who live in certain areas of the country or who demonstrate financial need.

Grants

Grants are a type of financial aid that does not have to be repaid. Generally, grants are for undergraduate students and the grant amount is based on need, cost of attendance, and enrollment status. Grant programs include Federal Pell Grants and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants.

Loans

Loans are borrowed money that must be repaid with interest. Both undergraduate and graduate students may borrow money. Parents may also borrow to pay education expenses for dependent undergraduate students. Maximum loan amounts depend on the student's year in school.

• Federal Stafford Loans are made to students and PLUS Loans are made to parents through two loan programs:
  • William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program: Eligible students and parents borrow directly from the federal government at participating schools. Direct Loans include Direct Stafford Loans, Direct PLUS Loans, and Direct Consolidation Loans.
  • Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program: Private lenders provide federally guaranteed funds. FFELs include FFEL Stafford Loans, FFEL PLUS Loans, and FFEL Consolidation Loans.
• Federal Perkins Loans are offered by participating schools to provide students who demonstrate the most need with low-interest loans.

Work-study

Work-study lets you earn money while enrolled in school to help pay for education expenses.

Financial Aid Links

U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid (FSA) - The FSA programs are the largest source of student aid in America, providing nearly 70% of all student financial aid.

FinAid.org - FinAid.org was established in the fall of 1994 as a public service. This award-winning site has grown into the most comprehensive annotated collection of information about student financial aid on the web.

FastWeb - FastWeb is the Internet's leading scholarship search service. FastWeb lets students create a personalized profile that can be matched against an expansive database of colleges and scholarships. As the oldest and most popular free online scholarship matching service, the FastWeb database has over 600,000 scholarships totaling more than $1 billion.

The College Board's FUND FINDER - The College Board's FUND FINDER scholarship database lists scholarships and other types of financial aid programs from 3,300 national, state, public and private sources. The database is updated annually.