Pay for School

Your Financial Aid Bill of Rights

Although the cost of college can sometimes seem criminal, it's important to know that when it comes to student financial aid, you do have some rights. Know these rights and ensure that they are being honored by colleges, federal and state institutions, and financial institutions.
In the financial aid process, you have the right to...

  • Privacy: All record and data submitted with financial aid applications are treated as confidential information.
  • Accept or decline any offer of financial aid.
  • Be notified before cancellation of aid, as well as the reason for cancellation.

On applying for financial aid, you have the right to know...

  • the cost of attendance
  • the refund policy for withdraws
  • what financial assistance is available from federal, state, and institutional resources
  • the procedures and deadlines for financial aid submissions
  • how financial aid recipients are selected
  • how your eligibility is determined

Regarding any awards your receive, you have the right to know...

  • how and when funds will be disbursed
  • full details of each type of award you receive
  • the interest rate
  • the total amount you must pay
  • when your repayment begins
  • the cancellation and deferment provisions of your loan
  • the length of your repayment period

Regarding any Federal Work-Study job, you have the right to know...

  • a job description
  • the hours
  • the pay rate
  • how and when you'll be paid

On meeting the obligations of your award, you have the right to know...

  • the criteria used to determine satisfactory performance
  • how to appeal any decision

The financial aid process can seem opaque at best. Knowing your rights going into it will help ensure that you get all the help to which you're entitled.

*SAT is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product. ACT is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc. PSAT/NMSQT is a trademark jointly owned by the College Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, which were not involved in the production of, and do not endorse, this product. None of the trademark holders are affiliated with Kaplan or this website.
95% students claim based on a survey of thousands of Kaplan students and parents of 2012 college applicants who were admitted to college as of May 2012.
‡Higher Score Guarantee: Conditions and restrictions apply. For eligibility requirements, visit kaptest.com/hsg.
SAT/ACT Offer: 100 offer: Must enroll between May 1 and May 31, 2013. Offer applies to SAT or ACT Premier Tutoring, Classroom Course, Classroom Anywhere™ Course, On Demand or Prep Trio. $200 offer applies to 20 and 26-hour Premier Tutoring packages. $300 offer applies to 32 and 48-hour Premier Tutoring packages. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Prices effective April 11, 2013. Retail prices subject to change without notice.
PSAT Offer: Must enroll in any PSAT course between May 1 and May 31, 2013 and enroll in SAT or ACT prep before December 31, 2013. Offer applies to new enrollments in PSAT Classroom, PSAT Classroom Anywhere, or PSAT On Demand. $100 offer applies to 14-hour packages in Premier Tutoring. $200 off applies to 20 or 26-hour packages. $300 offer applies to 32 or 48-hour packages. Cannot be combined with any other offer.