Tuition and Fees Payment

Student Financial Obligations/Responsibilities

Students with outstanding financial obligations to CDKC will not receive official copies of transcripts, nor will they be allowed to participate in commencement activities. Financial obligations include educational costs such as, but not limited to, tuition, books, supplies, fees, and library charges.

Deferred Payment

Students who are unable to pay their total educational costs on the day of registration may make arrangements with the Business Office for partial or deferred payment. Deferred payment does not apply to books and/or supplies.

Payroll Deduction

Students who are employed may contact the Business Office to arrange for a payroll deduction to pay for tuition and fees prior to registration.

The fees listed below are those effective Fall Semester 2010.

Each additional credit over 20 add $75.00

Activity Fee

Any student taking 7 or more credits will pay a $25.00 Activity Fee per semester.

Auditing Fee

Auditing fees are the same as those which apply to courses taken for credit.

Miscellaneous Course Fees

Certain courses require the use of special facilities, non-reusable materials, special equipment or materials, which require a general fee. These courses will have an additional fee, which will be specified on each semester's course schedule.

Cost of Attendance

Refund of Tuition

Students who are granted permission to withdraw from the College after completing registration will be given a tuition refund according to the following schedule:

1. Before the first session of any class, 100 percent
2. During the first week of the semester, 80 percent
3. During the second week of the semester, 60 percent
4. During the third week of the semester, 40 percent
5. After the third week of the semester, No Refund

A refund of tuition is made only when a student makes an official withdrawal from the College at the business office. No refunds are given when students reduce their class or credit loads after the first week of the semester. Students whose tuition and fees are being paid under contractual agreement are required to make full payment on their contract, less the percentage of refund indicated above. No fees will be refunded.

Financial Aid

The primary purpose of the Financial Aid Program at Chief Dull Knife College is to provide advice and financial assistance to students who would be unable to pursue their education at the College without such help. Although parents and students are expected to make a maximum effort to meet the cost of education, financial aid is available to fill the gap between family resources and yearly academic expenses.

Students applying for financial assistance at CDKC are considered for all programs for which they are eligible. The amount of financial aid awarded is generally a combination of scholarship, grant and employment, and is based on the evaluated financial need of the student. The evaluated financial need equals the difference between the total cost of attending CDKC (including fees, room and board, books and supplies, personal expenses, and allowable travel expenses) and the ability of the family to contribute to those educational costs. Those factors taken into consideration when evaluating the expected family contribution include parental income and assets, medical expenses and other liabilities of the family, any benefits such as those from Social Security or the Veterans Administration, awards from outside agencies, and the student's assets and expected savings from a summer job. An independent, objective, nationally recognized method of analysis is used to evaluate the family's financial circumstances.

Any offer of financial assistance made by Chief Dull Knife College is contingent upon receipt of funds from all funding sources. Although unlikely, the Office of Student Financial Aid at Chief Dull Knife College reserves the right to revise offers of financial aid at any time during the academic year based on the availability of funds and/or changes in regulations and/or procedures mandated by College, State, or Federal authorities.

Applying for Financial Aid

In order for students to be considered for state or federal financial assistance, the student must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Applications are available online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The student must list Chief Dull Knife College federal school code: 014878 on their FAFSA, in order for a copy of their application to be forwarded to the Financial Aid Office. Please note that students should apply for financial aid by March 1, prior to the fall or spring semester they plan to attend. Also, students should not wait for notification of admission to the college to apply for financial aid and an official offer of financial assistance does not imply nor insure admission to the college.

Once Financial Aid has received a copy of a student's FAFSA, a letter will be sent to the prospective student with instructions on how to complete the student financial aid file. Thirty percent of all FAFSA application sent to Chief Dull Knife College are randomly selected for verification by the U.S. Department of Education. Students who are selected for verification must submit copies of their previous year's tax return or income verification in order for the Financial Aid Office to verify that all information on the FAFSA application is true and correct. After the student has completed their student financial aid file, an official award letter will be sent to the student.

Eligibility for Financial Aid

Specific eligibility requirements may vary from program to program and the student is encouraged to carefully review those requirements in the sections describing scholarship, grant, and cooperative education programs. However, there are specific criteria that apply to all federal financial aid programs administered by the Office of Student Financial Aid:

1. The student must be an American citizen or resident immigrant intending to become a permanent citizen.
2. The student must be able to demonstrate financial need according to a recognized system of needs analysis and be a regularly enrolled student seeking a degree.
3. The student must maintain satisfactory academic progress in the course of study he or she is pursuing, according to the standards and practices of the college.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

All awards from financial aid programs funded by the Federal Government are administered in compliance with the laws and regulations governing the program.

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress is defined as:

To determine continuing student financial aid eligibility for students whether, under GOOD STANDING or PROBATION, the student must complete a minimum of credit hours each semester with the appropriate GRADE POINT AVERAGE as outlined below. Students that are on SUSPENSION status may appeal their ineligible status to the Financial Aid Office. See appeal procedure for complete guidelines.

Minimum Credit Hours

Full-time students (12 or more credit hours) that receive financial aid must complete a minimum of nine (9) credit hours per semester or a total of (18) credit hours within an academic year.

Three-quarter time students (9 to 11 credit hours) that receive financial aid must complete a minimum of six (6) credit hours per semester or a total of twelve (12) credit hours within an academic year.

Half-time students (6 to 8 credit hours) that receive financial aid must complete a minimum of four (4) credit hours per semester or a total of eight (8) credit hours within an academic year.

Less than half-time students (1 to 5 credit hours) that receive financial aid must complete 100% of hours attempted per semester.

Satisfactory completion of a course is: a letter grade of A, B, C, D or P. Unsatisfactory completion of a course is: a letter grade of F, W, or I.

Grade Point Average standards

Freshman (0 to 30 credits) credit hours earned - 1.75

Sophomore (31 to 60 credits) credit hours earned - 2.0

Degree Seeking Students

Federal law requires students to make satisfactory academic progress to receive financial aid. Students must be enrolled in a program of study leading to a degree granted by the institution.

Credit Load

The minimum credit requirement each semester for a full-time student is 12 credits. Students who qualify for Title IV Student Aid may receive funds based on their enrollment status, i.e.; 6 credits or more.

A full-time student is required to maintain satisfactory academic progress on all credits attempted. A drop below the enrollment status level at which the student was paid results in the student being placed on “Financial Aid Probation.” A complete withdrawal will place the student on “Financial Aid Suspension.” The academic progress policy will eliminate students from vacillating while on probation status.

Maximum Semester Financial Aid Eligibility

Federal law states that a student is eligible for financial aid while enrolled in a degree or certificate program up to 150% of the time published to receive that degree or certificate. Chief Dull Knife College offers 2-year degree programs, thus the student may receive federal aid (Federal Pell grant) up to 6 semesters while enrolled full time. If seeking a second degree, the student must appeal to the Financial Aid committee requesting need to receive financial aid. The second degree must be earned in two semesters. A student can only receive aid for 90 credits from a 2-year institution.

A student must keep in mind that if they seek a second degree from Chief Dull Knife College, they will be using eligibility towards a Bachelors degree from a four-year institution. A student is allowed up to twelve semesters of Federal Aid while seeking a four-year degree. This includes time used for seeking an A.A., A.S., or A.A.S. Degree.

Prior quarter credits earned from other institutions will be converted to semesters. Only those credits accepted in one of Chief Dull Knife’s degree programs will count towards the 150% of the program published length. If a student attends school and does not use financial aid for one semester, that enrollment is still counted as part of the 150% of program length.

Disbursement of Financial Aid

Federal Pell Grants will be disbursed by the ninth week of classes. Students not having completed their paperwork at least two weeks prior to Pell payout will have to wait until their files are completed. Scholarships will be disbursed after the Scholarship Committee reviews and determines the availability of funds and student compliance with requirements for disbursements.

Appeals Procedures for Student Financial Aid

A student has the right to appeal a probation/suspension status. The student must make the appeal in writing addressed to the Financial Aid Committee.

1. An appeal form can be picked up at the Financial Aid Office. The form along with documentation related to the failure of the student must be completed and turned into the Financial Aid Director. The form, along with all necessary documentation, shall be returned to the Financial Aid Office by the STUDENT, or an approved representative (student must give verbal permission for representative to deliver documents to the financial aid office prior to delivery) in a timely fashion.
2. A meeting is scheduled with the Financial Aid Committee to review the student's appeal. If the committee is not satisfied with the written information they may ask for an interview with the student.
3. The Financial Aid director will notify the student of the committee’s decision within one week from the date the student submits a completed appeal application to financial aid.
4. Students have the right to appeal to the Dean of Student Affairs. Counseling services may be set up with the student in order to help them restore full eligibility.
5. If the student is not satisfied with the decision, the student has the right to appeal to the college president.
6. All approved appeals have conditions of approval that must be met. Conditions of approval include but are not limited to: completing attendance sheets (instructors are required to sign for every class student attends), requesting tutoring assistance from tutors in the learning center and providing proof of tutoring (this paper has to be signed off by the tutor that is providing assistance). All documents must be turned in by the end of last class for the week for the student to Student Services office and tutoring request sheets can be picked up in the CDKC Learning Center. Failure to meet conditions at any time during semester appeal was approved, will cause the student to be placed immediately back on suspension status and the student must then complete the same number of credits that they were placed on suspension for with appropriate GPA requirements and pay all financial costs of education for the semester.

Transfer Students

A student transferring to CDKC on suspension for federal financial aid from another institution due to lack of SAP, will be placed on “probation” when attending CDKC for the first semester. If SAP is not made in the first semester, the student will be on “suspension” from CDKC until SAP is met.

Notification of Awards

All students will be notified of the outcome of their application for financial aid regardless of whether or not they receive an award. Many
factors make it unwise to name a specific date on which award notices will be sent to student applicants. All students will be advised as
to the type and amount of aid offered if they qualify for financial assistance.

Students receiving financial aid from Chief Dull Knife College are responsible for notifying the Office of Financial Aid in writing about:

1. any change in the number of credit hours enrolled for,
2. any change in name, address or telephone number,
3. any change in marital status, and
4. withdrawal from college.

Types of Aid

Listed below is a brief description of the programs administered by the Student Financial Aid Office. Students should bear in mind that regulations governing federal programs are subject to frequent change.

Grants and Scholarships

Bureau of Indian Affairs - Higher Education Grants

Students who are enrolled members of a federally recognized tribe must contact their tribal agency for information and applications.

Federal Pell Grant

The grant cannot exceed one-half of the actual cost of attendance. The amount of the grant also depends upon available funds in a given year. Further information concerning the program is available at high schools, post offices and the CDKC Office of Student Financial Aid.

Maximum Eligibility

A full-time student will be eligible for financial aid for 150% of the time posted to receive their first baccalaureate degree. Maximum Pell Grant Eligibility at a two-year institution is six semesters or ninety credits.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants

This grant is based on demonstrated financial need as determined by the federal government and is awarded by the Office of Student Financial Aid.

Federal Work Study

The Federal Work Study (FWS) provides jobs for undergraduate students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help meet their educational expenses. The program encourages community service work and work related to their program of study. A student must be enrolled as a full-time student to be eligible for FWS. Position vacancies are posted on the student services bulletin board.

Scholarships

Grants or Scholarships are posted in the student services hallway and applications are available through the Financial Aid Office.

Honor Student Scholarship

Honor Scholarships are awarded during graduation ceremonies to returning students who have successfully completed a minimum of 30 credits during their freshman year while maintaining full-time status and a 3.5 GPA or better during both semesters. This scholarship will provide payment of tuition and fees. Students will be notified of the award by mail and will be required to sign a letter of acceptance outlining conditions of the award.

It is expected that student recipients of the Honor Scholarship will enroll with a full-time course load and maintain that full-time status during the semesters they receive the award. Dropping below full-time status following an award semester will terminate eligibility for the coming semester. The scholarship will be terminated if the student receives an incomplete in any course in which they are enrolled in during the Fall semester resulting in loss of full-time status. Students must maintain a 3.5 GPA for the fall and spring semesters consecutively. Payment of the scholarship is limited to 18 credits per semester. Classes taken above 18 credits will be the financial responsibility of the student.

A student scheduled to graduate at the end of a semester for which the award is made may be granted a waiver of the 12+ credit standard if the number of credits required for graduation is less than twelve. This decision is made by the Student Financial Aid Committee on a case by case basis. They will review the justification and if warranted, grant an exemption to the student regarding the 12+ credit standard to keep the award. As a general procedure, this exemption will be granted to only those students who may need less than 12 credits to graduate successfully by the end of the semester in which the award has been made and are seeking work in the community during that semester.

Senior Citizen Scholarships

Any student, 55 years of age or older will have tuition/fees waived.

Dr. John Woodenlegs Scholarship

An award of $500.00 presented to a graduating sophomore. This scholarship recognizes academic excellence, citizenship, and leadership.

Edwin Dahle Memorial Scholarship

An award of $500.00 presented to a freshman student who has demonstrated academic excellence, commitment to completing a degree program and will continue at CDKC during the ensuing academic year. The student receiving the scholarship must have completed a minimum of 30 credits and have a minimum GPA of 2.5 or better and is not eligible for an honor scholarship.

American Indian College Fund

American Indian College Fund scholarships usually become available within the first month of each semester. Students must reapply for the scholarships each semester. Amounts and criteria vary each semester. Special Scholarships will be awarded based on meeting criteria standards stipulated by special scholarship donors. Students can access on the scholarship application at http://www.collegefund.org.

Tuition Waivers

Tuition waivers for up to two CDKC classes per semester are available for board members and those staff members who are employed 1/2 time or greater on the date of registration. Spouses and children of these individuals are similarly eligible for tuition waivers.