Martin Luther College biannually distributes, to all enrolled students, a notice of the availability of institutional and financial aid information. This information is required to be made available under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) and under HEOA 489 amended HEA Sec 485(b); HEA Sec. 485(a)(1), Sec. 485(f), Sec. 485(g), [Sec. 485(h)] and Sec. 485(j).

Students are sent a notification of the availability of Institutional and Federal Financial Aid Information via email.  This information may also be obtained through the Student’s Net Partner account login. This information provides a comprehensive list of all information students are entitled to receive.

As a student you have the right to:

  • know what financial assistance is available to you, including all federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs.
  • know the deadlines for submitting applications for applicable financial aid programs and the process required.
  • know how your financial need is determined, including how cost of attendance budgets are developed.
  • know what resources are considered in the calculation of your financial need, and how much of your need as determined by MU has been met.
  • an explanation of the types of aid contained in your financial aid award as well as how to retain eligibility for those funds (if applicable).
  • request a review of your current financial situation if you meet certain criteria based on changes since filing the current aid year FAFSA application.
  • know what portion of your aid package is grant or gift aid, and what portion must be repaid. In addition, you have the right to know interest rates, total amount to be repaid, procedures for repayment, when repayment begins, and how long you have to repay the loan.
  • know the criteria for continued financial aid eligibility, including guidelines for the determination of Satisfactory Academic Progress as defined by the Department of Education.
  • know the method and frequency of financial aid disbursements.

As a student you have the responsibility to:

  • be aware of your ability to pay any institutional charges based on your available financial aid and personal resources.
  • review and understand the terms and conditions of your financial aid award.
  • complete all requirements accurately, in a timely manner, and by the appropriate deadlines.
  • inform us if you intend to enroll less than full time for any given term so that your aid can be properly adjusted and disbursed.
  • inform us of any outside scholarships, assistantships, or additional resources that you receive.
  • fill out the FAFSA application completely and accurately. If selected for verification you will provide all requested documents in a timely manner, and ensure that all submitted materials are complete and accurate. Falsification of information on application forms for federal financial assistance is considered a criminal offense, and you may be subject to penalties under the U.S. Criminal Code.
  • read and understand all forms that you are asked to submit or sign, realizing that you are legally responsible for all agreements that you sign.
  • know and comply with all policies and procedures of Martin Luther College.
  • manage your financial aid experience.

Schools participating in Title IV loan programs are required to develop and adhere to a code of conduct.

The following code of conduct includes requirements specified in the Higher Education Act and applies to officers, employees, and agents of Martin Luther College.

  1. The college will not engage in revenue-sharing arrangements with any lender. This is defined as any arrangement between a school and a lender that results in the lender paying a fee or other benefits, including a share of the profits, to the school, its officer, employees or agents, as a result of the school recommending the lender to its students or families of those students.
  2. Employees in the Financial Aid Office will not accept gifts from any lender, guaranty agency or loan servicer. This ban is not limited to providers of Title IV loans. Providers of private education loans, also known as alternative loans, are included in this provision. The law does provide for some exceptions related to specific types of activities or literature including:
    • Brochures or training material related to default aversion or financial literacy.
    • Food, training or informational materials as part of training as long as that training contributes to the professional development of those individuals attending the training.
    • Favorable terms and benefits to a student employed by the college as long as those same terms are provided to all students at the college.
    • Entrance and exit counseling as long as the college’s staff is in control and the services of a specific lender are not promoted.
    • Philanthropic contributions from a lender, guarantee agency, or servicer unrelated to educational loans.
    • State education, grants, scholarships, or financial aid funds administered by or on behalf of the State.
  3. No employee of the college’s financial aid office will accept any fee, payment or financial benefit as compensation for any type of consulting arrangement or contract to provide services to or on behalf of a lender relating to education loans.
  4. Borrowers will not be steered to particular lenders, or delay loan certifications. This includes assigning any first-time borrower’s loan to a particular lender as part of their award packaging or other methods.
  5. The college will not request nor accept any offer of funds for private loans. This includes any offer of funds for loans to students at the college, including funds for an opportunity pool loan, in exchange for providing concessions or promises to the lender for a specific number of loans, or inclusion on a preferred lender list.
  6. The college will not request nor accept any assistance with call center staffing for financial aid office staffing. However, the college can request or accept assistance from a lender related to:
    • Professional development training for financial aid administrators.
    • Providing educational counseling materials, financial literacy materials, or debt management materials to borrowers, provided that such materials disclose to borrowers the identification of any lender that assisted in preparing or providing such materials.
    • Staffing services on a short-term, nonrecurring basis to assist the school with financial aid-related functions during emergencies, including State-declared or federally declared natural disasters, and other localized disasters and emergencies identified by the Secretary.
  7. No employee of the institution may receive anything of value from a lender, guarantor, or group in exchange for serving in this capacity. Employees may, however, accept reimbursement for reasonable expenses incurred while serving in this capacity.
  8. The college will not permit a lender to use any form of identification related to Martin Luther College on lender promotion materials.

Martin Luther College’s Title IV Loan Code of Conduct was adopted by its Administrative Council on June 29, 2009.

According to the United States Department of Education, if a student is convicted of a drug offense after receiving Title IV Aid, he or she must notify the Financial Aid Office immediately and that student will become ineligible for further federal aid and also be required to pay back any and all aid received after the conviction.Should a conviction result, a student can take advantage of rehabilitation programs that can make him or her eligible for federal financial aid again.

Students Convicted of Possession or Sale of Drugs

  • A federal or state drug conviction can disqualify a student for Title IV Funds.
  • Convictions only count if they were for an offense that occurred during a period of enrollment for which the student was receiving Title IV aid—they do not count if the offense was not during such a period.
  • A conviction that was reversed, set aside, or removed from the student’s record does not count, nor does one received when she was a juvenile, unless she was tried as an adult.

The chart below illustrates the period of ineligibility for Title IV Funds, depending on whether the conviction was for sale or possession and whether the student had previous offenses. (A conviction for sale of drugs includes convictions for conspiring to sell drugs.)

POSSESSION OF ILLEGAL DRUGS SALE OF ILLEGAL DRUGS
1st Offense 1 year from date of conviction 2 years from date of conviction
2nd Offense 2 years fr​om date of conviction Indefinite period
3+ Offenses Indefinite period

If the student was convicted of both possessing and selling illegal drugs, and the periods of ineligibility are different, the student will be ineligible for the longer period.

A student regains eligibility the day after the period of ineligibility ends or when he successfully completes a qualified drug rehabilitation program.

Further drug convictions will make him ineligible again. It is the student’s responsibility to certify to that s/he has successfully completed the rehabilitation program.

The National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) is the U.S. Department of Education’s centralized database of all federal student aid. NSLDS provides an overview of all federal student loans, loan amounts, enrollment status, loan servicer, outstanding balances, loan status and disbursements pertaining to a student borrower. This information will also be accessible by guaranty agencies, lenders, and schools determined to be authorized users of the data system. National Student Loan Data System Website 

Financial Aid Contact Information.