Financial Aid Terms and Conditions

• The estimated cost of attendance (COA) and initial financial aid award package are based on full-time (12 hours) enrollment for undergraduate or half-time (5-8 hours) enrollment for graduate students.

You must contact Financial Aid if you will not meet enrollment requirements. 

• If you intend to take fewer than 12 hours per semester as an undergraduate or fewer than 5 hours as a graduate student, you should notify the Office of Student Financial Aid immediately to have your COA and award amounts adjusted.  

• We ask you to submit this enrollment adjustment in writing by using the comment field on your “Financial Aid Award” page in iROAR or by sending an email to finaid@clemson.edu. You must include the number of hours you intend to enroll for the Fall and Spring semesters.  

• If Financial Aid is not notified of your enrollment adjustment, a balance may be created in your student account when your final financial aid eligibility is determined due to the cancellation or reduction of your previously awarded aid.  

• Please note that some types of financial aid have specific enrollment rules as outlined below. 

• For the purpose of determining final financial aid eligibility, enrollment is defined as total hours enrolled as of applicable dates as described below based on the academic calendar.

• 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, as of midnight on the last day to drop a class without a "W" for the standard (long) term. 

• 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. Enrollment is defined as total hours, required for the declared degree (see Courses in Program of Study), enrolled as of midnight on the dat day to drop a class without a "W" for the standard (long) term. Classes added in parts of term that stat later (e.g., minimesters) will not be counted in enrollment for federal aid purposes. Students must participate (attend) all classes in which they are enrolled.

• 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. Enrollment is defined as total hours, required for the declared degree (see Courses in Program of Study), enrolled as of midnight on the dat day to drop a class without a "W" for the standard (long) term. Classes added in parts of term that stat later (e.g., minimesters) will not be counted in enrollment for federal aid purposes. Students must participate (attend) all classes in which they are enrolled.

• Enrollment for the purposes of federal aid must be in classes that are required for the declared major, including dual degrees, double majors, required minors/emphasis areas/concentrations, General Education requirements and required electives. Classes will not count if they are for optional minors, unofficial majors (i.e., projected but not yet declared) or excess electives. Classes above the enrollment requirements described in this section do not have to satisfy a degree requirement.
• Students must participate (attend) all classes in which they are enrolled. At the beginning of each semester, the instructor will confirm your participation by roll call or by another method such as assigning a survey or quiz. Make sure you participated by the second class meeting according to your instructor's method. After your participation is confirmed, follow the instructor's attendance policy in the syllabus. 

Conditions 

• You are required to notify the Clemson University Office of Financial Aid 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 can add information about outside donor aid in iROAR on the Outside Resources page under the Financial Aid section. 

• You are required to notify the Office of Student Financial Aid of periods of less-than-full-time enrollment, periods of nonenrollment, 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 may use the comment field on the Financial Aid Award page in iROAR or send an email to finaid@clemson.edu to notify the office of any changes to your enrollment.

• 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. 

Necessary Action

• You must notify the Clemson University Office of Financial Aid 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 the 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 

As a recipient of a State of South Carolina scholarship/grant (Palmetto Fellows, LIFE, HOPE or S.C. 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 plead 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 postsecondary 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 email at finaid@clemson.edu or by phone at 864-656-2280.  

Additional considerations 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 noncitizen under state residency statutes whose lawful presence in the U.S. 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 S.C. 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.