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Terms and Conditions

Your federal, state or University aid has been awarded or adjusted as indicated on your award summary. You must agree to the following terms and conditions, including any program-specific conditions linked to your awards.

Messages associated with certain programs will be listed on the Terms and Conditions tab under the Financial Aid menu in the iROAR portal for any awards you have been offered. Acceptance of these Terms and Conditions includes acknowledgment of messages linked to specific programs. You must certify that you have read the terms and conditions and that you understand the award messages may change if your award package is adjusted.

The Office of Student Financial Aid will communicate with you regarding changes to your aid, including the terms and conditions, primarily through your Clemson email account and the iROAR portal. You must monitor your account regularly.

  • General Terms

    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 studentloans.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 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.

  • Enrollment Requirements

    The estimated Cost of Attendance and Financial Aid Award Package are based on full-time (12 hrs) enrollment for undergraduate or half-time(5-8 hrs) enrollment for graduate students.  If your enrollment will be different, you should notify the Office of Financial Aid immediately to request your COA and awards be adjusted. You may submit, in writing, your anticipated enrollment by using the comment field on your Financial Aid Award page, or by sending an email to finaid@clemson.edu.  You must provide the number of hours you intend to enroll in each semester for fall and spring.  Failure to report your lesser enrollment may result in a balance due to the cancellation or reduction of your previously awarded aid when your final financial aid eligibility is determined. Please note, your final financial aid determination occurs later in the semesters as outlined below.

    For the purpose of determining final financial aid eligibility, enrollment is defined as total hours enrolled as of midnight on the last day to drop classes without a “W” based on the academic calendar. Hours attempted for evaluating satisfactory academic progress are also set based on this date. The academic calendar for the regular/long term is used for determining eligibility for all funds except the Federal Pell Grant, which can be adjusted up or down based on current enrollment up until the last day to drop classes without a “W” in Minimester D.

    If you are receiving University scholarships and state scholarships and grants, you are required to enroll as a full-time student, defined as 12 credit hours per semester for undergraduates.

    For other forms of aid, you are required to enroll as a full-time student to retain a full-time award. If you are enrolled less than full-time but at least half-time, your award will be prorated.

    Full Federal Pell Grants require 12 hours of enrollment; three-quarter-time grants require 9 to 11 credit hours; half-time grants require 6 to 8 credit hours; and less-than-half-time grants require 1 to 5 credit hours.

    If you are receiving a Federal Direct Loan, Federal Direct PLUS Loan or Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan, you must be enrolled at least half-time, defined as 6 hours per semester for undergraduate students and 5 hours per semester for graduate students.  

  • Conditions

    You are required to notify Clemson University of any scholarships, loans or other forms of assistance extended from sources outside the University. Credit for outside donor aid will not be posted on your bill until the funds are received by the Office of Student Financial Services.

    You are required to notify the Office of Student Financial Aid of periods of less-than-full-time enrollment, periods of non-enrollment, candidacy for graduation, co-op assignments, periods of study abroad, internships and other plans that may affect enrollment during the time covered by this award summary. 

    You must maintain satisfactory academic progress, as defined in the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.

    If you withdraw from the University during a term or earn no passing grades for a term (which may be considered an unofficial withdrawal), your eligibility for the financial aid already disbursed to you may be affected. You may be required to repay significant amounts of financial aid. Failure to repay these funds may prevent you from re-enrolling at the University, block you from obtaining a transcript to transfer, result in your account being referred to a collection agency, and damage your credit rating.

    If you are a scholarship recipient, you must meet the following criteria for consideration and/or renewal. More specific criteria may be linked to certain scholarships.

    • University recruiting scholarship recipients are required to pass at least 24 credit hours per year and maintain a cumulative Clemson GPA of at least 3.0 or as otherwise specified at Clemson University Freshmen Academic Recruiting Scholarships and Grants. Recruiting scholarships are four-year scholarships awarded to entering freshmen.
    • University restricted scholarship recipients are required to pass at least 24 credit hours per year and maintain a cumulative Clemson GPA of at least 2.5 or as otherwise specified at Clemson University Restricted Scholarships and Grants. Restricted scholarships are scholarships awarded annually to upperclassmen or freshmen.
    • Palmetto Fellows Scholarship recipients must complete at least 30 earned credit hours each year and maintain a minimum cumulative 3.0 Clemson GPA. After eight semesters from the date of initial college enrollment, you are ineligible for Palmetto Fellows Scholarship renewal.
    • LIFE Scholarship recipients must complete an average of 30 earned credit hours per year and maintain a minimum 3.0 LIFE (all-college) GPA as defined by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education. After eight semesters from the date of initial college enrollment, you are ineligible for LIFE Scholarship renewal.
    • The Academic Common Market waiver requires you remain enrolled in the major you were certified in with your home state. If you change your major, you will lose your Academic Common Market waiver. To renew the Academic Common Market waiver, you must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress and there is an 8-semester limit.

    By accepting a scholarship award, you are authorizing Clemson University to release information about you and your scholarship to the media, the donor and University officials.

    Certain programs require you to meet specific eligibility requirements. Should you be deemed ineligible because of failure to meet certain eligibility requirements, your financial aid will be withdrawn. Restrictions concerning specific programs should be reviewed on the Office of Student Financial Aid website. Messages associated with certain programs will be listed on the Terms and Conditions tab under the Financial Aid menu in the iROAR portal for any awards you have been offered. Acceptance of these Terms and Conditions includes acknowledgment of messages linked to specific programs.

    Renewal for Clemson and state scholarships is based on your cumulative Clemson GPA or LIFE GPA and your earned credit hours. Academic Forgiveness can improve your GPA while reducing your earned credit hours, so you must be aware of all consequences before requesting that a grade be forgiven. Please speak with the Office of Student Financial Aid if you have questions about how Academic Forgiveness may affect your scholarship eligibility. If you are seeking to regain a scholarship for an upcoming academic year, you must submit the Request for Academic Forgiveness form to 104 Sikes Hall before the first day of class of the fall semester.

    You must re-apply for federal aid annually by submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Application procedures and deadlines are outlined under Aid Eligibility.

  • Necessary Action

    You must acknowledge that you have read these terms and conditions as well as the Award Messages as specified on the Terms and Conditions tab under the Financial Aid menu in the iROAR portal. Failure to accept the Terms and Conditions and Award Messages will prevent you from accepting your financial aid awards or will prevent the funds from disbursing.

    You must notify Clemson University of any outside donor aid by listing your scholarships on the Resources/Additional Information tab under the Financial Aid menu in the iROAR portal or by emailing finaid@clemson.edu.

    Aid offers made prior to the last day to drop classes without a "W" are based on full-time enrollment for undergraduate students and half-time enrollment for graduate students. You must notify Clemson University of any changes to your enrollment by adding comments on the Accept Award Offer tab under the Financial Aid menu in the iROAR portal or by emailing finaid@clemson.edu.

    Acceptance of this aid does not satisfy payment of University fees. You must follow all billing instructions from the Office of Student Financial Services to prevent the cancellation of your classes.

  • State Aid Affidavit Terms

    To receive your state scholarship/grant, you must read and affirm all of the conditions for the State Aid Affidavit on the Eligibility tab under the Financial Aid section on the iROAR portal.

    As a recipient of a State of South Carolina scholarship/grant (Palmetto Fellows, LIFE, HOPE or SC Need-Based Grant):

    • I affirm that I have never been adjudicated delinquent, convicted, or plead guilty or nolo contendere to any felonies and/or any second or subsequent alcohol/drug related misdemeanor offenses under the laws of this or any other state or under the laws of the United States of America during the 12 months prior to the start of school for the period of this award. If I am adjudicated delinquent or am convicted or plea guilty or nolo contendere to any felonies or any alcohol or drug-related misdemeanor offenses under the laws of this or any other state, I agree to notify the Office of Student Financial Aid by the start of school. I hereby give permission for a background check to be conducted to verify the above. I understand additional information may be requested after the background check has been conducted.
    • For the LIFE Scholarship (if applicable), I agree that I have provided Clemson University official transcripts for all post-secondary institutions that I have attended.
    • I also affirm that I am presently not in default on any Federal or State student loans nor do I owe any refunds to any Federal or State financial aid programs.

    Any false information provided by the student or any attempt to expend any scholarship funds for unlawful purposes or any purpose other than in payment or reimbursement for the cost of attendance at the institution authorized to award the scholarship will be cause for immediate cancellation. Any student who obtained a scholarship through means of a willfully false statement or failure to reveal any material fact, condition, or circumstances affecting eligibility will be subject to applicable civil or criminal penalties, including retroactive loss of the scholarship.

    If additional information is needed prior to making your selection, please contact student financial aid via e-mail at finaid@clemson.edu or by phone at 864-656-2280.

    Additional conditions that must be met for state scholarship disbursement:

    • Be a U.S. citizen or a legal permanent resident that meets the definition of an eligible non-citizen under State residency statues whose lawful presence in the US has been verified at the time of enrollment at the institution.
    • Be a South Carolina Resident for in-state purposes at the time of high school graduation and at the time of enrollment at the institution, as set forth by Section 59-112-10 of the SC Code of Laws.  A student must be a legal permanent resident of the United States before being considered to be a South Carolina resident.
    • For the LIFE, HOPE and Palmetto Fellows Scholarships, you must be admitted, enrolled full-time, and classified as a degree-seeking student.

    For additional information on state scholarships and grants, please visit http://www.clemson.edu/financial-aid/types/scholarships/state-schol.html.