Entrance and Exit counseling

Every student who takes out student loans is required to have entrance and exit counseling. An online entrance interview is part of the financial aid packet. When completed, a confirmation document is sent electronically to the financial aid office. Until the certification is received no loans will be processed. Online exit counseling is also required when you leave DMU and is available on Pulse.

Eligibility Requirements

The U.S. Department of Education has established certain basic eligibility requirements for all federal financial aid. Other financial aid programs may have additional eligibility requirements.

To qualify for most types of aid, you must:

  • Have a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) certificate.
  • Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student working toward a degree or certificate in an eligible program at a school that participates in the federal student aid programs
  • Be enrolled at least half-time.
  • Be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or an eligible noncitizen.
  • Have a valid Social Security Number.
  • Make satisfactory academic progress.
  • Register with selective service, if required.
  • Not be in default on a federal student loan and not owe money back on a federal student grant.
  • Certify that you will use federal student aid only for educational purposes (on FAFSA)

Credit

Good credit will play an important role in financing your education if you plan on using a Direct Grad PLUS loan prior to completing your education. A credit check is done each time you apply for a Direct Grad PLUS loan. Poor credit could diminish your ability to secure a Direct Grad PLUS loan. The financial aid office encourages all prospective Direct Grad PLUS loan applicants to order a credit report. You can request a free credit report from three main bureaus at Annualcreditreport.com.

If something is incorrect now is the time to start the dispute process.

Three Main Credit Bureaus:

Verification

The Department of Education randomly selects students to verify financial information. You will be notified of this on your student aid report (SAR) and the financial aid office will send you an email notification of what needs to be done. Verification requires a student to provide a verification worksheet and any other requested information to the financial aid office to verify that the information on the FAFSA is the same as the other forms. If something needs to be corrected the financial aid office will notify you by email of the discrepancy. If corrections need to be made to the FAFSA, the financial aid office must have the corrected one before any funds can be released. If a student cannot complete the verification process within 45 days federal regulations require the loan proceeds be returned to the lender. They can be reissued upon satisfactory completion of verification.

Cost of Attendance Budgets

Based on federal regulations, student cost of attendance budgets are designed for the student only and are not intended to cover family living expenses. If you are married, the Department of Education along with the University expects your spouse to be a contributor to family expenses. Regulations allow budget increases to help with daycare expenses. If you have children for whom your spouse chooses to be a caregiver and will not be working, you must arrange for outside support in addition to financial aid through the University.

The University works conscientiously to provide a reasonable expense budget and to monitor long-term debt and maintain low default rates. Financial aid counseling is available on campus to help answer questions pertaining to your financial aid concerns. See cost of attendance budgets for each program.

In certain documented circumstances, a student’s budget may be increased to receive additional funds. These may include but are not limited to child daycare costs, excessive un-reimbursed medical bills (student only) costs associated with a disability or certain other unusual or unforeseen circumstances (not associated with living expenses, car payments, credit card payments, etc.). Please contact the financial aid office for information.

Disbursement Information

Loans are disbursed at the beginning of each term based on federal regulatory requirements. Disbursement and tuition due dates are available on the financial aid website. The lender will also send a notice of guarantee with disbursement dates as well as approved loan amounts and interest rates. You can also contact the financial aid office or the accounting office for more information. All funds are delivered directly to the business office. If there is a balance on your tuition account that amount is deducted from the loan proceeds and a refund is issued within three working days. Please note disbursement dates may vary each year of your program.

Refunds

Federal regulations and Des Moines University policy require the University to calculate a possible return to the lender of Title IV federal financial aid you obtained for tuition and fees if you withdraw, are suspended, are dismissed, take a leave of absence, or cease attendance before completion of the term for which you are registered. Return of funds calculations are based on the effective date of your withdrawal or leave of absence or the effective date of administrative action. That is, any time your status changes from a full-time student, there could be a return of financial aid.

View more information about Refunds.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

In order to maintain financial aid eligibility, you must maintain satisfactory academic progress. Each program has its own satisfactory academic progress policies.  View more information about Satisfactory academic progress for financial aid eligibility.

Dual Enrollment

Full-time students may register to take a course in one of the master of public health, master of health care administration, master of science in anatomy or master of science in biomedical sciences programs. If a student meets the eligibility requirements they can apply for admission into their selected program as a degree-seeking student.  See handbook for details on dual enrollment for the degree program. If a student meets the criteria to be eligible for financial aid, loans are available to cover the cost of additional tuition and books, there are no additional funds available for living expenses. Once accepted into the program, contact the financial aid office to verify financial aid eligibility.

Less-Than-Half-Time (LHT)

Less-than-half-time status students do not qualify for most forms of financial aid (including Federal Direct Student Loans). There may be an alternative loan available.

Leave of Absence

A student on an approved leave of absence (check student handbook for details) may be eligible for a tuition refund based on the date of the leave.  When a student returns from a leave, a credit is placed on the tuition account for the amount of tuition the school retained. A student is eligible for financial aid, but many factors dictate the amount and types of aid available. Contact the financial aid office for specific information prior to returning from leave.

Repayment

You are required to begin repayment of Direct Student Loans 6 months after you cease enrollment, regardless of the reason you left school. If you are required to do a residency or unable to make payments after your 6-month grace period, check with your lender about other options, including:

  • Deferment – Payments are suspended. Check Promissory note or with lender for details.
  • Forbearance – A period of time the lender may temporarily reduce or suspend payments. Contact lender for details.

The following repayment options may be available to you:

You should contact your servicer for details to determine what may be best for your situation. Visit www.nslds.ed.gov to find out the holder/servicer of all your federal student loans.

Alternative loan programs may or may not have these options available. It is important to keep in touch with your lenders/holders to find the repayment option that best fits your needs.

There are many repayment calculators available on the web to help you determine what your estimated monthly payments will be. For more information go to Department of Education Repayment Information.

If you have any questions or concerns about financial aid please contact the financial aid office.

NSLDS

Visit this website to view the holder/servicer of all your federal loans.

www.nslds.ed.gov

Rights and Responsibilities

Students have the right to know:

  • What financial aid programs are available and how to apply for them.
  • The cost of attendance and how financial need is determined.
  • The criteria used to determine financial aid eligibility.
  • The type and the amount of assistance you will receive.
  • How financial aid will be distributed.
  • The terms and conditions of all awards made.
  • The schools refund policy.
  • The satisfactory academic policy for financial aid eligibility.

Students are responsible to:

  • Submit all forms required to complete the application process in a timely and accurate manner.
  • Respond to requests for additional information in a timely manner
  • Keep DMU informed of any change of address, name, marital or enrollment status while you are a student.
  • Keep your lender or servicer informed of any change of address, name, marital or enrollment status until you loan is paid in full.
  • Notify the financial aid office of any additional financial aid resources you expect to receive.
  • Maintain satisfactory academic progress.
  • Re-apply for aid each year.
  • Use aid only for educational related expenses.
  • Repay all loans according to the term of the promissory note.
  • Borrow responsibly.

Veterans Information

Explanation about education benefit programs offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Defense.

  • If you served on Active Duty, you might be eligible for education benefits offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. For example, the Post-9/11 GI Bill® provides financial support for educational and housing expenses to individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate service after September 10, 2001, or individuals discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days. You must have received an honorable discharge to be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill®.
  • If you are currently serving in the military, you may be eligible for funding offered through the Department of Defense Tuition Assistance program. Check your eligibility status and the amount for which you qualify with your Service prior to enrolling.
  • If you are the spouse or child of a service member who is serving on active duty Title 10 orders in the paygrades of E1-E5, O1-O2, or W1-W2, you may be eligible for financial assistance from the Department of Defense for education, training, and/or the occupational license and credentials necessary for a portable career.
  • If you are the spouse or child of a service member, you may be eligible for transfer of the service member’s Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits to you

For additional Veteran's information, please visit the Registrar's veteran and military student resouces page.

To review default rate and average debt levels please go to: https://www.dmu.edu/financial-aid/default-rates-average-debt/.

For more detailed information on program outcomes for specific programs, please go to: https://www.dmu.edu/about/consumer-information/ and scroll down to Outcomes, Graduation and Placement Rates and click on your program of study.

If you have questions, please contact our point of contact and certifying official for veteran’s benefits, Bryan Hays, Associate Registrar at bryan.hays@dmu.edu

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.  

Scroll to Top