Student Rights and Responsibilities

Trine University is committed to working with each student to provide the best financial aid package possible. At the same time, each student has the responsibility to apply for the aid and to meet and maintain eligibility requirements. Following is a list of basic rights and responsibilities of the students in regard to financial aid:

Students must apply for financial aid.
Financial aid information and counseling will be available.
Students will be considered for financial aid on a first-come, first-served basis.
Students will be notified electronically or via postcard of their eligibility for financial aid.
Students will be informed of the specific type of financial aid, the amount of each type of aid and the conditions to renew each type.
Students will have the opportunity to review with the Office of Financial Aid the process by which awarded aid was determined.
Students may request an additional review of their aid package with the Director of the Office of Financial Aid.
All students who receive financial aid are required to abide by the policies and regulations of Trine University.
All Trine University financial aid policies and fund rules are either published on our website or available in our office. Aid recipients are required to be familiar with these policies. Information that is unclear should be brought to the attention of a financial aid staff member.
The Office of Financial Aid will process financial aid requests without regard to race, religious affiliation, gender, age, or disability. All funds are subject to individual student need as well as the availability of funds.
General information is communicated to students through their student e-mail account and financial aid information is communicated through their MyTrineFa account. It is recommended that students review their accounts daily. **For new students we use the email that was entered in on the FAFSA but after they receive their student email account we begin to communicate using that one.
The student has the right to know what types of aid are available. That information is available on both our website and in our offices.
Students are obligated to advise the Office of Financial Aid of any name, address, or phone number changes. Updating this information through the MyPortal will not update your financial aid records.
Financial aid recipients are required to notify the Office of Financial Aid of any scholarships, loans, book allowances, employer assistance or other forms of assistance extended to them from sources outside the college. Adjustments of aid may occur as a result.
The Office of Financial Aid reserves the right, on behalf of the Institution, to review and cancel any award at any time because of changes in a student’s financial or academic status, state program rules, federal program rules or any other significant change. Students will be notified of any changes to their aid via an email communication to their Trine email account (refer to ** in #3 for new students). The email will include instructions on how to access MyTrineFA and review the changes. This will only show the changes made to your award notification and not your bill. If you want to know how this change will affect your bill you will need to log into your MyPortal account for that information.
Financial aid is awarded to a student contingent upon maintaining standards set forth by the institution’s Title IV Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policies which complies with required Federal standards. Please refer to our website and/or student handbook for policy details.
Disbursement of a student’s financial aid award(s) (with the exception of CWS- College Work Study) will be in the form of a direct payment to the student’s account in the Business Office. Work-study earnings are paid directly to the student on a bi-weekly basis via direct deposit after a job is secured and hours are worked.
Financial aid will be awarded and disbursed based on full-time enrollment. Should the student register for less than a full-time course load or drop classes that adjusts enrollment, costs and aid will be adjusted and an acknowledgement will be sent to the student via email communication. In some cases, students may be required to repay funds to the University.
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that their tuition is paid in full by the due date either by financial aid, payment plan, cash or whatever resource they plan to use. Students can check their account status on My Portal.
The student must complete all application forms accurately and submit them on time to the appropriate location.
The student must provide correct information. The intentional misreporting of information on financial aid application forms is a violation of the law and is considered a criminal offense which could result in indictment under the U.S. Criminal Code.
The student must return all additional documentation, verification, corrections, and/or new information requested by the Financial Aid Office in a timely manner. Any delay can affect eligibility for certain types of aid.
A student receiving federal financial aid earns their aid based on the number of days that they attend class. A recipient who fully withdraws from Trine University before 60% of the term is completed will be subject to an aid recalculation based on the number of days attended. The unearned aid will be refunded to the appropriate federal financial aid program by the institution and the student will repay the institution.
A student receiving state financial aid earns those funds based on their enrollment at the end of the 28th class day. Therefore state aid will be affected should the student drop all of their coursework or below full-time before that date.
A student receiving a Federal Pell Grant earns those funds based on their enrollment as a first time bachelor degree seeking student. A student needs to begin enrollment in all of their coursework before Pell Grants will disburse to their student account. Therefore Pell Grants will be affected if you do not begin your enrollment in all of your coursework and/or drop some or all of the coursework for which you enrolled in.
A student may be awarded employment under the CWS – Federal Work Study Program. The amount of CWS aid shown on the award letter is the maximum amount of money the student can expect to earn during the academic year as a result of work performed. The student will only be paid for hours worked and obtaining work is contingent on finding CWS approved employment.
Financial aid awards are made for one academic year only. One half of the award will be applied each semester. It is always the student’s responsibility to apply annually for aid; applications submitted by March 1st will receive priority consideration. Renewal of aid depends upon the student maintaining Title IV Satisfactory Academic Progress, continued need for financial aid assistance and the availability of funds.
Students planning to attend summer semester and wishing to receive financial aid must complete a Request for Summer Aid Form in addition to the FAFSA. Applications are available on-line and in the Office of Financial Aid following spring break.
Students who are incarcerated in a state or federal correctional institution are required by Federal law to inform the aid office of their incarceration.
The student is responsible for reading and understanding all forms that he/she is asked to sign and for keeping copies of the forms.
The student must accept responsibility for all agreements that he/she signs.
The student must be aware of and comply with the deadlines for application or reapplication for aid.
The student should be aware of the school's refund policy
Students receiving financial aid must inform the Office of Financial Aid about additional awards
Students must maintain satisfactory academic progress toward academic goals.
Students must maintain good social standing.
Students must reapply for financial aid between January 1 and March 1.
Students must report to the Office of Financial Aid when transferring to another school.
If applicable, students must participate in the Federal Stafford Loan entrance and exit interviews.