Federal and state student financial aid can be used only to pay the cost of attending Clemson University. The cost of attendance includes direct costs such as tuition, fees, on-campus housing and meal plans, as well as indirect costs such as books, supplies, off-campus living expenses, transportation and medical expenses.
Your aid package may require an adjustment to avoid an over-award, which is financial aid in excess of financial need. This will affect students who receive scholarships, fellowships or assistantships after federal aid has been awarded. You are responsible for satisfying any balance due on your account that is created by adjustments to your aid.
University and state scholarships cannot exceed the total cost of attendance. This limitation applies to all financial aid regardless of the source and is based on the cost of tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, transportation and personal expenses. Scholarship stipends, federal aid, and/or state aid will be adjusted to ensure that this limit is not exceeded.
The Office of Student Financial Aid reserves the right on behalf of the University to review and cancel any award at any time because of changes in financial need, academic status, academic history, academic program or program funding.
All loans, including but not limited to Federal Direct Loans, Federal Direct PLUS Loans, teacher loans, and private loans, must be approved by the U.S. Department of Education or the lender. The amounts shown may be our recommendation only and may be adjusted after the lender completes processing. You must complete all loan requirements such as Entrance Counseling and the Master Promissory Note. Student loans are not gift aid and must be repaid. Serious consequences come as a result of not repaying your loans as prescribed, including wage garnishment and default. Before borrowing, you are urged to review a sample repayment chart at studentaid.gov.
You may receive a Federal Pell Grant at only one school per term.
University and state scholarships, S.C. Need-Based Grants, Federal Pell Grants, and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants are restricted to undergraduate students pursuing a first bachelor’s degree.
All federally funded financial aid is restricted to United States citizens and eligible non-citizens as defined by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
If Federal Work-Study (FWS) is offered in your financial aid award package, the amount of FWS shown is the maximum amount of money you can expect to earn during the academic year. Earnings are paid directly to you based on hours worked and cannot be credited to your account for the satisfaction of University fees. Procedures for job placement will be sent to your Clemson University email account in July.
Disbursement of this aid, except Federal Work-Study earnings, will be in the form of direct credit to your student account (to satisfy all University fees for the specified academic year unless you have declined automatic crediting in writing to the Office of Student Financial Services). Any credit balances created as a result of this aid will be disbursed according to guidelines established by the Office of Student Financial Services. Generally, refund checks are available each Friday for aid posted through the previous Friday.
Gift assistance (scholarships, fellowships, and grants) that exceeds tuition, mandatory fees, books and required supplies is subject to U.S. income taxation. Amounts used for room and board are considered taxable income. We encourage you to maintain careful records and consult your tax preparer as needed.
See Clemson University's Non-Discrimination Policy website.