School of Nursing:

tuition and financial aid

Tuition for each term must be paid in full (or satisfactory payment arrangement developed) at the beginning of each term. Checks or money orders are made payable to the Ohio Valley General Hospital School of Nursing. The check should be identified with the student’s full name and paid directly to the Financial Aid Office, or sent to:

Ohio Valley General Hospital
School of Nursing (Financial Aid)
25 Heckel Rd.
McKees Rocks, Pa. 15136

Financial Aid

The School of Nursing participates in federal and state financial aid programs. To be eligible for financial aid, students must be citizens of the United States or eligible non-citizens, enrolled in an eligible program leading to a degree or certificate, not be in default or owe a refund on federal financial aid previously received and meet satisfactory academic progress standards. Additional eligibility criteria are outlined in The Student Guide, A US Department of Education publication available from the Financial Aid Office. A student must reapply each year to determine continued eligibility for most programs.

Applying for Financial Aid

The process for applying for financial aid is not complicated. The School of Nursing will assist the student and his or her family in every way possible. The student must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The form is available from the Financial Aid Office, high school counselors, most libraries, and the Internet (www.fafsa.ed.gov). The student will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) as a result of the FAFSA being processed by the US Department of Education. The SAR is used to determine eligibility for financial aid for most federal and state programs. At the student’s or parent’s discretion, a separate loan application may be completed to borrow educational funds. A student should contact the Financial Aid Office for institutional aid programs requiring a separate application. Each student is encouraged to apply early to maximize his or her eligibility for financial aid.

Disbursement of Financial Aid

In general, the School of Nursing disburses aid on a combination of one six week session and a full semester. Most financial aid is directly credited to a student’s account at the beginning of each payment period (term). Funds will not be credited until all requested documents and information have been received and verified. First time borrowers cannot receive the first disbursement of Stafford Loan until thirty days have elapsed from the start of classes.

Student Rights & Responsibilities

As a recipient of federal financial aid, a student has certain rights and responsibilities. Knowing these rights and responsibilities puts the student in a better position to make decisions about educational goals and how to achieve them. These rights and responsibilities are outlined in the Student Guide.

Description of Aid Programs Available

There are basically two forms of financial aid: gift aid, in the form of grants and scholarships, and educational loans. Gift aid does not have to be repaid by the student, but loan funds must be repaid. The School of Nursing participates in several federal and state financial aid programs as well as offering institutional aid.

Federal Pell Grant

Gift assistance based upon need and awarded through the federal government. The grant amounts are adjusted annually by Congress and generally range from $400 to $4,310. Students apply by completing the FAFSA. Students, if otherwise eligible, may qualify for a Federal Pell Grant regardless of the number of credits for which they are enrolled.

Subsidized Federal Stafford Loan

A loan program authorized by the federal government to provide educational loans to students who have financial need, with an annual maximum amount of $3,500 for the first year: $4,500 for second year students. Both dependent and independent students may qualify for a subsidized loan. Students apply by completing a loan application (Stafford MPN-Master Promissory Note) available online at www.aesuccess.org or at the School, bank, credit union, or other lending institution. To borrow, students must be enrolled at least half-time (6 credits).

Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan

It is a loan program authorized by the federal government providing educational loans to students who do not have financial need. The annual maximum amount for first and second year students is $4,000. Unsubsidized loans are limited to independents students and dependent students whose parents are prohibited from borrowing a PLUS loan. Students apply by completing a loan application available from the School, a bank or other lending institution, credit union, etc. To borrow, the student must be enrolled at least half-time (6 credits).

PLUS Loan

It is a Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students. Only the parents of a dependent student may borrow a PLUS loan. PLUS loan eligibility is not based on financial need. The maximum annual loan limit is the difference between educational costs and other financial aid the student is receiving. Parents apply by completing a loan application available at the School, a bank, or other lending institutions, credit union, etc. For a parent to borrow a loan, the student must be enrolled at least half-time (6 credits).

Subsidized KeystoneBEST Student Loan

In partnership with the Pennsylvania lending community, PHEAA announced new benefits to the low-cost KeystoneBEST Stafford loan by offering no up0front costs. Students save 1% as PHEAA does not charge a guaranty fee, and additional 1% in origination fees, underwritten by PHEAA and additionally up to 2% in origination fees, underwritten by lenders. The annual maximum amount for first year students is $3,500; for second year students it is $4,500. The federal government will pay interest on a subsidized loan while the borrower is in school. To borrow the student must have financial need and be enrolled at least half-time (6 credits).

Unsubsidized KeystoneBEST Student Loan

As with the Subsidized KeystoneBEST loan, there are no up front fees. Students are responsible for all the interest on an unsubsidized loan from the date of origination. The federal government does not pay any interest on the borrower’s behalf. This type of loan is limited to the cost of the borrower’s education minus the other financial aid. The annual maximum for both years is $4,000. To borrow the student must be enrolled at least half-time (6 credits)

KeystonePLUS

Developed to help the dependent undergraduate student cover the difference between the cost of education and the amount covered by the student’s financial aid package. Applying is easy; applications can be obtained from a participating lender or PHEAA. The student’s school will certify eligibility and the parent’s lender or PHEAA will perform a credit evaluation, PHEAA will notify parents, school and lender of eligibility.

Alternative Loans

If you have checked into scholarships, applied for grants, received a Federal Stafford and/or PLUS loan, and still have costs to cover for college, consider an alternative loan. Alternative loans typically have higher interest rates, more fees, and less flexible repayment options than the federal loan program. Alternative or private loans should only be used if: you need additional funds after obtaining financial aid through scholarships, grants, and federal loan programs; or if you are ineligible of receiving a Stafford and/or PLUS loan. Alternative loans are not part of federal programs like the Federal Family Educational Loan Program, therefore loan terms and conditions vary substantially by program and lender. They are based on creditworthiness and may require a co-signer. Please contact the Financial Aid Officer for more details and information.

PHEAA Grant

Gift assistance based upon financial need and awarded through the Commonwealth. The PHEAA Grant is available to qualifying permanent residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Award amounts are adjusted annually by the Commonwealth. Students apply by completing the FAFSA. To qualify for a PHEAA Grant, the student must be enrolled at least half-time (6 credits).

Ohio Instructional Grant (OIG)

Gift assistance based upon financial need and awarded through the state government. The OIG Grant is available to qualifying permanent residents of the State of Ohio. Award amounts are established by the state legislature. Students apply by completing the FAFSA. To qualify for the OIG Grant, The student must be enrolled at least half-time (6 credits).

Institutional Assistance

The School of Nursing offers institutional financial assistance from the Josephine Roseta Educational Foundation in addition to the federal and state aid programs. Institutional grants are generally based on a combination of financial need and academic merit. Institutional grants do not have to be repaid. Application procedures for all institutional grants and scholarships are discussed in The Student Guidebook.

Students should consult The Student Guidebook for more detail on annual awards, loan terms, and amounts, eligibility requirements for all programs, application procedures, and related information.

Refund Policy

Students may withdraw from the nursing program at any time. Students are required to submit a letter of withdrawal from the program to the Director of the School of Nursing. The letter must state the reason for leaving, be signed, and dated. Students must make arrangements for a final conference with the Director.

Students may owe the School a balance after all refunds are made. Students must make arrangements with the Financial Aid Advisor to ensure that all financial obligations are met.

Tuition Refund

The percentage of tuition refunded will be calculated in accordance with the application refund schedules outlined below. The Federal Pro Rata policy is only applicable to students enrolled for the first time at the School of Nursing and only during the first semester. All other refunds are calculated in accordance with the federal refund policy.

Although semesters may be combined for billing purposes, refunds, are based on the tuition charged for each semester, whether a mini session or a full semester. The student will receive a full refund of tuition charged for a semester if he or she never attends. For example, a first year student is billed for the first mini session and fall semester. The student will receive a full refund for the fall semester, and the refund will be calculated on the tuition attributable to only the mini session in which the student withdrew.

	6-Week Term	15-Week Term
Federal Pro Rata Policy	Refund %	Refund %
1st day of class	100%	100%
1st week	80%	90%
2nd week	60%	80%
3rd week	50%	80%
4th week	0%	70%
5th week	0%	60%
6th week	0%	60%
7th week	0%	50%
8th week	0%	40%
9th week	0%	40%
No refund beyond 9th week

Federal Refund Policy	All Terms Refund 50%
1st day of class	100%
After the first day of class, through 10% of the term	90%
Withdrawal after the first 10% but not through 25% of term	50%
Withdrawal after the first 25% but not through 50% of term	25%
After 50% of the term	0%

All Fees are nonrefundable

Tuition refunds are calculated using the student’s last day of attendance. The School will make refunds within 30 days of the student’s official withdrawal date or in the case of unofficial withdrawal, the date the School determines the student is no longer enrolled. The date of determination for unofficial withdrawal is more than 15 calendar days after the student’s last date of attendance.

Sample refund calculations are available in the Financial Aid Office.

Refunds are made in the following order:

Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans
Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans
Federal PLUS Loans
Federal Pell Grant
State Grant Programs (PHEAA, OIG)
Institutional Aid
Outside Agency Aid, and
Student

A student or parent, who believes an exception to the published refund policy is warranted, should submit a written appeal with documentation of any mitigating or unusual circumstances. The written appeal must be submitted within 45 calendar days of the last day of attendance. The appeal should be directed to the Financial Aid Advisor at the School of Nursing.

Repayment Policy

A student who receives a cash refund from grant aid will have a repayment calculation performed upon complete withdrawal from the program. This calculation is used to determine if any of the aid paid to the student for indirect expenses must be repaid to the financial aid programs.

All non-institutional living expenses are prorated based on the number of weeks the student completes each term. A partial week is treated as equivalent to a full week. For students who begin attendance in the term, 100% of the books and supplies allowance is considered expended.

Repayments are made in the following order:

Federal Pell Grant
State Grant, and
Institutional Grant