Financial Aid

General

St. Joseph School of Nursing Code of Conduct for Financial Aid in compliance with regulations by the Department of Education.

The St. Joseph School of Nursing and the Financial Aid office of the School of Nursing will not:

	1.	Enter into revenue-sharing arrangements with lenders
	2.	Participate in opportunity pools with lenders
	3.	Accept gifs of more than $10.00 from lenders
	4.	Have school staff receive compensation for consulting services to education lenders

All fees and tuition are paid directly to the Financial Aid Advisor, St. Joseph School of Nursing, either by mail or in person. Checks should be made payable to St. Joseph School of Nursing. All accounts must be paid in full before classes commence. Master Card and Visa may be used for tuition. Satisfactory financial arrangements, which must be made prior to the beginning of classes, will only be accepted with the approval of the Director of the School of Nursing.

Tuition and Fees are payable as per the following schedule:

Month Due	Period of Enrollment
August	August - December
December	January - May , also for Summer Session Biology 2210 (if requires)

Indebtedness to the school automatically terminates enrollment. It suspends the right of the student to attend class and/or clinical experience, participate in graduation exercises, receive a diploma, and receive a letter of recommendation and/or a transcript.

The school may find it necessary, due to rising costs, to increase charges without prior notice whenever such action is deemed necessary.

Additional costs, not including tuition and fees, which the student should be prepared to meet include: student and graduation uniforms, books and transportation, HESI Comprehensive Tests retakes and NCLEX-RN test application and licensing fees.

Withdrawal and Refunds
Refunds of tuition and fees will be made according to the following schedule. A student who withdraws from the school during the semester, regardless of the reason, must notify the Director of the School in writing stating the reason for withdrawal. In all cases, the date of filing of the notification of withdrawal received by the Director will be taken as the date of official withdrawal from the school (not the last date of class attendance).

Refund Policy
For first time - first semester students, the pro-rata policy (excluding nonrefundable registration fee) will be used:

Student Withdraws

Week one
Week two or three
Week four
Week five or six
Week seven or eight
Week nine
Week ten

% of Refund

90
80
70
60
50
40
none

For all other students, the St. Joseph School of Nursing Refund Policy will be used:

Student Withdraws

Before classes begin
Week one
Week two
Week three
Week four
After the fourth week

% of Refund

100
80
60
40
20
none

Refund policies for courses taken at the Community College of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College are listed in their respective catalogs.

Refund Return of Title IV Aid
Requires, that if a recipient of Title IV assistance withdraws from an institution during a payment period or a period of enrollment in which the recipient began attendance, the institution must calculate the percentage and amount of title IV assistance the student did not earn and return those funds to the Title IV program.

All refunds must be paid in the following order:

1.	Loans (Stafford / PLUS / SLS)
2.	Pell Grant
3.	Student Loans

Financial Aid
The School of Nursing believes that the primary financial responsibility for education of a student belongs to the individual and the parents or spouse. At the same time, the school is willing to assist the student in obtaining financial aid.

Applicants seeking financial assistance are able to apply for state, local and federal aid. All applicants MUST complete the free application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. To access the FAFSA online, please go to www.fafsa.ed.gov. To obtain a paper version of the FAFSA, please contact Federal Student Aid Programs at 1.800.4FEDAID. St. Joseph School of Nursing school code is 006591.

Applicants for federal Financial Aid must be U.S. Citizens or eligible non citizens.

Sources of Financial Aid

Federal Direct Loans

Eligibility for subsidized Federal Direct loans is based upon financial need as determined by the Office of Financial Aid, using information from the FAFSA. Subsidized loans are interest free during the student's period of enrollment and for a six-months grace period after leaving school or dropping below half-time status. Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loans, which do not require financial need, have an interest charge during the in-school and grace periods.

Effective July 1, 2010, subsidized loans for undergraduate students have a fixed rate of 4.5 percent, and unsubsidized loans have a fixed interest rate of 6.8 percent. These loans also have a 1.0 percent origination fee, but the federal government partially offsets this with a .5 percent interest rebate

Federal DIRECT Parental Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS)

Federal Direct PLUS Loans allow parents of dependent undergraduate students to borrow up to the full cost of college less other student aid. There is no need requirement for the PLUS loan, but parents must pass a credit review in order to qualify for the loan. Repayment may be deferred for up to six months after the student is no longer enrolled at least half time. However, interest does accrue on the loan and is capitalized into the loan principal before repayment begins. The interest rate on these loans is fixed at 7.9 percent. Federal Direct PLUS Loans have an origination fee of 4 percent, but the federal government will partially offset this with a 1.5 percent interest rebate.

Grants / Scholarships (No Repayment)

	A.	St. Joseph Hospital School of Nursing Alumni Grants Full time students, who are in good academic standing with financial need. St. Joseph Hospital School of Nursing Alumni Association awards these funds on a yearly basis to eligible students.
	B.	Pell Grants These are grants awarded to students with a specific financial need. To be eligible, the student must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. State grants are awarded through the FAFSA form as well.
	C.	Kane Memorial Scholarship In memory of the parents of a graduate of the School of Nursing is intended to recognize excellence achieved without regard to financial need. It is awarded annually to a second semester senior student with the highest cumulative grade point average achieved in the first and second levels and the first semester of the third level of the nursing program. The monetary amount awarded is determined annually based on available funds.
	D.	Grace R. Felmann Memorial Scholarship This scholarship is awarded to a Freshman with financial need and in good standing, in memory of Grace R. Felmann, M.Ed., RN the director of the School of Nursing from 1967 - 1989. She served and preserved the school during her twenty-two year tenure as a teacher, a mentor and a strong student advocate, always mindful of giving without notice to student need.
	E.	Helen Morris Deblinger Scholarship This scholarship, in memory of Helen (Morris) Deblinger / class of 1933, is awarded to an incoming Freshman student who is within the top 25% of their high school class, has a planned career in nursing with a commitment to others, and maintains a B average.
	F.	Nursing Student Scholarships Additional Nursing Scholarships are available from a variety of sources nationwide. Please make an appointment with the Financial Aid Advisor for specific details.
	G.	Jeane E. (Benjamin) Farrar Scholarship This scholarship, in memory of Jeane (Benjamin) Farrar / class of 1967, is awarded yearly to an upcoming junior student with GPAS of C+ (2.65), demonstrates community/volunteer service, is of high moral character and good Christian values, have a written recommendation from a former instructor attesting to the students character and commitment, as well as suitability for the healthcare field and provide a written essay on "Nursing, Faith and Spirituality."

Tuition Refund
St. Joseph Health Services of Rhode Island is offering Tuition Refund up to $4.500 for New Graduates! Full time positions will receive $1,500 per year for three years. Part-time 24-hour positions will receive $900 per year for five years.

For more information, please call the Human Resource Department, St. Joseph Health Services of RI, at 401-456-3200.

Applicants needing additional information about the financial aid process should contact the RISLA or the Financial Aid Advisor at the School of Nursing.
(401-456-3057)