collageClemson University is a public institution that was founded in 1889. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 21,653 (fall 2021), its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 17,000 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Clemson University’s ranking in the 2022-2023 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #77. Its in-state tuition and fees are $15,558; out-of-state tuition and fees are $39,502.
Clemson University is a land-grant institution that conducts research for the betterment of the community. Students and faculty are involved in projects ranging from improving irrigation systems to lowering youth bullying rates in South Carolina schools. Sports and the color orange are a big part of Clemson, and the Clemson Tigers compete in the NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference. Students can participate in more than 400 student clubs and organizations, with about 25 percent of students involved in the Greek system. Freshmen are required to live in university housing, and nearly half of all students choose to live on campus. Notable alumni include former U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond, former Washington Redskins center Jeff Bostic and PGA Tour golfer Lucas Glover
CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: STUDENT REFUND INFORMATION
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Please contact the financial aid office with any questions.
Approximately 91 percent of our students finance their educational dreams with some form of financial aid.
Financial assistance is available to students in the form of scholarships, grants, loans, and student employment. Freshmen and first-time Pennsylvania state grant applicants must complete the PA State Grant application at www.pheaa.org. If you are selected for federal verification (an audit), submit the appropriate form as soon as you can.
Prior to applying for financial aid, Clarion’s Net Cost Calculator, or the federal financial aid Forecaster, can give you an idea of how much and what types of aid you might be eligible to receive.
Clarion urges all students to complete an annual Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) prior to May 1 each year via the federal website: www.fafsa.ed.gov. Please indicate Clarion’s Title IV code (003318) on the FAFSA form. Please note: The FSA ID (a username and password) has replaced the Federal Student Aid PIN. If you have not created your FSA ID yet, you can read additional information and create your ID here.
Academic Year Definition: At Clarion University, an academic year is comprised of a fall and spring semester, during which time a full-time student is expected to complete at least 24 credits. The period of time school is in session consists of 30 weeks of instruction.
Title IV Authorization – Holding Credit Balances
The University may hold excess FSA funds (credit balances) if it obtains a voluntary authorization from the student or parent. Because FSA funds are awarded to students to pay current year charges, notwithstanding any authorization obtained by the University from a student or a parent, the University must pay –
- Any remaining balance on loan funds within 14 days of the end of the loan period, and
- Any other remaining FSA funds within 14 days of the end of the last payment period in the award year for which they were awarded.
Students can authorize Title IV funds to pay other charges such as parking, library and health center charges by logging into their MyClarion Student center. Late payment fees and Deferment fee (payment plan fees) cannot be covered even with permission, student’s will be responsible for these charges. This form will be signed electronically via secure login to your MyClarion Student Center with your Clarion ID and will be stored under Student Permissions in your student center.
Students can rescind authorization any time during their period of enrollment, To rescind this authorization submit a written request to Student Financial Services, 840 Wood Street, 114 Becht Hall, Clarion, PA 16214 or via my MyClarion University eagle mail account to stfinservice@clarion.edu.
Should you choose to rescind this authorization, you understand that the cancellation is not retroactive and will apply to any credit balance created after the date of cancellation. Credit balances will be refunded within 14 days after a request to cancel authorization is received.
Student will be responsible for paying any outstanding debts to Clarion University if they cancel this authorization.
If you are not able to submit the form electronically via your MyClarion Student Center, you can request a paper authorization form by visiting Student Financial Services, 840 Wood Street, 114 Becht Hall, Clarion, PA 16214.
Please see full Title IV Funds Policy and FAQs below.
Title IV Authorization – Holding Credit Balances
Title IV Funds Policy
Title IV Authorization FAQs
Conditions for Financial Aid
In order to continue receiving financial aid following initial enrollment at Clarion University of Pennsylvania, students must meet certain conditions each year.
- Students must enroll at least part-time (six credits) for every aid program, except the federal Pell Grant program. Also, all federal and state aid applicants must reapply for aid using the FAFSA form each year.
- Full-time baccalaureate students may receive assistance from most federal Title IV programs for up to six years of attendance or 180 semester hours; full-time associate degree students are limited to three years of attendance or 90 semester hours.
- The Pennsylvania state grant program provides baccalaureate students with up to four years of potential funding and associate degree students with a maximum of two years of funding.
- Full-time PHEAA state grant recipients must successfully complete at least 24 new semester hours each year to be eligible for additional state grant monies for the upcoming award year. Part-time PHEAA grant recipients must successfully complete at least six credits during each semester in which they received a grant to maintain future award year eligibility.
- Federal Direct Stafford Loan recipients must successfully complete a cumulative total of 30 credit hours to qualify for second year loan limits. In order to qualify for third, fourth, or fifth year level loans, recipients must successfully earn a cumulative total of 60 or more credit hours.
- Federal and state regulations require students to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to retain eligibility for financial aid in subsequent years. In order to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress, students must successfully complete at least 67 percent of all cumulatively attempted credits over the course of their career at Clarion. This percentage is calculated and reviewed each academic year at the end of the spring term, prior to the student’s receipt of any additional federal financial aid monies for the future academic year. Clarion University’s complete SAP policy can be accessed here.
- Undergraduate students, regardless of enrollment status, who fail to achieve a cumulative QPA of at least a 2.0, are normally placed on probation or suspension by the Office of Academic Affairs. If a student is suspended by the Office of Academic Affairs, they do not qualify for additional federal aid until they are reinstated to the university. If the student appeals the suspension action and is permitted to return to Clarion, he/she will receive additional federal financial aid ONLY if he/she also has successfully earned 67 percent of all cumulatively attempted credits.
- Graduate students must maintain a minimum 3.0 QPA.
Student Credit Balance / Excess Funds
A Title IV credit balance occurs whenever the University credits Title IV program funds to a student’s account and those funds exceed the student’s allowable charges. The University pays by check or direct deposit (EFT) the excess Title IV program funds (the credit balance) as well as credit balances not related to Title IV funds directly to the student as soon as possible, but no later than 14 days after:
- The date the balance occurred on the student’s account, if the balance occurred after the first day of class of a payment period; or
- The first day of classes of the payment period if the credit balance occurred on or before the first day of class of that payment period.
Refunds from excess financial aid are not available to students each semester until after the drop/add period is over. The quickest way to gain access to any financial aid refunds you may receive from excess financial aid disbursements is to sign up for direct deposit on the MyClarion portal. You can get step-by-step directions on how to sign up for direct deposit here.
Return of Federal Aid Monies Due to University Withdrawal
Federal Title IV regulations dictate the return of federal aid monies. If a recipient of Title IV funds (Pell Grant, SEOG Grant, TEACH Grant, Direct Stafford Loan) withdraws from school after beginning attendance, a portion of the Title IV funds may have to be returned to the U.S. Department of Education (USDE).
Title IV funds are awarded to a student under the assumption that the student will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded. When a student withdraws, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of the Title IV funds that the student was originally scheduled to receive.
Students, who are considering withdrawing after the semester begins or reducing their credit hour load, should contact the Student Financial Services Office first to determine the impact on their financial aid awards. Please refer to the official University Withdrawal Policy for additional information.
If a student withdraws before completing 60 percent of the semester, the percentage of Title IV funds earned is equal to the percentage of the semester completed. The university is required to return the unearned portion to the U.S. Department of Education. If a student earned less aid than was disbursed, the institution is required to return a portion of the funds and the student is then required to return a portion of the funds. When Title IV funds are returned, the student borrower may owe a balance to the institution. The institution must return the amount of the Title IV funds for which it is responsible no later than 45 days after the date of the determination of the date of the student’s withdrawal.
The percentage of payment period or term completed up to the withdrawal date is determined by dividing the total number of days enrolled by the total days in the standard payment period or term. (Any break of five days or more is not counted as part of the days in the term.) This percentage is also the percentage of earned aid. Funds are returned to the appropriate federal program based on the percentage of unearned aid using the following formula: aid to be returned = (100 percent of the aid that could be disbursed minus the percentage of earned aid) multiplied by the total amount of aid that could have been disbursed during the payment period of the term.
Returns are allocated in the following order:
- Unsubsidized Direct Stafford Loans
- Subsidized Direct Stafford Loans
- Federal Perkins Loans
- Federal Direct PLUS Loans
- Federal Pell Grants
- Federal SEOG Grants
If a student withdraws after completing more than 60 percent of the semester, the percentage of Title IV funds earned is 100, and neither the student nor the school return any funds to USDE.
If a student earns more aid than was disbursed to him/her, the institution owes the student a post-withdrawal disbursement which must be paid within 120 days of the student’s withdrawal.
To review the full policy, please click here.
Please note: The university refund policy for tuition and fees is very different from the Federal Title IV regulations for returning financial aid. For example: If a student withdraws after the end of the university refund period, the student will be charged for 100 percent of his/her tuition and fees. If the student withdraws before completing more than 60 percent of the semester, the university is required to return a portion of his/her Title IV funds. In most cases, the student will owe the university for the Title IV funds returned. If not repaid to the university, the student will not be able to return in future semesters or receive official transcripts.
View Financial Aid
To view the financial aid you are receiving, log into your MyClarion account, the student information system for Clarion University. Students, faculty, and staff utilize MyClarion for registration, grades, financial aid, billing, and many other services. Here’s a quick reference guide for using MyClarion to access financial aid information:
- Login to your MyClarion account.
- Click the Student Center link.
- In the Student Center, scroll to the Finances area.
- Select “View Financial Aid.”
- Select the appropriate aid year (ex. aid year 2015-2016).
- A summary of your financial aid will be displayed. You can view your aid awards for the year or by specific term (summer/fall/spring).
Appeal Procedure
Students denied financial aid for any reason may appeal the denial as follows:
- Write to the Student Financial Services Office (SFS), Clarion University, 840 Wood Street, Clarion, PA 16214, noting the denial and stating the reasons why financial aid should not be denied. Note: If the student is appealing a lack of satisfactory academic progress (SAP) determination, specific directions on the appeal process are available here.
- SFS Office staff will review the denial in terms of information provided by the student.
- Following the review, the SFS Office staff will inform the student of the status of the appeal (granted/declined).
Apply For Financial Aid
Follow these steps to apply for all sources of financial aid:
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by May 1. You should complete a FAFSA for every year you are enrolled in college. Filers now have the ability to directly import IRS tax data into their FAFSA. Families that import and do not change their IRS data are much less likely to be selected for federal verification (an audit). Importing data also allows Student Financial Services to process your aid application in a timely manner. View a FAFSA tutorial video here.
- First-time, incoming students are automatically considered for most Clarion University scholarships, many of which are not need-based.
- You can also be considered for any Clarion University scholarships that are need-based by filing your FAFSA by March 1.
- First-time Pennsylvania state grant applicants who have filed a FAFSA will receive an email from the Pennsylvania State Grant Agency (PHEAA) asking them to link to PHEAA to complete the online PA State Grant Status Notice form. After completing the online form, be certain to print, sign, and return the signature page to PHEAA.
- If you are selected for federal or state verification, complete and submit the requested financial aid form as soon as possible.
- Apply for a Federal Direct Stafford Loan, if needed. (Unlike the FAFSA, this is not an annual requirement – once you complete the loan forms, they are viable for 10 years). First-time applicants should sign in, and then complete BOTH the Entrance Counseling and the Master Promissory Note.
- If needed, apply for PLUS and private loans after July 15. Our computerized system will not retrieve loans submitted before this date, and you will have to reapply for the loan.
- Enroll in the tuition payment plan (if needed) over the summer.
- We encourage all students to investigate scholarship opportunities on their own. Check in your own community, with your high school guidance counselor, or utilize a scholarship search program, such as FastWeb. Check out our External Scholarships page for some more ideas.
Financial Aid Timeline And Cycle
We know that the financial process can be complex with multiple dates and processes to keep in mind. Below is an overview of the financial aid/billing/payment process. Our other pages and the links within them will give you step-by-step instructions.
Learn the cost of attending Clarion University. Total costs are determined by residency, the class delivery location (Clarion, Venango, or off-campus), tuition, fees, room, meal plan, parking permit, and the total number of credits you will take.
FALL
OCTOBER 1 – FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID (FAFSA) OPENS
Apply for financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by May 1. Clarion’s Federal School Code is 003318. Please note: The FSA ID (a username and password) has replaced the Federal Student Aid PIN. If you have not created your FSA ID yet, you can read additional information and create your ID here.
Learn when and how to apply for specific types of financial aid (grants, scholarships, loans, and student employment). Prior to applying, Clarion’s Net Price Calculator can give you an idea of which types of aid you may be qualified to receive.
NOVEMBER 1 – CLARION UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION OPENS
The University Endowed Scholarship application opens in early November and closes in late March. Clarion’s endowed scholarships encompass awards for specific majors, awards for students from various school districts, awards for student involvement and other criteria. We encourage you to log-on to our Endowed Scholarships application to see what you may qualify for and to apply.
SPRING
MAY 1 – PENNSYLVANIA STATE GRANT (PHEAA) PAPERWORK DUE
First-time PA state grant applicants MUST complete the PA State Grant application at www.pheaa.org.
MAY 1 – HAVE YOUR RENEWAL FAFSA SUBMITTED
Re-apply for financial aid each year by filing a renewal FAFSA by May 1. Keep in mind that you need to make satisfactory academic progress toward your degree to be eligible for aid next year.
SUMMER
JULY 1 – BOARD OF GOVERNORS SET TUITION RATES FOR UPCOMING YEAR
Each year, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education’s Board of Governors sets tuition rates and tuition-related fees for the 14 state system schools. This is typically completed on or around July 1. Students are notified of the new rates as soon as possible.
The Clarion University Council of Trustees sets Clarion and Venango College fees which are used to support student activities and the operation of university facilities. All fees are payable whether or not the student plans to use these services or facilities.
AUGUST 1 – ENROLL IN A CUPAY PAYMENT PLAN
Final costs for tuition and fees are established in late July and are posted to your MyClarion account if you have scheduled for classes. Estimated financial aid will show on your MyClarion account under the “View Financial Aid” link. Review your bill online and plan what your actual out-of-pocket costs will be after all sources of financial aid (grants, scholarships, loans). If your aid does not cover your charges, consider the payment plan, a PLUS loan, or a private loan.
The student is responsible to ensure that all Clarion University charges are paid or covered by financial aid by the beginning of the semester. There are many payment options. Students with delinquent accounts will not be permitted to register for courses, and academic records (transcripts and diplomas) will be withheld until all charges have been paid in full.
OTHER IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS
STUDENT LOANS
Apply for loans, if needed. Incoming students interested in a Federal Direct Stafford Loan should complete BOTH entrance counseling and the Master Promissory Note at the Federal Student Aid’s Student Loans website which you can find at www.studentloans.gov. The National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) is the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED’s) central database for student aid. Register at NSLDS Student Access (Retrieve Your Loan Information) for up-to-date information about your loan(s).
VERIFICATION PROCESS
If you are selected for federal verification (an audit), refer to the To Do Checklist on your MyClarion Student Center.
Please note that adjustments to your financial aid may occur. Information on adjustments to financial aid.
WHEN DOES FINANCIAL AID POST TO MY ACCOUNT?
Financial aid will not post to the student account until after the drop/add period ends. Refunds will be processed after aid has been posted. Students participating in direct deposit will receive refunds sooner than those who do not. Information on direct deposit is here.
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