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Catalog 2011 - 2012

Financial Aid Information

The University of North Texas Health Science Center offers scholarship, grant and loan programs to assist students in meeting the costs of financing their education. Although financial aid is available for eligible students, it should be considered a supplement to a student's own financial resources.

The Office of Financial Aid is dedicated to quality customer service and the prompt delivery of aid program funds. Counselors are available to assist students in the application process to ensure that students receive the information needed to make the best decisions regarding their financial aid options. While financial aid is subject to strict federal and state regulations, the staff strives to help students navigate this complex path in a professional and courteous manner.

Student Eligibility

To be considered for financial assistance, a student must meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • Certify that he/she does not owe a refund on any grant or loan, is not in default on any loan or has made satisfactory arrangements to repay any defaulted loan, and has not borrowed in excess of the loan limits on any federal programs
  • Register with the Selective Service if required to do so
  • Maintain satisfactory academic progress
  • Use all funds received as financial aid for educational purposes only
  • Must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
  • Must be admitted to an eligible degree program

Applying for Financial Aid

Students must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) electronically at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov to be considered for financial aid. A computer with access to a printer and the previous tax year's information are required. For continuing students you can complete a renewal application with your pin number.

Students must complete a new FAFSA annually to be considered for financial aid.

The Office of Financial Aid does not have an application deadline. However, it is highly recommended that applications be submitted as early as possible as some funding is limited. Applications should be received no later than April 1 to facilitate the delivery of aid funds prior to payment deadlines. Students are ultimately responsible for the payment of their tuition and fee charges by stated deadlines and will receive a reimbursement upon receipt of any eligible financial aid funds.

Students selected for verification will be required to provide additional documentation and financial aid forms. If the selected data is incorrect, the processing time may increase.

Take adequate time to complete the FAFSA. Read and answer all questions carefully and accurately. The additional time spent will enhance and ensure a successful application process.

Students may schedule an appointment with a financial aid counselor to discuss eligibility requirements, verification, problems, budgeting of resources, or loan applications by calling (817) 735-2505 or (800) 346-8266.

The Office of Financial Aid is located in the Division of Student Affairs on the second floor of the Educational and Administration building (EAD-247).

Student Financial Aid Counseling

Individual student counseling is available and encouraged. Counselors are available to discuss budgeting and types of financial aid awards. Students receiving federal loans are required to complete electronic loan entrance counseling before the release of the first disbursement of their first loan.

Student Budgets

Student budgets are developed within federal and state guidelines. These budgets are evaluated annually and may or may not change depending on requirements by federal and state law. Student budgets are based on the following expenses for the student only (does not include spouse or other dependents) and may vary by college and/or degree program:

  • Tuition and fees
  • Books and supplies
  • Room and board
  • Transportation
  • Personal or Miscellaneous expenses
  • Health Insurance

Allowances for those students with dependents requiring dependent care and allowances for handicapped students may be permitted for students meeting specific requirements. In addition, students with unusual or extenuating educationally-related expenses that require special consideration should contact the Office of Financial Aid promptly. Students may be required to supply additional information for consideration of such requests. Regardless of the source, the total financial aid received by a student cannot exceed their cost of attendance budget.

Financial Aid Programs

Students who complete the FAFSA and meet eligibility requirements will be considered for federal, state, and/or institutional financial aid. In addition to financial criteria, most aid programs require the recipient meet academic standards in order to maintain eligibility. Some programs have limited funds, so early completion of the FAFSA is encouraged. The following are programs that eligible students may apply for:

  • Texas Public Education Grant
  • Texas College Work Study
  • College Access Loan
  • Health Education Loan Program
  • Federal College Work Study
  • Federal Perkins Loans
  • Scholarships for Disadvantage Students
  • Loans for Disadvantaged Students
  • Primary Care Loans
  • Federal Stafford Subsidized Loans
  • Federal Stafford Unsubsidized Loans
  • Graduate PLUS Loans
  • Various Institutional Loan Programs

We encourage all students to apply early since funding for some financial aid programs is limited. Students may also apply through the Health Science Center's Office of Financial Aid for various state, institutional and private scholarship programs. Students may also apply directly to private foundations for scholarship opportunities. Students are encouraged to contact the Office of Financial Aid for more information or questions they might have regarding financial aid and scholarships. For questions related on financial benefits associated with armed forces service, students should contact their local military recruiter.

Financial aid programs are governed by policies and practices of external governmental agencies and are subject to change without notice.

Credit Eligibility

Due to the demanding course schedule, holding a part-time job may not be possible. This creates a greater dependence on financial aid to cover living expenses. Some students discover a need to borrow additional funds beyond what the Stafford programs will allow. The source of these additional funds is usually a private alternative educational loan.

Unlike Stafford loans, the government does not guarantee alternative or private loans. Therefore, lenders usually review a student's credit history before granting an alternative or private loan. Educational loan defaults, bankruptcies, charge-offs, foreclosures, judgments, liens or an excess of slow payments could damage the chances of receiving the alternative or private loans necessary to cover all educational and living expenses that a student is responsible for while attending medical school.

A good credit history is important to ensure that any student is able to take full advantage of all funding options available through financial aid.

Insurance for Alternative Loans

Unlike Stafford loans, most alternative loans do not include a death/disability clause. This means that most alternative loans are not forgiven in the event of death or total disability. We recommend that any student planning to borrow money from an alternative loan program consider securing adequate insurance coverage for the loan.

Immigration Documents and Budget

When applying for a new visa document, international students may need to demonstrate sufficient financial support. This will usually be the case if:

  • The student is requesting an I-20 upon admission;
  • The student is asking for an extension of his/her stay;
  • There is a change in funding;
  • The student is asking for documentation for the first time for immediate family members and/or;
  • Documents in the student's file are more than 12 months old.

The amount of financial support required will vary depending upon the number of dependents the student is supporting. Consult with the International Student Advisor for further information.

Scholarships

The University of North Texas Health Science Center offers several competitive scholarships. Awards are open for competition on departmental/degree plan basis. Students should contact the Scholarship Coordinator in the Office of Financial Aid for subject specific scholarships.

Scholarships are awarded on the basis of a student's academic qualifications. Generally, scholarships range in value from $500 to $5,000. Out-of-state and international students who are recipients of university competitive academic scholarships in the amount of $1,000 or more qualify for in-state tuition rate.

The General Academic Scholarship application is located on the student portal at http://my.hsc.unt.edu. It is open to new and current students with a valid UNTHSC student ID number. The application deadline is March 1st of each year.

Additional scholarship opportunities are listed on the Office of Financial Aid department web site at http://www.hsc.unt.edu/departments/financialaid

The university administers many scholarships with applicants being selected based on meeting established criteria and subject to available funding. Listed below are several scholarships currently administered by UNTHSC:

A.E. Brooks Scholarship

Arrowsmith Award

Beverly & Stanley Weiss Scholarship

D.M. Richards Endowed Scholarship

DO/PhD Student Scholarship Stipend

Dr. C.W. & J. Spellman Endowed Scholarship

Dunlap Family Scholarship

Elizabeth Pelsma Levy Scholarship Fund

Elizabeth Reeves Henning Scholarship

Frederick L. Hill, DO Scholarship for Excellence in Primary Care Physicians in Texas

GSBS Endowed Scholarship

GSBS/Yorio 1st Year Scholarship

James O. Royder Endowed Scholarship

Jeremiah G. Mills Memorial Scholarship

Larry L. Bunnell, DO Scholarship

Makasha Colonvega Memorial Scholarship

MillerCoors Scholarship

Moorman Family Scholarship

PA Endowed Scholarship

Rachel Dauphin Memorial Fund

Ray & Edna Stokes Scholarship

Rural Medicine Scholarship

SPH Alumni Society Scholarship

SPH Dean's Award for Continuing Students

SPH Endowed Scholarship

Street & Williams Endowment Scholarship

Student Affairs Scholarship

TCOM Alumni Association Recognition of Achievement Scholarship

TCOM Alumni Association Scholarship

TCOM Dean's Meritorious Achievement Scholarship

TCOM Memorial Scholarship

UNTHSC Hackers Scholarship Fund

W.R. & Constance Jenkins Scholarship

Wayne & Norma Lee Stockseth Scholarship

Satisfactory Academic Progress

To maintain eligibility for consideration of all forms of financial aid, students must meet satisfactory academic progress as determined by their individual schools for all students. Academic progress is monitored by the Registrar's Office in conjunction with individual school personnel on a term by term basis. The minimum academic performance to remain enrolled in any program is equal to or exceeds the Federal standard of a minimum average grade of an overall "C" or grade point average of 2.0 and 75% completion of attempted hours. Furthermore, students can not continue enrollment in a course of study to the point that they would attain 150% of the required hours for that course of study.

Withdrawing from the University

If you officially withdraw, drop/stop-out, or are administratively withdrawn from the Health Science Center, any refund of tuition and fees and other University charges will be assessed for return to programs from which you were originally paid. An additional "repayment" calculation will be performed to determine if you must repay a portion of the assistance paid directly to you for living expenses. Office of Financial Aid personnel will apply the federally mandated formula for the return of financial aid funds. Funds will be returned to the programs from which the money was paid to you in the following order:

  • Federal Stafford Loan Program
  • Federal Perkins Loan Program
  • Graduate Parent Loan Program (PLUS)
  • Other Title IV Programs

Other Federal, State, Private or Institutional Student Aid

In addition, it is likely you will owe a repayment of unearned financial aid funds if you cease enrollment prior to the sixty percent (60%) completion point of any payment period for which you received financial aid funds. The completion point is based on the total number of class days in a payment period.

This page last modified March 29, 2011