• Student Rights and Responsibilities
• Satisfactory Academic Progress
• Refunds
• Student Employment
• Leave of Absence
• Enrollment Verification and Loan Deferment

Student Rights and Responsibilities

STUDENT RIGHTS
You have the right to ask a school:

• What it costs to attend and about the refund policies for students who drop out.
• How the school determines whether students are maintaining satisfactory academic progress and what happens if they are not.
• What financial assistance is available, including all federal, state and school financial aid programs.
• What the deadline is for submitting each aid application and about the criteria used to select recipients.
• How each student's financial need is determined, including how costs for tuition and fees, room and board, transportation, books and supplies, and personal and miscellaneous expenses are considered in your budget.
• What resources such as personal contribution, other financial aid, personal assets, etc. are included in the need calculation, and how much of your financial need, determined by the school, has been met.To explain the various programs in your student aid package. If you believe you have been treated unfairly, you may request reconsideration.
• What portion of the financial aid must be repaid and what portion is grant aid. When you take out a loan, you have the right to know the interest rate, the total amount to be repaid, repayment procedures, the length of time to repay the loan, and the date when repayment begins.
• How to apply for additional aid if your financial circumstances change.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
It is your responsibility to:

• Review all information about a school's program before enrolling.
• Pay special attention to your application for student financial aid, complete it accurately and submit it on time to the right place. Errors can delay financial aid. International misreporting of information on applications for financial aid is a criminal offense subject to penalties. Aid awarded due to wrong information will have to be repaid.
• Respond promptly and return all additional documentation, verification, corrections and/or new information requested by the Financial Aid Office or the agency to which you submitted applications.
• Read, understand and keep copies of all forms that you sign.
• Notify the lender within 10 days of changes in your name, permanent mailing address, and school status.
• Repay the loan according to the repayment schedule. Payment is required even if you do not get a bill.

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Satisfactory Academic Progress

To remain eligible for financial aid, you must meet these satisfactory academic progress requirements (please note that these requirements are in addition to CIIS’s academic requirements):

• You must complete your program within a maximum time frame
• You must keep your semester and over-all grade point average at or above the level deemed satisfactory by CIIS
• You must receive passing grades in a minimum number of units each semester

MAXIMUM TIME FRAME
Financial aid is not available for an indefinite period; neither is it available for an unlimited number of units.

The time limit applies to time spent at any college or post-secondary institution, including CIIS; it includes semesters during which you received no financial aid, as well as terms during which you withdrew. This means that all work attempted, including transfer units, will apply towards the maximum time frame. It does not include semesters when you were not registered. The following table shows estimated maximum time frames for various unit requirements for different programs. Your time frame may vary, depending upon the requirements of your program and your rate of progress. Note: Withdrawn terms count toward the total number of semesters attempted.

Undergraduate students are allowed a maximum of 3 years (full-time study) and 6 years (half-time) to complete their degree requirements.
 
Your financial aid eligibility is also determined by the requirements of your program. You will not be eligible for aid for courses in excess of the requirements stated in the CIIS catalog unless there is a revised academic program plan approved by your program advisor and the Registrar.

YOU MUST MAINTAIN SATISFACTORY GRADES
Generally, CIIS considers an average of ‘B’ (3.0), both per semester and cumulative, to be satisfactory for graduate students and an average of ‘C’ (2.0) for undergraduate students.

For Graduate Financial Aid recipients, more than two Incompletes (I and IN), or grades of Not-Passing, B-, C, D, or F are not satisfactory and may result in limitation of aid eligibility.

An Undergraduate student must have no more than two no-pass grades on the CIIS transcript. Additionally, satisfactory academic progress in program is monitored in two ways: (1) completion of an Integrative Essay at the end of each semester, which is evaluated by the instructor and (2) Completion of the “Student Assessment Worksheet” each semester by the instructor, which evaluates the following: work accomplished, participation and attendance, preparation, group engagement, ability to reflect, different ways of thinking, and critical thinking. Progress is evaluated by pass/no-pass only. Unsatisfactory academic progress can result in probation or suspension from the program.

Students whose grades fall below the acceptable level are placed on academic probation. Those who fail to achieve satisfactory grades while on probation may be dismissed from the Institute.  Students may receive financial aid while they are on probation (upon individual review), but they lose all financial aid when they are dismissed. Dismissed students may have to begin repayment of student loans.

YOU MUST EARN A MINIMUM NUMBER OF UNITS EACH YEAR
You must complete a certain number of units by the end of each year to remain eligible for financial aid. This number of units is typically set by each academic program. A student who fails to complete sufficient units will receive a warning letter and may be allowed one semester to make up the deficiency. Students who do not complete the minimum unit level within one semester after being sent a warning are no longer eligible for financial aid. Withdrawn classes are counted as units attempted.

These charts show the overall minimum number of units of coursework you must have completed by the end of each year. (Note: Individual programs may have additional requirements.)

Dropped, failed, incomplete or withdrawn courses, remedial and/or repeated courses do not count towards total units completed, but do count towards total units attempted. More than two incomplete or otherwise unsatisfactory courses at any one time may result in Financial Aid probation. At a minimum, the Financial Aid Office will review your academic record and measure your progress each time you apply for financial aid, and it may be reviewed each time you receive a financial aid disbursement. Warnings, either verbal or written, will be issued at those times.

FINANCIAL AID PROBATION
Students who do not make satisfactory academic progress will be placed on financial aid probation for a minimum of one semester.  During this time, financial aid funds may be suspended.  If the deficiencies are not removed by the end of that semester, or if deficiencies exceed those listed above, further aid may be suspended until the deficiencies are removed.

ACADEMIC PROBATION
Students who have been placed on academic probation by CIIS will not have any financial aid eligibility until (1) the academic probation is removed or (2) the student provides an adequate explanation and a corrective action plan to the Financial Aid Office.

APPEALS
Students whose financial aid is denied, suspended, or terminated for failure to achieve satisfactory academic progress may appeal if extenuating circumstances (such as prolonged illness or a death in the family) hindered academic performance. Your appeal must be in writing and must include documentation of any extenuating circumstances (such as a doctor’s statement verifying serious illness or injury, or a letter from your academic program director).

You are strongly encouraged to file your appeal immediately after receiving notification that your aid has been denied.

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Refunds And Financial Aid

Students withdrawing from CIIS or dropping classes are generated a refund according to the following policy:

CIIS refund policy
Refunds for authorized withdrawals are given though the seventh week of class (third week in summer) as follows:

• Withdrawal in the 2nd and 3rd week of class - 75% refund
• Withdrawal in the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th week of class - 50% refund

The withdrawal date is the date of receipt of the withdrawal request form in Registrar's office. Registration fees are nonrefundable.

There is no tuition refunded for withdrawal after the 7th week of class, (fourth week in summer) and can not exceed 50% of the tuition paid. For students who have received any form of federal financial aid, the amount to be returned to financial aid programs will be determined by federal guidelines and may be different than that calculated according to CIIS's refund policy. The Financial Aid Office determines specific amounts according to applicable federal and state regulations. For further information and examples, contact the Financial Aid Office.

Return of Federal Funds
According to federal guidelines, (Section 668.22 of the Higher Education Amendments of 1998), withdrawing students who’ve received Title IV (i.e. federal) financial aid will have their financial aid recalculated according to the following guidelines:

• Only the amount of financial aid that has been earned (disbursed or could have been disbursed) based on the prorated amount of time the student has been in school for the semester will be retained on the student's behalf. Any aid that is not earned (based on the prorated amount of time) must be returned to the appropriated federal account/lender.
• The date of withdrawal is the date the Institute receives notification (formally, e.g. submitting a withdrawal request form, or informally, e.g. notifying by conversation, phone call, or email) from the student on her/his intent to withdraw.
• The amount of refundable institutional charges (tuition and fees) will be set by school policy. CIIS’s treatment of tuition and other fees related to student withdrawal may be found in the Schedule of Classes. If there is a balance due resulting from the calculation of unearned aid, the student may be responsible for payment.
• For students who have received federal financial aid, any refundable portion of tuition and fee costs that has been covered by a Federal Stafford Loan will be refunded directly to the lender, who will credit it against the student's outstanding balance (Unsubsidized loans will be offset before subsidized loans). Any portion of federal grants (e.g. Pell, FSEOG) that have not been earned will be returned to the appropriate fund; if this results in an “overpayment” situation (i.e., the student has received a federal grant that has not been fully earned) the student may be required to return those funds. The Financial Aid Office determines specific amounts according to applicable federal and state regulations.

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Student Employment Procedures

All student employment is considered financial aid; this means that the primary purpose is to assist students with financial need. The financial aid office has designed procedures in part to equalize the opportunities of International Students and students eligible for Federal Work-Study.

STEPS TO SECURING A JOB ON CAMPUS

1. Check for available positions on the job board outside of the Human Resources Office or online here.
2. Stop by the Financial Aid Office to see if you are eligible to work on campus. If you are, you will be issued a "job authorization form".
3. Turn in the authorization form to the department you are interviewing with.
4. If hired, stop by the Financial Aid Office to complete the necessary paper work.

REQUIRED FORMS

1. FAFSA (U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents only)-Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This is integral in determining financial need.
2. International Student Application for Employment Approval (International Students only)-fund and budget summary that will be used to determine the financial need for international students.
3. Job Authorization Form-Issued from the Financial Aid Office, reveals the amount the student may earn during the academic year. The form is valid for 2 weeks from the date of issue, and will need to be renewed if expired. Students are required to obtain a new form for every job they are applying for.
4. CIIS Student Employment Contract-Basic contract for employment, must be signed by the student, the hiring department head and returned to the Financial Aid Office for further processing.
5. Employment Eligibility Verification (Form I-9)-To be turned into the Financial Aid Office with documentation that establishes Identity and Employment Eligibility (eg. US Passport, or Foreign Passport with attached employment authorization).
6. Form W-4-Allows payroll to withhold the correct Federal income tax from your pay.
7. Personal Data/Emergency Contact Information form-Demographic, and contact information for your personnel file.
8. Acknowledgement of Receipt of At-Will Employment form-Acknowledges and accepts the rules and policies for employment at CIIS.
9. Drug Free Workplace Agreement- All employees must not use, possess, manufacture or distribute any controlled substances in the CIIS workplace or represented off-site locations.

CONTRACT INFORMATION

• The hourly rate for 2007-2008 is $11.75/hour.
• Students may not start working until all required documents have been submitted and approved by the Financial Aid Office.
• Students are allowed to work up to 20 hours a week (some exceptions can be made during the semester breaks), never to exceed 8 hours a day.
• Contracts are valid during semester breaks only for students who will continue their enrollment in the following semester.
• Students must maintain their financial aid eligibility, enrollment (be registered for classes), and satisfactory job performance as judged by their supervisor.
• Students are not authorized to work over the awarded amount. Earnings will be maintained by the Financial Aid Office. Once the student reaches their award limit, they must stop working (in some instances exceptions can be made by the Financial Aid Office).
• Student employees must take a 10 minute paid break every 3 1/2 hours. A 30 minute lunch break (unpaid) is required if working more than 5 hours.
• Additional contracts, forms, and requirements may be necessary for students working community service at off-campus locations.

HOW DO I GET PAID?
All hours worked will be reported electronically at https://studentemployment.ciis.edu/. Timesheets are due on or by the 8th and the 23rd of each month. After the timesheet is submitted by the student, the supervisor will approve the timesheet (also via the internet).Pay dates are typically the 15th and the last day of each month. The supervisors are responsible for submitting verified hours to the Financial Aid Office. At this time there is no provision to have student pay deposited directly into student bank accounts; paper checks are put in the students’ mail folders on the 4th floor. Alternatively, the student can request that the business office mail the pay check.

TYPES OF EMPLOYMENT
On-Campus

• Office Assistants (clerical, data entry, filing, copying)
• Technical Assistants (graphic artists, IT helpdesk, computer lab troubleshooting)
• Teacher Assistants (grading papers, answering student questions and concerns, assisting instructors)
• Research Assistants (collecting and entering data, assists in interviews, surveys, and assessments)

Off -Campus
Community Service (working for a public interest non-profit agency, especially as a reading tutor in a school or literacy program) Our student employees' work with our partnering organizations strives to improve the quality of life for community residents, particularly low-income individuals, or to solve particular problems related to their needs. (NOTE: Federally Eligible Students Only.)

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Leave of Absence Information for Student Loan Holders

The following information is based on Federal Regulations (CFR 668.22 (h)(2)(j)(B)(2) governing the rights and responsibilities of student loan holders who request a leave of absence from school.

1. A student who has been granted one leave of absence by the school in accordance with the following paragraphs is NOT considered withdrawn from school.
2. A school may approve a leave of absence to a student PROVIDED
   • a. The student has made a written request to be granted a leave of absence, signed and approved by their advisor (Leave of Absence form available from the Financial Aid Office).
   • b. The leave of absence involves no additional charges by the school to the student.
   • c. In any 12 months, the student can have no more than one leave of absence, and the leave of absence can not exceed 6 months.
   • d. The Leave of absence is authorized under these stipulations: medical reasons, job crisis, significant family sickness or death and other extenuating circumstances.
3. If a student does not return at the expiration of an approved leave of absence, the Institute will notify the lender/guarantor that the student has withdrawn as of the last date of half-time enrollment.
4. Students who need to be away from school for longer than 6 months (e.g. for medical reasons, etc.) should contact their lender for the appropriate forms (e.g. forbearance).
5. The borrower MUST notify the lender when the borrower resumes schooling. Otherwise the borrower will enter re-payment. Upon returning to school, the student must request the appropriate deferment form(s) from the lender, complete the student portion, and submit the form(s) in a timely manner to the Registrar's Office.
6. No financial aid will be disbursed while the student is on leave.

Note: The lender may not grant students deferment during an approved leave of absence. If the lender does not grant a deferment, the student should request a forbearance to prevent entering repayment after their 6 month grace period expires. A forbearance acts like a deferment with the difference being that Subsidized Stafford loans will accrue interest during any forbearance period.

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Deferments and Enrollment Verification

It is the responsibility of the student to maintain contact with the lender regarding deferment policies and necessary forms to complete. The Financial Aid office has forms which may be used to notify most lenders. It is the student's responsibility to request these forms (either from the lender or the Financial Aid office), complete the student's section or give the form to the Registrar's office for school certification.

Typically, students enrolled at least half-time and have not used their six month grace period can qualify for an in-school deferment on payments to their student loans.

For students newly admitted to CIIS, with outstanding prior student loans, you can qualify to have those loans put on deferment from payment. It is important that you notify your lender that you are returning to school and request the appropriate enrollment verification forms.

Students who have had prior loans and who have exhausted their grace period (e.g., been out of school for more than six months) should contact their lender or loan holder to determine if they need to maintain full or half-time status. Students who have not exhausted their grace periods (i.e., have not been required to begin repayment on their loans), need only be enrolled as half-time in order to get those loans deferred.

The Registrar's office reports enrollments electronically to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) three times throughout the semester (after add/drop, mid way through the term, and at the end of the term).

If the student fails to enroll for any semester, except the summer semester, or enrolls at less than half-time status, the Registrar will notify the student's lender to begin the student's grace period; the student's separation date will be listed as the last date that classes were held in which the student was enrolled on at least half-time basis. If the student resumes study after this period, but before the grace period has expired, the student must notify the lender of this fact.

Students must notify their lender of any change in their enrollment status.

WHAT CONSTITUTES FULL TIME AND HALF TIME AT CIIS?
The following definitions are used by the Financial Aid Office and the Registrar’s Office for the purposes of verifying financial aid eligibility and enrollment status:

For more information contact either the Financial Aid office or the Registrar’s office.

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Financial Aid Main Page