Student Handbook Financial Aid

Information regarding athletics financial aid can be found below or can be accessed through the UNF website at: https://www.unf.edu/financialaid/athletics.html.

In compliance with NCAA Bylaws, most athletic grants-in-aid cannot be awarded for less than one academic year. According to the NCAA Core Guarantees, if you have eligibility remaining and you received an athletic scholarship during your first academic year at UNF, the athletics department cannot reduce, cancel or not renew your scholarship for any reason related to athletics. Reasons related to athletics include, but are not limited to, injury, illness (including mental health), contribution to team success and athletic ability. UNF can include terms in your athletic scholarship that allow reductions, cancellations or non-renewals of your athletic scholarship for non-athletically related reasons, such as graduating or violation of team rules.

An athletic grant-in-aid may be increased for any reason at any time up to the cost of attendance. Student-athletes may be eligible to receive financial assistance through scholarships, waivers, grants, loans, or employment opportunities in addition to their athletic grant-in-aid. It is strongly recommended that a student-athlete file a FAFSA on a yearly basis which might qualify a student-athlete for need-based monies. A student-athlete may receive aid from anyone upon whom the student-athlete is naturally or legally dependent. It is not permissible for a student-athlete to receive financial aid, either directly or indirectly, from a source outside the institution (e.g. a foreign government, a sports association, a high-school booster club) for expenses related to attendance at a NCAA school if the award is based in any degree upon the student’s athletics ability. However, there are certain exceptions (such as a Pell Grant), so please reach out to Financial Aid with questions.

All student-athletes should be familiar with the terms and conditions of their athletically related aid (scholarship) as well as other types of financial assistance. A student-athlete may not participate in intercollegiate athletics if he/she receives financial aid that exceeds the cost of attendance. Cost of attendance is the amount calculated by the University’s financial aid authority that includes tuition and fees, housing and food, books and supplies, transportation and other expenses related to attendance. A full grant-in-aid is comprised of tuition and fees, housing and food, and books. It is important to note that due to various federal guidelines, many aid programs may limit the total amount of aid a student-athlete may receive. UNF will strive to give each student-athlete all aid permissible within NCAA and federal guidelines. However, if as a result of receiving other institutional financial aid in addition to an athletic grant-in-aid, a student-athlete becomes “over-awarded” (award exceeds the value of full cost-of-attendance or exceeds Title IV need) or the team exceeds the NCAA team maximum equivalency, the student-athlete’s athletic grant-in-aid will be reduced to comply with NCAA individual team limits.

A meal membership may be included as an element of an athletic grant-in-aid. A meal membership, in some form, is required of all first-year students and it is the responsibility of the student-athlete to select their meal membership.

UNF encourages all first-year students to live in on-campus housing. If living on campus, a housing contract and deposit must be submitted through the MyHousing portal. Freshman arrangements for residence hall and roommate assignments may be made by coaching staff and are coordinated by the Compliance office. In subsequent years, all student-athletes wishing to stay in on-campus housing must individually file contracts for student housing according to housing deadlines. Late fees may apply if a deadline is missed and are the responsibility of the student-athlete. The Flats at UNF are 11.5 month leases and are subject to different terms and conditions. Please keep this in mind when considering the Flats as a housing option.

An athletic grant-in-aid shall not be reduced or canceled during the period of award unless the student-athlete:

1. Renders himself/herself ineligible for intercollegiate competition
2. Gives false information on an application, financial aid agreement, attestations or disclosures
3. Engages in serious misconduct warranting substantial disciplinary penalty
4. Voluntarily withdraws from his/her sport for personal reasons
5. Fails to comply with other non-athletically related conditions (including but not limited to academic policies or standards, team rules or policies)
6. Provides written notification of transfer to UNF if transferring for the first time. However, the student-athlete’s financial aid may not be reduced or canceled until the end of the regular academic term in which written notification of transfer is received. If a student-athlete provides written notification of transfer to the institution between regular academic terms (winter break, summer break) UNF may reduce or cancel the financial aid immediately

4-4 undergraduate transfer: UNF may not reduce or cancel an undergraduate four-year transfer student’s athletics aid unless he/she:

1. Transfers to another institution
2. Loses amateur status and is no longer eligible for intercollegiate competition in the applicable sport
3. Does not meet any conditions affecting transfer status at the certifying institution (for non-athletically related reasons) by the first regular term of the student-athlete’s aid agreement
4. Is disqualified or suspended from receiving institutional financial aid by an institutional (as opposed to athletics department) proceeding (e.g., disciplinary process). However, the student shall remain a counter for the period of the award

If a student-athlete believes that his/her athletic grant-in-aid has been non-renewed or reduced unjustly, the decision may be appealed to the University’s Athletic Financial Aid Appeals Committee.

By July 1, the UNF Office of Student Financial Aid shall notify each student-athlete who received an award the previous academic year whether the grant-in-aid has been renewed or not renewed for the next academic year. Even if a student-athlete has completed his/her eligibility, he/she will receive a “non-renewal” email. If a student believes his/her athletic grant-in-aid has been non-renewed unjustly, the decision may be appealed to the University’s Athletic Financial Aid Appeals Committee.

If a student-athlete receives athletically related financial aid in their first year of full-time enrollment at UNF, then their athletics aid cannot be reduced or non-renewed based on any of the following factors, for the remainder of their period of eligibility:

1. A student-athlete’s athletics ability, performance or contribution to a team’s success (e.g., financial aid contingent upon specified performance or playing a specific position)
2. An injury, illness or physical or mental medical condition
3. Any other athletics reason

The Athletic Department may choose to cancel, reduce, or not renew the athletic aid of a student-athlete, based on certain factors. Should this occur, the individual has the right to appeal. The basic process for such an appeal is as follows:

1. The student-athlete will receive written notification from the University authority (outside of athletics) that handles all financial aid appeals
2. The written notification will include the procedures for an appeal
3. The student-athlete will have 15 business days from the date of the letter to request an appeal
4. Appeal may be done in writing or at an in-person hearing
5. Should the student request an in-person hearing, he/she may have an individual present at the hearing to provide support – however, this person may not speak on behalf of the student
6. The committee will be comprised of individuals outside of the athletics department
7. The committee’s decision will be final with no further appeal

An athletic grant-in-aid only covers the fall and spring terms. Student-athletes on scholarship should not assume that their athletic grant-in-aid will cover summer school charges. The availability of summer aid is very limited! To be considered for summer athletics aid, an application must be completed and submitted by the deadline listed on the application. Some factors that will negatively affect a student-athlete’s request for summer athletics aid are:

• A history of poor academic performance during preceding academic years or previous summer terms
• Failing one or more courses
• Course withdrawals

NCAA regulations state that in order to receive summer athletics aid you must have received athletics aid during the preceding academic year or will receive athletics aid in the upcoming year. (exception: NCAA Bylaw 15.2.8.1.4, Athletics Aid Prior to Initial Full-Time Enrollment).

If a student-athlete who receives athletics aid completes his/her eligibility and needs additional hours to complete their first baccalaureate degree program, he/she may be eligible for degree completion aid. Degree completion is NOT available to students completing a graduate degree.

The award is up to the equivalency or the amount of the student’s athletic grant-in-aid during his/her final season of competition (whichever is less) and is for TUITION only. The award may be split between two terms and is not guaranteed to all student-athletes (Exception 15.01.5.2.1 Degree Completion Program). Degree completion athletics aid is only awarded to student-athletes who have completed eligibility in their sport or have a career-ending injury. To receive aid, the student-athlete must have been academically eligible the previous year, passed all courses for degree credit (C or higher in most instances) and not withdrawn from any course during their final season of competition. Exceptions for degree completion athletics aid will be evaluated on an individual basis. Other degree completion athletics aid may be awarded at the discretion of the specific sport’s head coach.