FEDERAL FUNDS (Title IV) AUTHORIZATIONS
Higher Education Act (HEA) Program fund regulations permit students to authorize use of Title IV financial aid funds for noninstitutional expenses such as books and supplies, parking registrations, parking fines, lost library books or dorm damage etc.
Title IV funds are federal student aid (FSA) funds administered by the U.S. Department of Education. Title IV funds include Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loan, Direct Graduate PLUS Loan, Direct PLUS Loan, federal Pell grant, and federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG). It does not include scholarships from the University or other private organizations.
If you are eligible for federal financial aid in excess of tuition and fees and you wish to use this excess to cover other charges (e.g., books, insurance, parking registration/fines, etc.), you must authorize Norwich University to pay these charges from your account balance. You may rescind this authorization at any time before incurring such charges, but you may not cancel it once such charges have been paid on your behalf. This authorization is valid for funds in excess of tuition, fees and room and board, based on your financial aid eligibility and enrollment status.
TITLE IV INFORMATION
Federal Student Aid (FSA) regulations specify what charges on your student account your federal financial aid can pay. FSA pays tuition, mandatory fees, room and board without an authorization. You may authorize Norwich University to use the funds to pay for other charges on your student account. You may also authorize the University to hold federal aid to pay expenses in a future term and to pay a nominal amount of charges from a prior academic year.
Your authorizations remain valid throughout your entire Norwich University career, unless you rescind them. As required by federal regulation, the University will refund to you excess Title IV funds at the end of each financial aid year whether you have provided an authorization to hold a credit balance or not.
Action needed:
To provide your authorization(s), log into Banner Self Service (SSB) then click on the Title IV Authorizations link. You may access the online form at any time through SSB. Step by step instructions to authorize federal funds for non-institutional charges:
- Sign into sso.norwich.edu with your Norwich Username and Password (this will bring you to the SSO Launchpad)
- Select Banner web icon from Launchpad (this will bring you to the Banner Web menu)
- Select Student
- Select “Title IV Authorization” link (to select your authorization(s) for past, current non institutional charges and future semester Title IV refunds).
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ):
TITLE IV FINANCIAL AUTHORIZATIONS FOR STUDENTS
What are Federal Title IV funds?
Title IV funds are federal student aid (FSA) funds administered by the U.S. Department of Education. Title IV funds include Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loan, Direct Graduate PLUS Loan, Direct PLUS Loan, Federal Pell Grant, and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG). It does not include scholarships from the University or other private organizations.
What must Title IV aid pay?
Your Title IV Federal financial aid will automatically pay your current-year institutional charges (i.e., tuition, mandatory fees, room and board). No further authorization is needed.
What aid is not restricted?
All other aid you are receiving (other than Title IV) will pay any charge on your account. For example, scholarships or institutional grants and private loans will always pay any charge on your student account.
Why might I have an excess of Title IV funds?
An excess of Title IV funds occurs when the total amount of Title IV funds disbursed to your student account exceeds charges for tuition, mandatory fees and room and board billed by the University on the student account. An excess of Title IV funds does not necessarily mean you have a credit balance on your overall account. It means there are no other charges that those funds may pay.
You may choose to authorize the University to use your Title IV funds to pay certain other educational related charges, hold a credit balance on your account to pay for future charges in the aid year, and to pay up to $200 of educational related charges from a prior year.
How do I complete the Authorization Questions for Federal Title IV Financial Aid Funds?
Log into Banner Self Service (SSB). Then click on the Title IV Financial Authorizations link in your menu. Your authorizations will be valid from that point on, extending through your entire Norwich career, unless you rescind them. This online form is how you manage your Title IV authorizations.
How might answering “yes” to the authorization questions help me?
By answering “yes” to the questions, Title IV funds will be able to pay other charges on your student account, funds will be able to be held as a credit balance for the aid year, and funds may pay up to $200 of educationally related charges in a prior year. You may provide authorizations for one, several, or none of these. The choice is yours.
If I answer “yes” to the questions, will I still be able to request a refund for the credit balance on my student account?
Yes. Your authorization is permission for the University to apply excess Title IV funds to other charges on your student account, hold a credit balance for future charges in the aid year, and to pay up to $200 of prior year educationally related charges.
What if I answer “no” to the Title IV Authorization questions?
If you do not want to grant permission to pay other charges with your Title IV aid, we will release your aid to your student account and it will pay only tuition, mandatory fees, and room and board for the current academic year. You may receive a refund (electronically to your U.S.-based checking or savings account if you have provided your banking information through NUpay -Manage Refunds link. Also, you may be sent a bill for any charges that could not be paid with your Title IV aid. Receiving a refund does not mean there are no pending charges on your account.
Do I have to answer the authorization questions each term or academic year?
No. Your authorizations remain valid throughout your entire Norwich University career, unless you rescind them. As required by federal regulation, the University will refund to you excess Title IV funds at the end of each financial aid year whether you have provided an authorization to hold a credit balance or not.
Is there a deadline?
No. Any authorization you provide is valid from that point forward, unless you rescind it. You may receive an email at the start of each aid year as a reminder of your options. You may access the online form at any time through self-service banner (ssb). For the best possible experience, make your choices before your aid disburses for the next term.
Does having an excess of Title IV funds mean that I have an overall credit balance on my student account?
Not necessarily. An excess of Title IV funds means that your federal financial aid exceeds the charges it is permitted to pay (as defined above). You may login to NUpay to determine whether you have a credit balance or an amount due to the University.
How may I rescind a Title IV authorization?
Go to Self-Service Banner (SSB) and select the Title IV Authorizations link. Please note that changes to your authorizations are not retroactive and take effect when they are processed.
What about authorizations for Parent PLUS loans?
Parent PLUS Loan credit balances are refunded to the loan’s originator at the address provided on the loan application. In certain cases, the originator may have directed overpayments to be applied to the student account at the time the loan application was completed.
Questions?
Please contact the Bursar’s Office by emailing nubursar@norwich.edu or phone us at (802) 485-2055. Our office is located in Jackman Hall, Room 204.