The conditions provided below are particularly significant for students receiving federal and/or state financial aid after completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  If you have been awarded other types of assistance (such as departmental scholarships, fellowships, tuition awards, etc.), you may wish to review any conditions provided by the awarding department.

Your award is subject to change if corrections or revisions are made to the information you provided on the FAFSA.  Also, if you receive other scholarships or awards, UNC Charlotte is required to determine if adjustments to your financial aid are necessary.

Your acceptance of financial aid, indicates that you:

• have read and do understand all related conditions of your award (see below)

• are aware that you are responsible to repay any assistance received as a result of providing incorrect information to the University

• understand that any federal funds received during the award period(s) covered by this award will be used solely for expenses related to your attendance at UNC Charlotte

• may not receive federal financial aid from any other college or university for the same award period(s) 

Conditions of Financial Aid Awards

Required Student Status

Generally, you must be enrolled as a regular student at least half-time to receive aid.  Those registered as visitors, special, or post-baccalaureates (exception: teacher certification and certain graduate certificate programs) are  not eligible to receive financial aid. For half-time enrollment, undergraduate students must be enrolled for at least six hours (for graduate students, at least three hours).  Exceptions to this requirement are Federal Pell Grants, which are available to less than half-time students, and North Carolina Student Incentive Grants, which require full-time enrollment.  Audit hours cannot be included.

Disbursement of Funds

With the exception of Federal Work Study, all accepted awards are credited directly to your student account at the University.  If your award is more than your total University charges, the earliest you can receive a refund is the first day of classes.  Financial aid disbursement is handled by the Office of Student Accounts.  You may obtain more information about financial aid refunds, including automatic deposit to your bank account, by visiting Financial Services website here. 

Federal Pell Grant eligibility is determined by the U.S. Department of Education. If this award package contains a Federal Pell Grant, you must be enrolled as a degree-seeking student working on your first bachelor’s degree.  Graduate students, second degree students, and special students (i.e. post-baccalaureates) are not eligible for Federal Pell Grants.  Also, Federal Pell Grant and UNC Need-based Grant award amounts are based on credit hours of enrollment. If you drop hours after receiving such a grant, you may be required to repay a portion of the grant.  Also, if you received a Federal Pell Grant at another school during the same award year as this award, your Federal Pell Grant at UNC Charlotte will be reduced.

Federal Work-Study

If your award package includes the Federal Work-Study program, that award is the maximum amount you may earn while working in the program.  It cannot be applied to your bill as a credit.  You will receive a monthly paycheck for hours worked.  The Student Employment Office will send you a letter regarding your job assignment; or, if the semester has begun, you should contact that office in room 200A of the King Building, or at (704) 687-2069.  You must present your original Social Security card to that office for your job assignment. 

Return of Federal Funds

For students who withdraw from the University, federal law requires that any "unearned" financial aid be returned to the federal government.  Therefore, if you withdraw, you may be required to repay all or a portion of the aid received, based on the length of your enrollment.

Federal Student Loans

If you do not wish to use a student loan, you may reject it. Initial loan awards are the maximum allowed by federal law for your class level for one year.  If you borrow the maximum amount during the school year, you will not be able to use a student loan during the following summer.  To request a lesser loan than the awarded amount, contact the Office of Student Financial Aid, stating the amount you wish to borrow for the academic year (or summer terms for summer awards). 

• Subsidized and Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans - If your award package includes a Subsidized Federal Stafford Loan, the federal government will pay the interest on the loan while you are in school.  You begin repayment six months after you graduate or cease at least half-time enrollment.  For unsubsidized loans, the student is responsible for the interest while in school, as well as during repayment.

• Receiving Loan Funds - If your award package includes the Federal Stafford Loan, you must complete loan counseling (see below) and a Master Promissory Note (MPN) with your lender. For Federal Perkins Loans, the master promissory note is provided by the University.

• Required Loan Counseling Session for Federal Student Loan Borrowers - If this is your first Federal Stafford Loan or your first Federal Perkins Loan at UNC Charlotte, you are required to complete a federal entrance loan counseling session.  For more information about loan counseling, please click here.

• Federal Stafford Loans, PLUS Loans and Alternative loan funds will be sent to the University.  After verifying that all financial aid awarding criterion is met, funds will be credited to your student account. 

For more information about the loan programs at UNC Charlotte (including Stafford, PLUS and Perkins), please click here.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

All students (full time, part time, graduate and undergraduate) who wish to qualify for financial aid while attending UNC Charlotte must meet certain standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress. These standards include a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA), a minimum semester credit hour completion rate, and completion of a degree or program of study within a maximum number of credit hours. For the complete Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy, please click here.

If you have questions or need additional information, you may contact the Office of Student Financial Aid.