Financial Aid

COVID FAQ for Financial Aid

If you have questions regarding how your financial aid may be affected this semester due to COVID-19, please review the commonly asked questions below. If you do not find the answer to your question, please feel free to contact the Financial Aid Office.

  • Is the Financial Aid Office still open?

    Yes, we are open and available to you Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. We are seeing people by phone, email, or Zoom. You can find information on how to connect with our office by going to our Contact Us page.

  • Can I still schedule an appointment with my financial aid counselor?

    Yes! Our Advisors are happy to answer any questions. You can find information on how to connect with your advisor by going to our Contact Us page.

  • What happens to my financial aid if I withdraw from a class?

    If you are planning to withdraw from a class or from the university completely, it can result in the return of your funds to the Department of Education or the removal of your institutional aid. It is always important for you to contact your financial aid advisor by email and double check before you make a decision so that we can make sure you understand how it will affect you financially.

    If you are on financial aid warning or probation, dropping a class may result in suspension of financial aid for spring semester. Please check with the Financial Aid Office if you are on warning or probation.

    Dropping or withdrawing from classes will affect your academic progress as an undergraduate or graduate student, and you will receive a W “grade” for each withdrawn class on your transcript. Getting too many W’s on your transcript could result in financial aid warning. Please work closely with your instructors to review all of your options.

    Dropping below half-time enrollment (6 credits for undergraduates and 5 credit hours for graduate students) will make you ineligible for loans.

    Dropping below full-time as an undergraduate (12 hours) will cause you to lose your merit and institutional aid.

    If you drop or fail all of your classes this semester, you may be required to repay some of your financial aid.

  • I need to stop attending this term, what do I do about my financial aid?

    Our office will then determine how much financial aid you need to return and notify you by email. For Federal Pell grants, you may need to document that you participated academically in your classes. This may reduce how much money has to be returned.

    Please note that withdrawing from classes will affect your satisfactory academic progress (SAP) towards graduation and you may be required to return some of your federal aid.

  • What happens if my family or I experience an extenuating circumstance (death, loss of a job, reduced income, become homeless, etc.) due to COVID-19?

    HBU financial aid administrators (FAAs) have statutory authority to use professional judgment to make adjustments on a case-by-case basis to the cost of attendance or to the data elements used in calculating the EFC to reflect a student’s special circumstances.

    Please reach out to the financial aid department to discuss your situation. The use of professional judgment where students and/or their families have been affected by COVID-19 is permitted, such as in the case where an employer closes for a period of time as a result of COVID-19.

    In making professional judgment determinations, FAAs must obtain documentation and retain it in each student’s file. This documentation must substantiate the reason for any adjustment.

  • How do I make sure I don't lose my financial aid?

    To keep your aid, you must meet the total institution GPA and credit requirements. Review HBU Financial Aid’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy.

  • What is HBU’s Policy on the Pass/Fail System?

    HBU has provided information on this question at the link below. Please contact the financial aid office about SAP concerns.

    March 27 COVID-19 Update

Other Frequently Asked Questions

Many students have questions regarding the financial aid and the list of questions below are the commonly asked questions which direct you to the specific information our website. We have also provided a video library of additional questions that may arise during your journey through the financial aid process. If you do not find the answer to your question please feel free to contact the Financial Aid Office.

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