Educational Institution Procedures Guide

Transcription

1 Educational Institution Procedures Guide

2 Table of Contents Overview of the Students Finance System...3 Confirming Registration for Full-Time Students...4 Automated Confirmation of Registration...5 Manual Confirmation of Registration...5 Steps to Completing Manual COR...6 Concurrent Enrollment...8 Confirming Registration for Part-Time Students Completing Section 5 of the Part-Time Application Signing a Part-Time Canada Student Loan Certificate Certificate of Eligibility for Part-Time Student Loans and Grants Canada Student Loan Agreement for Part-Time Students Confirmation of Registration for Alberta Part-Time Grants Confirmation of Registration Acceptable Parameters Confirm Registration for Previously Funded Students Completing Form B Confirmation of Registration Completing Schedule 2 Confirmation of Enrolment Federal Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment System (ECE) Confirmation of Enrolment Letter Tuition Remittance Requesting Tuition Remittance from Full-Time Student Aid Requesting Tuition Remittance from Part-Time Loans and Grants Receiving Tuition Remittance Changes to Registration and Withdrawals For Private Career Colleges Reporting Changes to Registration Part-Time Students More Information Refunding Tuition Where Does the Tuition Refund Need to Be Sent? How to Send Tuition Refunds June 2016 Page 1

3 How Much Tuition Needs to Be Refunded? Submitting Session Dates and Costs Study Periods Session Dates Session Costs Allowable Costs Reporting Changes at Your School Resources and Contacts Resources Student Aid Alberta Website Operational Policy and Procedure Manual Scholarships Resources for Schools Training for Post-Secondary School Representatives NSLSC Repayment Training Student Aid Alberta Listserv Contacts June 2016 Page 2

4 Educational Institution Procedures Guide The purpose of this guide is to provide authorized school officials with information regarding many tasks you will need to complete for students who are issued funding by Student Aid Alberta, such as: Confirming registration manually and online Requesting and receiving tuition remittance Notifying Student Aid Alberta of changes to a student s registration Refunding tuition Submitting session dates and costs (Alberta schools only) Notifying Student Aid Alberta of changes at the school This guide is not a procedural manual, but will instead provide representatives of post-secondary schools with an overview of the Student Aid Alberta systems and processes. For some of the more detailed topics and processes (such as the Students Finance System and Confirmation of Registration), we will guide you to the appropriate resource(s) and assist you in finding the information you need. Note: The information in this guide applies to the loan year and is applicable to session start dates between August 1, 2016 and July 31, For the loan year procedures, please refer to the Educational Institution Procedures Guide: , or contact the Client Resolution Unit. cru@gov.ab.ca Phone: , select option 4, 1 (post-secondary school representatives only) Overview of the Students Finance System The Students Finance System (SFS) is the online system that allows you to search and access information about your students that are receiving full-time funding from Student Aid Alberta. It also allows you to perform specific functions such as confirming registration of full-time students online and requesting tuition remittance. Access to SFS is optional. To gain access a school must: Be located in Canada, Be designated for student loan funding, and Enter into a legal agreement with Student Aid Alberta by signing the Access to Learner Information Agreement (ALIA). By signing the ALIA, the school consents to conditions intended to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of student records, and to inform us of any changes in staff who have access to SFS. June 2016 Page 3

5 There are two main components of SFS for schools. 1. Inquiry allows you to see the status and details of student applications, view letters to students and review the payment schedule and calculations. 2. COR allows you to complete the Automated Confirmation of Registration (COR), request tuition remittance and report changes to a student s registration. For more information on the ALIA and full instructions on accessing SFS-COR: Visit: studentaid.alberta.ca/resources for Schools/SFS-COR for Schools EAE.SAACorAccess@gov.ab.ca Confirming Registration for Full-Time Students Student Aid Alberta must receive confirmation of registration from the student s school before allowing the release of any student aid. By confirming registration, you are verifying that a student is registered in at least 60% of a full course load. Only post-secondary courses can be considered when determining if a student meets the requirements to be considered full-time. Exceptions Private Career Colleges All full-time licensed programs at Alberta private career colleges are offered only at 100% of a full course load. Students in these programs must study at the full course load in order to receive student aid. Students with Documented Permanent Disabilities If a student has been approved to study at a reduced course load, they may be considered full-time if taking at least 40% of a full course load. A Schedule 4 must be submitted to Student Aid Alberta for each application period the student is taking a reduced course load. For more information, please refer to Students with Permanent Disabilities at studentaid.alberta.ca June 2016 Page 4

6 Automated Confirmation of Registration When to use: School has signed ALIA and has access to SFS Confirming full-time registration Students are not concurrently enrolled There are two methods of Automated COR: 1. Online - Allows schools to confirm registration, request tuition remittance and report changes to student registration using SFS. 2. Batch - Allows the school s system to retrieve and send large groups of student data in order to confirm registration, request tuition remittance or report changes to student registration. The batch method is suitable for schools with high volumes of funded students. Schools participating in the batch method go through a certification process to ensure that technical requirements are met. For more information on Automated COR functions, please refer to: The COR Online User Guide Guidelines to Support Automated COR at studentaid.alberta.ca/resources for Schools Manual Confirmation of Registration When to use: School has no signed ALIA or Access to SFS, or School is located outside of Canada, and Student is attending full-time, or Student is concurrently enrolled Student Aid Alberta will provide a Manual Confirmation of Registration Worksheet to the student if they are attending a school that does not participate in automated COR or if they are concurrently enrolled. A copy will be mailed to the home address of the student, and will also be available for the student to view on SFS. The student is instructed to have the Registrar s Office (or equivalent) at their school complete the worksheet. The worksheet must then be returned to Student Aid Alberta so that funding can be issued. The top section of the worksheet contains information about the student, their program and the disbursement schedule (for information purposes only). The student and program information reflects what the student indicated on their full-time student aid application; you will need to verify that this information is correct. June 2016 Page 5

7 Steps to Completing Manual COR 1. Verify Student Identity To verify the student s identity, you should ensure that there is an exact match between the school s registration records and the worksheet information for one of the following combinations: Alberta Student Number (ASN) and Last Name, or ASN and Birthdate, or Last Name, Birthdate and School Student ID, or Last Name, First Name and Birthdate If there is no exact match for one of those combinations, no changes should be made to the student information on the worksheet. Instead, the student must take actions to correct the information before you confirm their registration. If the error is in the school records, the student may update registration records at the school If the error was made on the student s funding application, the student may update application information with Student Aid Alberta If the student updates their information with Student Aid Alberta, a new confirmation of registration worksheet will be sent to the student. The student will then need to bring that corrected worksheet to the school for signature. To correct the information with Student Aid Alberta, the student can submit a Level 1 Request for Reconsideration, along with the appropriate supporting documentation. June 2016 Page 6

8 2. Verify Program Information The next step is to verify that program information on the worksheet (provided by the student when applying for student aid) matches with the student s registration records at the school. If the institution, session dates or program information does not fall within the parameters described below, you should not attempt to make corrections on the worksheet. Instead, the student must contact Student Aid Alberta to update their application. A new confirmation of registration worksheet will then be sent to the student. Institution The school s name must be correct. Program Session The program session dates must be within acceptable parameters (refer to Confirmation of Registration Acceptable Parameters). Program and Specialization Check that the program name and session dates match your records. Usually you are looking for an exact match. If you have an exact match, confirm as Yes. However, if the program name is not an exact match, before confirming as Yes you must verify that program costs (tuition and mandatory fees) are within $100 of costs for the listed program. In some cases, if the listed program information is incorrect, the student s eligibility for funding may be affected. This is especially the case if: The program shown on the worksheet is a one-year program (including Open Studies) and the student s correct program is a multi-year program, or vice-versa, or, The program shown on the worksheet is a graduate studies program, and the student s correct program is an undergraduate program, or vice-versa. June 2016 Page 7

9 Exception: Session Costs for Out-of-Province Schools Schools located outside of Alberta are not required by Student Aid Alberta to confirm a student s session costs, even if the program is incorrect. Students will be required to provide Student Aid Alberta with the correct program information by submitting a Request for Review (Level 1- Request for Reconsideration). Course Load Only full-time students are mailed the Confirmation of Registration Worksheet. By completing the worksheet you are confirming that the student is registered in at least 60% of a full course load at the school (or 40% of a full course load in the case of a student with a documented permanent disability). Only post-secondary courses can be considered when determining if a student meets the requirements to be considered full-time. Concurrent Enrollment If the concurrent enrolment indicator appears and says Yes, you should only confirm as Yes if both: The school has received a concurrent enrollment letter from Student Aid Alberta that lists the school as the primary school, and The student is registered at the school in the courses listed on the concurrent enrollment letter 3. Confirm as Yes or No After you have verified student identity, program information and full-time status, you must then confirm the student as Yes or No. Yes means they are correctly registered in their full-time program. No means the student is not, and will not, be registered full-time for this study period. A No response will cancel the student s funding. June 2016 Page 8

10 Confirming as a No If you provide a No response, you should also provide a reason: Withdrew the student was registered full-time in the past, but has now formally withdrawn from the school before the worksheet could be completed. Never Attended the student was never registered full-time for this study period, and does not intend to register. Dropped to Part-time Studies the student was previously registered as a full-time student but has dropped to below 60% of a full course load (40% for a student with a documented permanent disability) before the worksheet could be completed. For No responses, unless the student never attended, you should also provide the effective date; this is the date on which the student ceased to be registered as a full-time student. After selecting Yes or No, the Authorized Official at the school must provide name and title, signature and today s date. If available the Authorized Official should also provide a school stamp. (If a stamp is not provided, Student Aid Alberta may contact the school at a later date to verify that the Authorized Official s signature is valid). Amend Registration Section You should leave the Amend Registration section blank when first providing a response on a Confirmation of Registration Worksheet. This section is only to be used if the student drops below full-time enrolment after the worksheet was originally completed. 4. Return the Worksheet The worksheet can be returned by mail, fax or by the student or the school representative. Fax: EAE.COR-AB@gov.ab.ca Mail: Student Aid Alberta Attn: Payment Area PO Box 28000, Station Main Edmonton AB Canada T5J 4R4 June 2016 Page 9

11 You should retain a copy of the worksheet for school records. The copy can be used to report a withdrawal (using the Amend Registration section) if the student withdraws or drops below full-time enrolment prior to the session end date. For more information on the Manual COR Worksheet, refer to the Manual COR Instructions and FAQs at studentaid.alberta.ca To obtain a new copy of the Confirmation of Registration Worksheet, please contact the Client Resolution Unit. Phone: , option 4 (school representatives only) Phone: , option 1 (students only) cru@gov.ab.ca Confirming Registration for Part-Time Students Schools can provide confirmation of registration for currently-funded part-time students by: Completing Section 5 of a student s part-time application (federal and provincial funding) Signing a part-time Canada Student Loan certificate (federal funding only) Completing the Mailing List for Alberta Part-time Grants (provincial funding only) Completing Section 5 of the Part-Time Application Schools play a role in helping part-time students apply for funding by completing Section 5 of the Application for Financial Assistance for Part-Time Post-Secondary Studies. By providing course and program information in Section 5, you provide an initial confirmation of the student s part-time registration. When completing Section 5, you should particularly note: Expected Percentage of a Full Course Load If the student is enrolled in at least 60% of a full course load, a full-time application must be used instead of the part-time application. List Course(s) for Current Study Period If a student changes one or more courses after the part-time application is submitted, a correction should be sent to Student Aid Alberta to ensure accurate course information is on file by fax, or mail. Fax: EAE.COR-AB@gov.ab.ca Mail: Student Aid Alberta Attn: Payment Area PO Box 28000, Station Main Edmonton AB Canada T5J 4R4 June 2016 Page 10

12 School Official Any official to whom the school gives authority to complete Section 5 may assist students by completing the following section. June 2016 Page 11

13 Signing a Part-Time Canada Student Loan Certificate Students who are approved for a Part-Time Canada Student Loan receive two loan documents: Certificate of Eligibility for Part-Time Student Loans and Grants Canada Student Loan Agreement for Part-Time Students Certificate of Eligibility for Part-Time Student Loans and Grants Do not alter this document. Part-time certificates that are altered (except in ways specifically mentioned in this guide) will be voided by the Canada Student Loans Program. If changes are required, the student must return the certificate to Student Aid Alberta for correction, cancellation and/or reissue. All highlighted sections must be completed by the Authorized Officer at the school. June 2016 Page 12

14 Steps to Completing Certificate of Eligibility for Part-Time Loans and Grants 1. Verify and/or complete the Part-Time Certificate When presented with a Certificate of Eligibility for Part-Time Student Loans and Grants (also referred to as the part-time certificate) you should first verify that the student identified on the loan agreement is the same student in the school s records and that the student is registered in 20%-59% of a full course load. Name and Address of School Verify that the name of the school printed on the part-time certificate matches the name of the school where it is being presented. If the school name does not match, do not sign the part-time certificate. The student must return the certificate to Student Aid Alberta for cancellation and/or replacement. If the school name and codes are correct but the school s address does not match, it is acceptable to sign the part-time certificate. The school should notify Student Aid Alberta of the correct address as soon as possible. Not to be Advanced Before Verify that the Not to be Advanced Before date is not earlier than the current month. Number of Study Weeks As long as the period of study start date and period of study end date are correct, you do not need to be concerned about verifying the number of study weeks listed on the part-time certificate. Course Load % Verify that the percentage of a course load indicated on the part-time certificate is accurate. If the percentage is not accurate, the part-time certificate should be returned to Student Aid Alberta, along with a note of explanation, for cancellation or reissue Period of Studies Commencement Date and Period of Studies End Date Verify that the start and end dates printed on the part-time certificate match the student s registration records. If the start or end dates are incorrect, refer to Confirmation of Registration Acceptable Parameters. If the start and end dates are not within acceptable parameters or if it is past the period of studies end date, do not sign the part-time certificate. The student must return the part-time certificate to Student Aid Alberta for cancellation and/or reissue for a different study period. Signature of Authorized Officer and Date Signed Sign in black or blue ink as Authorized Officer of the school. You must also fill in the date signed. The current date must be used it cannot be postdated. The date signed must not be more than 30 days before the Not Negotiable Before date. June 2016 Page 13

15 Name, Title, and Telephone Number of Authorized Officer The authorized official must provide all of these details. Instructions, if any, to the NSLSC Schools may request remittance of tuition and mandatory fees from part-time certificates. These funds will be paid directly to the school to cover part, or all, of the student s tuition. 2. Return the Certificate Once the part-time certificate is completed and signed, it can be processed and negotiated through the National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC). Return all copies of the part-time certificate to the student. Copy 3A can be retained by the school; if it is sent to NSLSC with the other copies of the form, it will be returned to the school by the NSLSC when the part-time certificate has been negotiated. The part-time certificate must be negotiated within 30 days from the date of the school s signature. If a student does not cash their certificate within 30 days, you may reconfirm registration by re-signing and re-dating the Confirmation of Enrolment by crossing out the old values and initialing the changes. Acceptable Changes to the Part-Time Certificate After a part-time certificate has been completed - but before it is negotiated, the following fields may be updated. Student Address The student will need to cross out the old address, write in the new address and initial the changes. The student should notify Student Aid Alberta of the new address so that future correspondence goes to the correct address. Signature of Authorized Official and Date Signed Because confirmation of registration is only valid for 30 days, a student may request that the school re-confirm registration on the part-time certificate. Cross out the old signature and date and then re-sign, re-date and initial the changes. Special Instructions / Tuition Remittance The amount of remittance requested may be changed prior to negotiating the certificate. Cross out the old value, write in the new value and make sure both the student and the Authorized Official initial the changes. No other fields should be altered on the part-time certificate. If other changes are required, the certificate should be sent back to Student Aid Alberta with a letter of explanation. The certificate will be cancelled, and a corrected certificate will be sent to the student. Canada Student Loan Agreement for Part-Time Students You do not need to complete anything on the Canada Student Loan Agreement for Part-time Students. Students are advised to provide their information, read the terms and conditions, provide their banking information (to allow for direct deposit of federal part-time grant cheques) and sign and date the form. It should be sent to the NSLSC along with the part-time certificate. June 2016 Page 14

16 Confirmation of Registration for Alberta Part-Time Grants If a student has been approved for the Alberta Part-Time Grant, you will need to confirm the student is registered to attend part-time in order for the funding to be released. Student Aid Alberta will fax a request for the Confirmation of Registration for Part-time Grant Funding to the school. You will receive a list of all students who have applied for part-time funding, but have not received their funds, and an instruction sheet to help you complete the confirmation. Step 1 In the space provided, you will need to confirm the student is registered for part-time studies for the session dates listed by indicating Yes in the space provided on the signature line. If the student is not eligible for part-time funding, confirm as No and provide a reason: Not Registered Never Attended Withdrew (provide date of withdrawal) Dropped below 20% of a full course-load (provide the date change occurred) Step 2 Print the name and title of the authorized school official, then sign and date the form. Step 3 Return the list to Student Aid Alberta Program and Payments and Revenue Support. Fax: If you have confirmed the student as Yes, the Alberta part-time grant cheque will be mailed directly to the student s home address. June 2016 Page 15

17 If you have confirmed the student as No, the grant funding will be cancelled. If the student registers at a later date, the funding may be reinstated. If this is the case, contact the Client Resolution Unit. Phone , option 4, 1 CRU@gov.ab.ca Confirmation of Registration Acceptable Parameters Session Dates A student s eligibility (in part) depends on the number of funded months on the student s application. Student Aid eligibility is not affected by changes in study dates that do not affect the number of months the student is funded for. To ensure the dates are within the acceptable parameters for the Confirmation of Registration, determine which months the student is being funded for: If a program starts prior to the 16 th day of the month, the student is funded for that month. If the program starts on or after the 16 th day of the month, the student is not funded for that month. If the program ends after the 6 th day of the month, the student is funded for that month. If the program ends on or before the 6 th day of the month, the student is not funded for that month. If the dates on the confirmation request fall within the acceptable parameters, you may confirm the student as Yes. Examples The program start date is September 9 th ; the student is funded for September. If the program start date is September 18 th, the student is not funded for the month of September. The program end date is April 12 th ; the student is funded for April. If the program end date is April 3 rd, the student is not funded for the month of April. Student Applied for More Semesters Than They Are Registered For Student Aid Alberta allows a student to apply for more than one semester per application. If a student s session dates cover multiple semesters, but the student is only registered in one semester at the school, you can confirm the student as Yes under the assumption the student will register for the next semester at a later date. If the student does not register later, you will report them as having withdrawn, and all funding for the next semester will be cancelled. June 2016 Page 16

18 Session Costs If the session costs are incorrect, but are within approximately $100 of the actual costs of tuition and mandatory fees, you may confirm the student as Yes. Note: This rule does not apply to out-of-province schools. Confirm the student as Yes For more information, refer to the COR Tip Sheet in Resources for Schools section of studentaid.alberta.ca Confirm Registration for Previously Funded Students You may be asked to provide confirmation of registration for previously-funded students who are not currently receiving funding through Student Aid Alberta so student loans can be reinstated to interest-free status. Two forms are generally used for this purpose: Form B Confirmation of Registration When to Use: Alberta Student Loans Medical Residents Full or part-time students Schedule 2 Confirmation of Enrolment When to Use: Canada Student Loans Full-time students only Due to a harmonization between federal and provincial service providers, a previously-funded student who is now enrolled full-time only needs to submit either the Form B or a Schedule 2 not both to have all loans reinstated to interest free status. If the student is studying part-time, the Form B should be completed. More information on keeping loans at interest-free status can be found on the Keep You Loans Interest-Free section of studentaid.alberta.ca Completing Form B Confirmation of Registration A student who is currently in school, or will be returning to school and will not be receiving student aid, should submit a Form B to be reinstated to interest-free status. The student may be registered for either full-time or part-time studies in a designated program to maintain interest-free status on an existing Alberta Student Loan. Only post-secondary courses can be considered when completing a Form B. June 2016 Page 17

19 When a Form B is received at RBC (Royal Bank of Canada) or CIBC (Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce), any previous Alberta student loans at RBC or CIBC will be transferred to Student Aid Alberta Service Centre (SAASC). The student will then repay all Alberta loans through SAASC. The Form B can be obtained in the Applications and Forms section of studentaid.alberta.ca 1. You will need to complete all fields in Section 2 of the form. 2. Sign and date the form. The Form B must be signed within 30 days of the academic start date and prior to the academic year end date. 3. Retain a copy of the form for your records. The student must submit the form to SAASC and/or their lender(s) within 30 days of the date the form was signed and prior to their academic year end date. If the form indicates the student is enrolled full-time, any outstanding Canada Student Loans will also be reinstated to interest-free status (Schedule 2 not required). Exceptions Current or Returning Students Receiving Funding If a student is currently in school, or returning to school and will be receiving Alberta Student Aid, neither form is required. Previous Alberta Student Loans will be automatically reinstated to interest-free status once new loan funding is processed by the Student Aid Alberta Service Centre (SAASC). Alberta Loans at RBC or CIBC will be transferred to SAASC. June 2016 Page 18

20 Apprentices Alberta loans issued to apprentices will automatically remain in interest-free status as long as the student remains registered as an apprentice with Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training. The Form B is not required. Medical Residents Medical Residents may submit a Form B for interest-free status during their medical residency training periods. The Form B can be completed by the school (or administrator at the hospital, if required) where the residency has been arranged. Completing Schedule 2 Confirmation of Enrolment A student must be registered for full-time studies in a designated program to maintain interest-free status on an existing Canada Student Loan. Only post-secondary courses can be considered when completing a Schedule 2. The Schedule 2 - Confirmation of Enrolment is available on the Applications and Forms section of studentaid.alberta.ca 1. Complete all relevant sections of the form (highlighted below). 2. Sign and date the form. 3. Remove copy 3 before returning it to the student. Maintain this for your records. The student must submit the appropriate Schedule 2 copies to National Student Loan Service Centre (NSLSC) and/or their lender(s) within 30 days of the date the form was signed and prior to their study end date. June 2016 Page 19

21 Federal Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment System (ECE) The federal government s ECE system allows schools to confirm a student s registration online. For Alberta students, ECE may be used instead of a Form B or Schedule 2 to confirm students who are registered full-time, but not receiving funding. For more information on ECE, contact the National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC). Phone: Confirmation of Enrolment Letter A Confirmation of Enrolment Letter on the school letterhead is also acceptable to maintain the student s interest-free status. It must be prepared within 30 days of the academic start date and prior to the academic year end date. It must include the following: Date it was written Student s name Student s Social Insurance Number Academic start date Academic end date Indication of whether the student is enrolled full-time, full-time with a reduced course load (if the student has a permanent disability), or part-time. If the student is a medical resident this should also be indicated. Signature of school s authorized official This letter must be sent to the lender(s) prior to the student s end of study date. Mailing Addresses: Student Aid Alberta Service Centre PO Box 4050 Mississauga STN A Mississauga ON L5A 4M9 National Student Loans Service Centre PO Box 4030 Mississauga ON L5A 4M4 Royal Bank PO Box 4700 STN D Etobicoke ON M9A 4X June 2016 Page 20

22 CIBC Student Loans Centre PO Box 5055 Burlington ON L7R 4P Tuition Remittance Student Aid Alberta facilitates the paying of tuition and mandatory fees by giving schools an option of requesting that a portion of the student loans and grants be sent directly to the school. Requesting tuition remittance is optional. Tuition remittance may be requested for: Full-time students attending an automated COR school Students receiving part-time Canada student loans and grants When requesting tuition remittance, Student Aid Alberta asks schools to keep in mind that students have living expenses in addition to their school expenses. It is always best to discuss tuition remittance with students so they can plan their finances accordingly. Tuition cannot be remitted from the following types of funds: Canada Grant for Services and Equipment for Students with Permanent Disabilities Alberta Grant for Students with Disabilities Alberta Part-Time Grant Scholarships The Canada Grant for Services and Equipment for Students with Permanent Disabilities and the Alberta Grant for Students with Disabilities are issued to students to cover the costs of permanent disability related equipment and services and are not to be used for tuition or other costs. For more information, please refer to Students with Permanent Disabilities at studentaid.alberta.ca The Alberta Part-time Grant and Scholarship funding is not issued to students electronically it is mailed by cheque and therefore there is no way to remit tuition from it. Requesting Tuition Remittance from Full-Time Student Aid Tuition remittance requests for students receiving full-time student aid can only be done through the SFS-COR screens using the Online and Batch COR methods, and must be requested prior to the funds being disbursed. June 2016 Page 21

23 The amount of tuition remittance allowed will typically be the cost of the student s tuition and mandatory fees plus an additional $1000. You will not have to decide which type of funding to remit tuition from; the service provider will determine the order of funding that tuition remittance will be applied against. The amount requested for tuition remittance will be extracted from federal funding first (grants, then loans), then provincial funding (grants, then loans). For more information about COR functions, please refer to: COR Online User Guide and Guidelines to Support Automated COR documents at studentaid.alberta.ca/resources for Schools Requesting Tuition Remittance from Part-Time Loans and Grants You may use the Certificate of Eligibility for Part-Time Student Loans and Grants to request tuition remittance from federal part-time funding by indicating the amount of tuition to be remitted in the Instructions to the National Student Loan Service Centre Area. Tuition remitted will be extracted from grants first, then loans. Receiving Tuition Remittance The tuition remittance will be paid directly to the school when the loan funding has been disbursed. In order for funding to be issued, the student will have had to meet the following conditions. Full-Time Students: Both provincial and federal Master Student Financial Assistance Agreements (MSFAA) are completed and approved by the lenders (even if student is only receiving one fund type, both must be returned) Confirmation of Registration completed Consent and Declaration (for married or common-law students who are first time online applicants) completed and returned to Student Aid Alberta Part-time students: Complete and return part-time certificate Complete and return part-time agreement No part of the funding will be issued to students or schools prior to the study start date. Once all conditions have been met, any amount of funding remitted for tuition will be sent to the school by the lenders. Tuition remittance from Alberta student loans and grants is issued by the Student Aid Alberta Service Centre (SAASC). Tuition remittance from Canada student loans and grants is issued by the National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC). June 2016 Page 22

24 You can check the payment status of grants and loans in SFS in the Payment Schedule. To receive tuition remittance by direct deposit, you will need to submit the Electronic Funds Transfer Request Form for each of the lenders. For more information on electronic funds transfer, or to obtain copies of the forms, have questions about disbursements or tuition remittance payments, you may contact the lenders directly: Student Aid Alberta Service Centre Phone: , option 4, 2 (school representatives only) National Student Loans Service Centre Phone: Note: Student Aid cannot guarantee that each school will receive the requested tuition remittance amount. Student applications may be frozen, cancelled, changed or funds may be moved. Any of these activities might prevent a tuition remittance. June 2016 Page 23

25 Changes to Registration and Withdrawals You must immediately notify Student Aid Alberta of a withdrawal in cases where the student s registration has changed. The student would be considered to have withdrawn if: Student has formally withdrawn from full or part-time studies at the school Student has dropped from full-time to part-time Student never attended Student is completing early The effective withdrawal date is the first day the student was no longer considered a full-time student. You must notify Student Aid Alberta of any full or part-time student withdrawals within 15 calendar days of when the school becomes aware of the withdrawal, except in December when notification must be received within seven calendar days. If a student has had a break in studies of more than 30 days, they will be considered withdrawn and must submit a new application if they require additional funding. For Private Career Colleges Under the Withdrawal Policy for Students Attending Alberta Private Career Colleges licensed under the Private Vocational Training Act, you must report a student as withdrawn when: A student has missed five consecutive days without contacting the school, before or during the absence, to provide a reasonable excuse. The withdrawal date is the first day the student was absent. A student with a reasonable excuse is absent more than 30 consecutive days. The withdrawal date is the first day the student was absent. A student has excessive absences that will prevent them from successfully completing their program within the scheduled study period. The withdrawal date is the last day the student was in attendance. You are required to monitor and record attendance. When a student is absent, you must keep track of the details relating to the absence and describe the circumstances: Dates absent, Reason for the absence (excusable or non-excusable), and Any contact with the student. June 2016 Page 24

26 Once a student is considered withdrawn, in addition to reporting the withdrawal to Student Aid, you must provide written termination of the contract to the student (Private Vocational Training Act, Section 12.1) For further information about tuition refunds, you may contact Alberta Private Careers Colleges Branch. Phone: pvt.branch@gov.ab.ca Reporting Changes to Registration You must report withdrawals to Student Aid using one of the following methods: The Amend Registration function in COR (for automated COR schools reporting full-time, nonconcurrently enrolled students) Manual Confirmation of Registration Worksheet, Amend Registration section (for students issued a Manual Confirmation of Registration Worksheet) Notice of Withdrawal section o Confirmation of Registration (Form B Copy 4) o Confirmation of Enrolment (Schedule 2 Copy 3) Fax, or mail a list of students who have withdrawn. The list must include the following: o Student s name o Alberta Student Number (ASN) o Application ID, if known o Date of withdrawal o Reason for withdrawal (withdrawal, never attend, dropped to part-time, early completion) Notification of withdrawals must be sent directly to Student Aid Alberta by , fax or mail. Client Resolution Unit: cru@gov.ab.ca or, Awards Unit: Lf.awards@gov.ab.ca Fax: Awards: or, Main Line: Mail: Student Aid Alberta PO Box Station Main Edmonton AB T5J 4R4 Courier: Sterling Place Mailroom 7 th Floor, St Edmonton AB T5K 2V1 Although many students receive both federal and provincial student aid, notification of withdrawal only needs to be made once to Student Aid Alberta. This includes notification for a student who received only federal funding if the student applied to the province of Alberta. Student Aid Alberta will share withdrawal notification information with the service providers. June 2016 Page 25

27 Part-Time Students Canada Part-time Loans If a student has received a Part-Time Canada Student Loan and ceases to be a part-time student prior to the period of studies end date, you must notify the lenders within 15 calendar days, except in December when notification must be received within seven calendar days. You may use the copy of the Schedule 1A (part-time certificate) on file with the school, and complete Early Withdrawal Notice on Copy 3A. All highlighted sections must be completed by the Authorized Officer at the school. Alberta Part-time Grant Funding You may fax or mail a list of students who have withdrawn to Student Aid Alberta. This list must include: Student s name Student s SIN (if known) Last date of part-time studies Note: Do not any information that contains a student s SIN. June 2016 Page 26

28 Student Aid Alberta: Fax: Awards: or, Main Line: Mail: Student Aid Alberta PO Box Station Main Edmonton AB T5J 4R4 Courier: Sterling Place Mailroom 7 th Floor, St Edmonton AB T5K 2V1 More Information For more information regarding withdrawals, reporting changes, or amendments to registration, or Student Aid Alberta programs or policies refer to: Website: Student Aid Alberta Operational Policy and Procedure Manual at studentaid.alberta.ca Phone: , option 4, 1 cru@gov.ab.ca For more information about COR functions, please refer to: COR Online User Guide and Guidelines to Support Automated COR documents at studentaid.alberta.ca Refunding Tuition If a student withdraws from full-time studies and government student loans have been issued, the school is responsible for forwarding any tuition refund for which the student is eligible to the appropriate authority within 30 days of the withdrawal date. Tuition is to be refunded in the following priority order, whether or not tuition was paid from the proceeds of a student loan: If a student was issued only Canada Student Loans, the refund payment is forwarded to the National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC) If a student was issued only Alberta Student Loans, the refund payment is forwarded to the Student Aid Alberta Service Centre (SAASC) If a student has been issued both Canada Student Loans and Alberta Student Loans for the same study period, the school will refund tuition to the service provider administering the largest portion of funding to the student June 2016 Page 27

29 Duplicate Tuition Payments In cases where duplicate payments are made towards a student s tuition, books or fees, the school has the authority to correct the duplicate payment before applying the tuition refund guidelines. This can occur if a student or third party (sponsor, relative, scholarship donor, private lending agency, etc.) is making payments on a student s behalf and the student also receives a Student Aid Alberta loan. Where Does the Tuition Refund Need to Be Sent? To determine who issued the student received their funding (or the largest portion of funding, in cases where the student received both), you can check one of the following: 1. SFS Application Payment Schedule June 2016 Page 28

30 2. SFS Correspondence, Student Award Letter 3. Manual COR Worksheet 4. School Records 5. Contact the Client Resolution Unit Phone: , option 4, 1 How to Send Tuition Refunds When sending tuition refunds, all payments should be referenced as Tuition Refund, and the following information needs to be included with the payment: Students first and last name Student s SIN (available through the SFS) June 2016 Page 29

31 For refunds to the NSLSC (Canada loans and grants), make funds payable to the National Student Loans Service Centre, and mail to: National Student Loans Service Centre PO Box 4030 STN A Mississauga ON L5A 4M4 For refunds to SAASC (Alberta loans and grants), make funds payable to Student Aid Alberta Service Centre and mail to: Student Aid Alberta Service Centre PO Box 4050 Mississauga STN A Mississauga ON L5A 4M9 Payments Made in Error If a tuition refund was sent to either the NSLSC or SAASC in error, you will need to make arrangements to have the refund returned and applied correctly. National Student Loans Service Centre Phone: Student Aid Alberta Service Centre Phone: , option 4, 2 How Much Tuition Needs to Be Refunded? Student Aid Alberta has policies regarding when and to whom tuition needs to be refunded, but does not determine the amount of tuition that needs to be refunded. For Alberta Private Career Colleges, the amount of tuition is calculated in accordance with the Private Vocational Training Act, Section 17. According to the act, the amount of tuition that needs to be refunded is based on the amount of training that has been delivered. If 10% or less of the training was delivered, 75% of the tuition needs to be refunded If 10-50% of the training was delivered, 40% of the tuition needs to be refunded If more than 50% of the training was delivered, no tuition refund is required Note: The information in this section applies only to Alberta Private Career Colleges in accordance with the Private Vocational Training Acts and Regulations. June 2016 Page 30

32 For further information about tuition refunds, you may contact Alberta Private Careers Colleges Branch. Phone: Visit: eae.alberta.ca/post-secondary/institutions/private Submitting Session Dates and Costs Student Aid Alberta uses SFS to process full-time student applications. To accurately assess and award students, SFS relies on accurate session dates and costs being submitted by schools to the Provider and Program Registry System (PAPRS). Out of Province Schools If your school is located outside of Alberta, you are not required to submit your session dates and costs to Student Aid Alberta. When a student applies online and indicates they are attending a school outside of Alberta, SFS will allow the student to enter their own dates and costs. Students are advised to check with their school to ensure the information is accurate. You will be required to ensure the dates are correct before confirming the student s registration. If the dates on the COR worksheet or SFS are incorrect, and outside the acceptable parameters, do not confirm their registration. Study Periods Using the PAPRS dates, SFS determines the number of months for which the student is receiving funding (the study period). Each student s living costs for the months in the study period are then taken into consideration, along with tuition, mandatory fees, books, supplies and instruments costs. If a program starts prior to the 16 th day of the month, the student is funded for that month. If the program starts on or after the 16 th day of the month, the student is not funded for that month. If the program ends after the 6 th day of the month, the student is funded for that month. If the program ends on or before the 6 th day of the month, the student is not funded for that month. A study period cannot exceed 12 months. June 2016 Page 31

33 Session Dates Session dates entered in PAPRS must align with how schools allow students to register for the program, and include all combinations of dates and costs. For example, if the actual dates for the year are September 1 to April 30, but students are allowed to register for individual semesters, you would enter the following sessions: September 1 April 30 (both semesters) September 1 December 30 (first semester only) January 1 April 30 (second semester only) Session start and end dates can be submitted based on either the actual start and end dates for various intakes of programs, or generic start and end dates. Generic start and end dates would be used for entering data for batch submissions. For example: Actual dates: September 5 to April 25 Generic date: September 1 to April 30 Graduate Studies Programs Schools can enter session dates into PAPRS for each year of study in a program that is approved by the Minister. SFS reads the accurate number of years in a program from PAPRS and allows students to choose which program year they are in when they apply for funding. For example: 2 year diploma program: The student can indicate they are in year 1 or 2 when they apply for funding 4 year degree program: The student can indicate they are in year 1, 2, 3 or 4 when they apply for funding Graduate studies programs are an exception to this. Master s degree programs Schools can only enter up to two years of session information into PAPRS Doctoral programs Schools can only enter one year of session information into PAPRS When applying for student aid, graduate students will be asked What year of this program will you be in? When applying online, they will have to indicate either: 1 st year or less or 2 nd year for Master s programs 1 st year or less for doctoral programs June 2016 Page 32

34 This limitation in PAPRS does not mean that graduate students can only apply for one or two years of student aid; this only affects PAPRS entry and what students will see when they apply online. Unique Session Dates Students enrolled in Exchange/Field Studies or Co-op Programs may have unique session dates and costs that do not apply to students enrolled in the regular stream of the program. These dates are usually not entered into PAPRS until a student needs to apply for student aid. Students in these situations are advised to speak to a financial aid officer at their school. The financial aid officer will need to determine if the information needs to be entered into PAPRS. If the information is entered into PAPRS, the school can choose not to display the information to prevent other students from applying with this information. Examples of Dates: Correct Session Start and End Date 12 month program, funded from January to December Start Date: January 2, 2015 End Date: January 1, 2016 Incorrect Session Start and End Date 13 month program Start Date: December 12, 2015 End Date: December 11, 2016 In this example, the time between the start and end dates is technically 12 calendar months. However, these dates result in a 13 month study period. Study periods cannot exceed 12 funded months. 8 month study period Start Date: September 5, 2015 End Date: May 1, 2016 Funded for 8 months September to April 8 month study period Start Date: September 16, 2015 End Date: May 8, 2016 Funded for 8 months October to May 9 month study period Start Date: September 5, 2015 End Date: May 7, 2016 Funded for 9 months September to May June 2016 Page 33