Policies & Procedures

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Table of Contents

  1. Financial Aid Statement
  2. Award Philosophy
  3. Program Descriptions
  4. HUC-JIR Financial Aid Scholarships
  5. Award Eligibility
  6. The Application Procedure
  7. Budgets
  8. Expected Family Contribution
  9. Professional Judgment
  10. Misrepresentation
  11. Return of Title IV Funds and Overawards
  12. Disbursement
  13. Satisfactory Academic Progress
  14. Refunds and Repayment
  15. Financial Aid File Maintenance
  16. Maintenance of Records
  17. The Administration of Financial Aid Programs
  18. Financial Aid Leave of Absence Policy and Financial Aid Leave of Absence Form
  19. Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion
  20. Consumer Information
  21. Consortium Agreements

Financial Aid Statement

The function of the financial aid office of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) is to provide adequate financial assistance to eligible students. This goal is to be accomplished through the coordination of governmental, community, and HUC-JIR resources within the framework of federal and College-Institute regulations and policies.

This manual is a resource to assist the financial aid office in meeting this stated goal. The manual is also available online on our website for students and prospective students. If a given issue is not addressed in the financial aid manual, the financial aid officers will be expected to use professional judgment, based on the established policy for the administration of all financial aid programs as outlined in this manual.

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Award Philosophy

The College-Institute maintains a significant program of financial aid for students who can demonstrate need and merit. As a general rule, students are expected to utilize all available personal resources before turning to HUC-JIR for assistance. Our institution remains committed to the principle that all admitted, qualified students will be able to matriculate regardless of their ability to pay tuition and fees, where institutional financial resources make this possible.

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Program Descriptions

Federal Direct Loans

The College-Institute participates in the Direct Loan Program. Within that program, our school offers two types of federal loans: the Federal Unsubsidized Stafford, and the Graduate PLUS Loan. The HUC-JIR financial aid office is compelled by law to determine federal loan eligibility on the basis of a government-approved evaluation service. The Higher Education Reauthorization Act requires the College-Institute to use the Federal Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine federal loan eligibility.

To be eligible for financial aid a student must first complete the FAFSA online. https://studentaid.gov. This serves as an application to both our need-based scholarship and loan programs.

Unsubsidized Stafford

An unsubsidized loan accrues interest while the student is in school. This loan is not based on financial need and is available to all eligible students who wish to take it, as long as their aid has not surpassed the Cost of Attendance (COA) or their loan amounts have not reached the aggregate limit. Repayment of the principal amount does not begin until six months after the borrower separates from HUC-JIR (by withdrawing, graduating or enrolling below half-time status). The borrower is responsible for the interest beginning on the date of disbursement. There are no penalties for paying off loans earlier than the payment schedule.

Graduate PLUS Loan

The Graduate PLUS Loan is available to eligible students who wish to take out additional funds for the academic year beyond the Stafford loan. Students’ eligibility is determined by subtracting their current estimated financial assistance of loans and scholarships from the standard COA for their program. This loan has a higher interest rate than an unsubsidized loan and requires a credit check. The Graduate PLUS Loan can be taken out in one or two installments and has a six-month grace period after you separate from the College-Institute (by withdrawing, graduating, or enrolling under half-time.)

Eligibility

Matriculated students attending at least half-time, who are not in default, and who do not owe a refund in any federally funded program are eligible to apply for Stafford Loans.

Students need to be in good standing with current financial aid loans and not in default. In addition, students must be legal US citizens or have a green card.

Minimum and Maximum Awards

All United States citizens and legal permanent residents are currently eligible to receive as much as $20,500 per year in Unsubsidized Stafford Loan monies. Students will be eligible for this amount unless they have reached the aggregate limit (see below.)

The aggregate amount of Subsidized Stafford Loans obtainable is $23,000 for undergraduate students and $42,500 for graduate and professional students. The total maximum is therefore $65,500. The additional aggregate for Unsubsidized Loans is $46,000 for undergraduate students and $92,500 for graduates and professionals. The total maximum is $138,500.
Some lenders may indicate a loan minimum (usually $500) or a lower loan maximum.

Private – Alternative Loans

In addition to the Federal Stafford Loans, there are also private student alternative loans students can take out directly with lenders. Most of these loans are based on a student’s credit rating and usually have higher interest rates. There are also private student loans for Canadian students as well as international students that certain lenders offer.

Fees

Loan origination fees can vary from 0% to 3% of the principal amount of the loan, depending on your lender. The fee is collected in advance of each loan disbursement by the lending institution.

Interest Rate and Grace Periods

For new borrowers (those with no loans outstanding), the annual interest rate on both Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans varies with the 91-day T-bill. Rates in effect after 7/1/2018 is 6.6% during school as well as while in repayment. The current cap rate is 8.25%. If you have any unpaid balances on previous loans, your rate will remain the same as your initial loan. There are no penalties for paying off student loans early.

Deferment

Student borrowers can postpone repayment of loans while enrolled at least half-time at the College-Institute. Upon separation from the institution (by withdrawal, graduation, or enrolling under half-time), a student will have a six-month grace period for all current financial aid loans taken out during the student’s residency at the College-Institute.

Previous loans from other colleges will immediately go into repayment.

Student borrowers can postpone repayment of loans while enrolled at least half-time at the day you separate from the College-Institute. Questions regarding loan deferment and special conditions should be addressed to the Director of Financial Aid.

Leave of Absence

Students who request a leave of absence from the college will be granted up to 180 days of leave. After that amount of time if a student fails to come back to the college they will be automatically withdrawn from the program and loans that are currently on a deferment status will be updated to withdrawn.

Students returning from a leave of absence and have not made up work from the previous semester will not be permitted to take out more Stafford Loans until the student has completed the previous semester’s workload or has completed a semester of a course load of at least half time.

For students on a leave of absence, the COA will be adjusted to reflect the student’s COA minus the months or days the student is on leave.

Sample Stafford Loan Repayment Schedule

Loan Amount# of Monthly PaymentsAt 5.3%At 8.5%
$1,000.0021$50$51
$3,500.0086$50$50
$5,000.00120$54$61
$8,500.00120$91$104
$10,000.00120$108$123
$23,000.00120$247$282
$65,000.00120$699$797

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HUC-JIR Financial Aid Scholarships

Year-In-Israel Students

Students eligible for financial aid may receive a scholarship to cover up to full tuition and fees for the Year-In-Israel Program. (Students required to attend the Summer Ulpan will receive an additional ulpan tuition scholarship.

Stateside Students

Institutional Need-Based and Merit-Based HUC-JIR scholarships do not need to be repaid. They are provided directly to the student from the College-Institute’s own financial resources, often supported by generous alumni and donors who establish named scholarships. To be eligible for an HUC-JIR tuition scholarship applicants must apply through the Admissions Office when applying for admission to the College-Institute.

Scholarship Appeal Process for Need-based Scholarships (current students)

Students who have extraordinary financial need may apply for additional HUC-JIR scholarship funds through the Financial aid office. To apply for additional aid, students must submit a letter to the Director of Financial Aid addressed to the “Scholarship Committee”, outlining reasons for requesting extra scholarship funds. Additionally, students will need to submit documentation (i.e. tax return) to support their appeal. Each student’s case will be reviewed by a scholarship committee and those confirmed as having significant needs may be awarded more scholarships if funds are available.

Outside Scholarship Policy

Students receiving full tuition scholarships from external sources that process their awards through HUC-JIR are not eligible to receive additional need-based HUC-JIR scholarship aid.

Half-Time/Full-Time Equivalency

Graduate students may be eligible for a half-time or full-time equivalency, based upon the determination of their academic department, even if they are not enrolled for actual credits. Hebrew Union College defines full-time coursework as a minimum of nine credits and half-time coursework as a minimum of six credits. Full-time equivalency students are expected to spend no less than 113 hours per semester/term and half-time equivalency students are expected to complete a minimum of 75 hours per semester/term in a combination of coursework and/or the appropriate activity or activities listed below:

Students enrolled in capstone or thesis course and/or,

Students in fieldwork, internship, clinical practice, practicum course, and/or, Students participating in supervised research (capstone, thesis, or research assistant), Candidacy, and Dissertation

International Students

International students may apply for HUC-JIR need-based or merit-based scholarships by completing the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE® (PROFILE). Students may receive up to a 100% tuition scholarship.

Fill out the CSS Profile online (there is a small fee involved with this application).

  1. Go to http://www.collegeboard.org/
  2. Click on the CSS Profile
  3. Choose the future academic year you are planning on attending then click “sign in”
  4. If you don’t have an account, fill out information to create an account

Before starting the profile be sure you have picked the right code for the college you will be attending in the next academic year. The codes are listed below and available on the CSS website under “List of Colleges, Universities, and Scholarships.” After the Profile is completed, it will be sent to the Financial Aid Office automatically.

1305 Hebrew Union College – JIR (CN and JER) (Cincinnati and Year in Israel Students)
1344 Hebrew Union College -JIR (CA)
2290 Hebrew Union College – JIR (NY)

The CSS Profile doesn’t allow you to bypass the parent information of the Profile. Please put all zeros on the application for the parent information as we don’t require parent information in our calculations.

Please note that International Students are not eligible for government loans but are eligible for some private alternative loans that are available through some lenders in the US. If you are interested in learning more about these types of loans, please inquire with the Financial Aid Office.

Jewish Nonprofit Management Students

Scholarship amounts in the Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management Program may vary according to the individual program and major.

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Award Eligibility

Financial aid is distributed on the basis of need or merit; all full-time or half-time students are welcome to apply.

Citizens of the United States of America

HUC-JIR’s total financial aid program is available to students who can demonstrate need and merit and are United States citizens or legal permanent residents. All students are welcome to apply.

International Students

International students with F-l or J-l visas are ineligible for any federal or state financial aid programs. As stated on the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) I-20 student visa form, international students are expected to provide for their educational and living expenses from personal and family resources.

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The Application Procedure

All students seeking need-based financial aid must complete the FAFSA and submit it online at: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. HUC-JIR’s school code is G04054.

Deadlines

The HUC-JIR financial aid deadline for returning students is always the first Friday in March and mid-February for new incoming MAJE, DFSSM and RAB students. Other departments have different deadlines. If you wish to be considered for HUC-JIR need-based scholarships and financial aid loans, you MUST complete your FAFSA, and submit additional requested information to the financial aid office. After that deadline, loans can still be processed on a rolling basis. However, missing the deadline will seriously impair the College-Institute’s ability to continue need-based scholarship support.

It is important to complete the application accurately for student financial aid. Errors can result in long delays in both processing applications and receipt of financial aid.

Intentional misreporting of information on application forms for federal financial aid is a violation of law and is considered a criminal offense subject to penalties under the U.S. Criminal Code.

Budgets

Budget guidelines are determined by the financial aid director and are based upon budget surveys, cost of living indexes, and other data to determine appropriate annual budget amounts for each program. These student budgets—relating to campuses and programs—shall be used to determine financial aid for each applicant.

A nine-month budget will be used for all students attending the fall and spring semesters. If the student attends only one semester, the budget is divided into two.

A twelve-month budget will be used for all students attending fall, spring, and summer. If the student attends only one semester, this budget figure is divided by three. Half-time students will use a nine-month budget.

Note: A half-time student’s educational expenses may be less, and these expenses are usually offset by an increased employment contribution compared to what would be expected from a less-than-full-time student.

Budgets will have the following components:

Tuition for most campuses and programs is $28,000 for the 2023-24 academic year and is subject to change annually.

Students enrolled in double master’s programs at the Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management are subject to additional tuition for the “second institutions.”

Additional fees for other programs are noted in the individual program prospectuses.

Note: Please see the financial aid web page for the COA for each campus and program.

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Expected Family Contribution

The College-Institute is guided by the FAFSA analysis in determining the financial needs of all financial aid applicants. The FAFSA analysis is calculated according to federal standards. It provides financial aid officers with a dollar amount called the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The EFC is the amount of money, that the student (and/or the student’s parent[s]) will be expected to contribute toward the total cost of the student’s education. The EFC is recalculated each time the student submits a FAFSA application.

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Professional Judgment

As currently directed through congressional legislation and as historically dictated, financial aid officers are empowered to use their professional judgment as the final authority in determining a student’s financial aid eligibility. The financial aid officer must use independent professional discretion in recommending variations from established policies and procedures, when, in his/her best judgment, the circumstances warrant such action.

A test of reasonableness, fairness, and legality, backed by the appropriate documentation, should be applied in all exceptional cases without compromising the financial aid officer’s or the student’s integrity and principles. Concern for the needs and rights of the student coupled with responsibility for institutional and governmental funds must be paramount at all times.

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Misrepresentation

If the Financial Aid Office becomes aware that a student and/or student’s parents or spouse has intentionally misrepresented facts relevant to the student’s financial aid application, and this has resulted or could result in the awarding or disbursement of funds for which the student is not eligible, the financial aid officer must:

  1. Conduct a meeting with the student in order to determine whether or not there was intention to misrepresent the facts;
  2. Notify the student at the end of the meeting if the case is to be forwarded to the appropriate Dean for possible disciplinary Misrepresentation can result in the following:
    • The repayment of all wrongly-disbursed funds, and/or
    • A decision not to process the financial aid application or to award financial

Any such actions would apply to the current and possibly the following year.

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Return of Title IV Funds and Overawards

Return of Title IV Funds

Requirements of 34 CFR 668.22 are commonly referred to as the Return of Title IV Funds requirements.

How a withdrawal affects financial aid Federal regulations require Title IV financial aid funds to be awarded under the assumption that a student will attend the institution for the entire period in which federal assistance was awarded. When a student withdraws from all courses for any reason, including medical withdrawals, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of Title IV funds that was originally scheduled for the student to receive. The return of funds is based upon the premise that students earn their financial aid in proportion to the amount of time in which they are enrolled. A pro-rated schedule is used to determine the amount of federal student aid funds the student will have earned at the time of the withdrawal. When more than 60% of the semester/pay period is completed, a student is considered to have earned all of his/her/they financial aid and will not be required to return any funds. Federal law requires schools to calculate how much federal financial aid a student has earned if that student:

  • completely withdraws, or
  • stops attending before completing the semester/pay period.

The following formula is used to determine the percentage of unearned aid that must be returned to the federal government:

  • The percentage earned is equal to the number of calendar days completed up to the withdrawal date, divided by the total calendar days in the payment period (less any scheduled breaks that are at least 5 days long).
  • The payment period for most students is the entire semester.
  • The percentage unearned is equal to 100 percent minus the percentage earned.

HUC-JIR students who do not complete a semester or pay period for which they were registered, billed, and have received Federal Title IV aid, the following will occur:

  1. The student will be directed by the Office of the National Registrar to make an appointment with the Director of Financial Aid to discuss the financial implication of their withdrawal of classes.
  2. The student must work with the National Registrar to document his/her/they last date of attendance.
  3. Once the date is established, the Financial Aid Office will perform the required federal refund calculation no more than 45 days after the student has withdrawn from the College-Institute for students who have federal student loans in the current semester/pay period the student withdrew.
    1. HUC-JIR will calculate the percentage of Title IV aid earned as follows: The number of calendar days completed by the student divided by the total number of calendar days in the semester in which the student withdrew. The total number of calendar days in a semester shall exclude any scheduled breaks of five or more days. Days Attended ÷ Days in Enrollment Period = Percentage Completed If the calculated percentage completed exceeds 60%, then the student has “earned” all the Title IV aid for the enrollment period.
  4. For students who leave the College-Institute and are no longer in communication and are unreachable the College-Institute will use the midpoint of the semester for the last day of attendance to calculate a return of funds.

The Financial Aid Office will conduct a return of funds calculation for students who withdraw (officially or unofficially) from the college during the academic year. Steps to ensure this process are as follows:

  1. Students must complete an official withdrawal form and submit it to the National Registrar. The withdrawal form must be completed no later than 10 days after the student has informed the institution of their intent to withdraw.
  2. A Notice of Withdrawal will be submitted to the Financial Aid Office from the Registrar’s Office with the date that the student has withdrawn from the College-Institute.
  3. The Financial Aid Office will follow these steps for students who have taken out financial aid loans:
    1. A funds calculation will (R2T4 Calculation) will be conducted and reviewed by the Financial Aid Office and the National Business Office. If a refund is owed, the Financial Aid Office will return funds for the student in COD and the Student Billing Office will return funds to
      1. Percentage of Title IV aid earned HUC-JIR will calculate the percentage of Title IV aid earned as follows: The number of calendar days completed by the student divided by the total number of calendar days in the semester in which the student withdrew. The total number of calendar days in a semester shall exclude any scheduled breaks of five or more days. Days Attended ÷ Days in Enrollment Period = Percentage Completed If the calculated percentage completed exceeds 60%, then the student has “earned” all the Title IV aid for the enrollment period.
      2. Amount of Title IV aid earned by the student HUC-JIR will calculate the amount of Title IV aid earned as follows: The percentage of Title IV aid earned is multiplied by the total amount of Title IV aid disbursed or that could have been disbursed for the term in which the student withdrew. Total Aid x Percentage Completed = Earned Aid.
      3. Amount of Title IV aid to be disbursed or returned:
        • If the previously disbursed aid equals the earned aid, no further action is
        • If the previously disbursed aid is greater than the earned aid, the difference must be returned to the appropriate Title IV aid Total Disbursed Aid – Earned Aid = Unearned Aid to be Returned G5
        • If the previously disbursed aid is less than the earned aid, then HUC-JIR will calculate a post-withdrawal disbursement.
  4. An exit interview will be sent electronically to the student to be filled out and returned. If there is no response a PDF of the full exit interview and instructions will be emailed to the student.
  5. Future loan disbursements will be canceled

Students on an approved leave of absence of no more than 60 days will not have an adjustment in their federal student loans or enrollment status.

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Overaward

The awarding of financial aid in excess of demonstrated need constitutes an overaward. At the time of awarding, a student’s financial aid “package” must be equal to or less than the student’s need.
The sequence of procedures in the event of overaward and overpayment is as follows:

  1. If over-awarded the following steps may be taken: Student loan funds will be reduced for the second semester if an overaward is noticed before the second semester
  2. If the overaward happens after the second or last disbursement, funds must be collected from the school will follow the federal policy for returning the funds back to G5.

A Financial Aid Officer has the right to exercise professional judgment if there is a valid reason for lowering an EFC and eliminating the overaward.

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Disbursement

Prior to the disbursement of Stafford loan monies, the following procedures must occur:

Loan Counseling

Entrance Interviews

All students borrowing from the Stafford Loan Program for the first time at HUC-JIR must complete an entrance interview before funds will be disbursed to the student. Entrance Interviews are to be completed online by going to this website and choosing your campus location.

Exit Interviews

All students who have received financial aid are required to complete an exit interview before graduation or upon withdrawal from the College. Exit Interviews are completed online as well by going to this website.

Master Promissory Note

A Master Promissory Note (MPN) has to be current and signed by the student with Direct Loans (information on the “How to Apply” part of the financial aid website.) An MPN is serial and can thus be used every year during the student’s residency at the College. By signing an MPN, a student is promising to repay all student loans made under this note. Students may revoke their MPN at any time, however, loans previously disbursed remain an obligation they must repay. An MPN expires ten years after the note is signed. If a disbursement is not made within one year of signing, the promissory note is automatically revoked. Grad Plus loan MPNS have to be renewed every year.

Disbursing Loan Refunds in Students’ Accounts

All loan and grant checks are disbursed by the HUC-JIR Business Office. If a student has not submitted all required documentation, a “hold” will be placed on the student’s financial aid disbursements. Checks or deposits made into a student’s checking account will not be disbursed if a student’s HUC-JIR financial aid records have been encumbered for any reason.

Notification of disbursements are sent from the Business Office notifying the student of what kind of loan, amount, and date of deposit into a student’s College-Institute accounts, as well as their personal bank accounts. This notification will inform the student that they have the right to cancel or reduce their disbursement amounts, and the time frame in which they should alert the school if they choose to do so

Stafford Student Loans are disbursed twice each year for two semester programs and three times a year for students enrolled in fall-spring-summer programs. For late applications, student loans will be disbursed on a rolling basis.
If a student owes tuition, fees, or has other financial obligations to the College-Institute, the amount due the school will be deducted from the Stafford loan refund.

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Satisfactory Academic Progress

Federal Definition

Federal guidelines mandate that all institutions offering Title IV funds have a Standard of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). The following information defines HUC-JIR’s minimum standards for SAP to maintain eligibility for all types of financial aid, including Federal (Title IV), State, and institutional (HUC-JIR) funding

Programs administered by agencies other than HUC-JIR, such as private scholarships, may have their own academic standards for students. Students will need to contact such agencies to determine their requirements.

Federal regulations require HUC-JIR to establish SAP standards in the following areas:

  • Cumulative GPA
  • Cumulative Hours
  • Maximum Time Frame

The school’s SAP policy must include the student’s total academic history.

These general principles apply to all HUC-JIR degree programs. In addition to the general principles, students must meet specific guidelines for their individual academic program(s). Program-specific requirements are detailed in specific program handbooks.

SAP will be determined every payment period (semester.)

To earn hours at HUC-JIR, a student must receive a grade of A, B, C, Pass or Low Pass. Any other grade does not earn hours but will count as hours attempted, but not as hours earned.

Classes from which a student has withdrawn will be counted as hours attempted but not hours earned, and will thus have a negative impact on a student’s ability to satisfy SAP requirements.

Classes in which a student receives a grade of Incomplete (I) count as hours attempted but not as hours earned. Therefore, these will have a negative impact on a student’s ability to satisfy SAP requirements.

When a student repeats a course, the total attempted hours will increase with each repeat, but the student will only earn hours for a completed course once. Therefore, repeating courses will have a negative impact on a student’s ability to satisfy SAP requirements. When a student repeats a course the higher grade will be counted toward the student’s cumulative GPA

Attempted hours include all coursework attempted, including transfer credits, passed, repeated, incomplete, failed, and withdrawn courses. Attempted hours do not include courses that have been waived, or where advanced standing has been granted

Transfer students will be evaluated at the time of enrollment using the same SAP standards

Students who change programs or seek to earn additional degrees are evaluated at the beginning of the semester of the new program or additional degree.

HUC-JIR Students

Cumulative GPA

For students in programs where a GPA is calculated, or those students who have chosen to receive letter grades, a student must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA or better to satisfy SAP requirements
For students enrolled in programs that offer Pass/Low Pass/No Pass grading, students must pass at least 80% of the credits they have attempted to satisfy SAP requirements.

Cumulative Hours Earned

Students must pass (earn) at least 70% of the credits that have attempted to satisfy Sap requirements.

Maximum Time Frame

HUC-JIR students will be eligible for financial aid for a maximum time frame of 150% of the published number of required credits. Thus, if a program is anticipated to require 100 credits for completion, then a student would become ineligible for financial aid as of the completion of the 150th credit. Eligibility for financial aid ends at this time regardless of whether that student has received financial aid or not during the period of study.

Good Standing

Good standing by semester will be evaluated by the registrar and will report to the Financial Aid Office every pay period who is not in good standing as well as who is on academic probation, suspension, or dismissal from the program. Good standing is defined in the National Student Academic Handbook.
A student in good academic standing:

  • is not on probation
  • is making acceptable progress toward his/her degree or certificate
  • has earned grades at the “Pass” or “B” level or higher
  • has no more than one LP or C in a semester

If a student receives two or more “LPs” or “C’s” and/or fails one or more courses in a semester, the Program Director shall meet with the student to provide counseling and guidance. The Program Director may place the student on probation and may convene a Student Tenure Committee.

If he/she receives another “LP,” “C” or “F” during a period of probation, he/she will be asked to appear before a Student Tenure Committee.

If the student fails two (2) courses at any time within two consecutive semesters, he/she will meet with the Student Tenure Committee.

If a student fails three (3) courses over two academic years, the student will automatically be suspended. He/she has the right to appeal to the Student Tenure Committee for reinstatement, citing any extenuating circumstances.

Failure to Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements

Students who do fail to meet the satisfactory academic progress standards will be placed on Financial Aid Warning (FAW) for a period of up to one payment period (semester.) During the FAW, a student remains eligible to receive financial aid. Students who do meet SAP requirements during the end of the warning period will be returned to normal status and will continue to be eligible for financial aid awards and loans. Students who do not meet SAP requirements at the end of the payment period will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension (FAS.)

Students returning to HUC-JIR while they are on FAS must meet the requirements of HUC-JIR’s SAP policy in order to regain eligibility for financial aid.

Appeals

Students on FAS may make a written appeal to the Director of Financial Aid. Financial aid may be reinstated by the Director upon demonstration of mitigating circumstances which must be documented to the satisfaction of the Director along with a written letter of appeal from the student. Examples of mitigating circumstances and appropriate documentation include, but are not necessarily limited to:

  • Serious illness of the student, documented by a signed statement from a physician that the illness interfered with the student’s ability to meet SAP requirements, along with a written letter of appeal from the
  • Serious illness of an immediate family member, documented by a signed statement from a physician along with a letter of appeal from the
  • Death of an immediate/close family member, documented by a signed statement from a clergy person, nearest relative, or an unbiased, concerned adult, along with a written letter of appeal from the student; or
  • Disruptive internal family problems, documented by legal/court documentation from an attorney, statement from parents, clergy person, or an unbiased concerned adult, along with a written letter of appeal from the student.

Students on FAS who have submitted an appeal and are approved will then be put on Financial Aid Probation (FAP) for one payment period. If SAP is restored at the end of the payment period financial aid eligibility will continue. If students on FAP who do not successfully make SAP at the end of the pay period can submit an academic plan with their academic advisor with a time frame of when the student will successfully make SAP and an action plan to restore SAP. If a student has an active academic plan in place the student will be eligible for financial aid while following their academic plan.

Refunds and Repayment

All tuition and fees are refunded on a pro rata basis, using the number of remaining months divided by either the 9-month or 12-month term. Please see our Tuition and Fees Policy on the web for further information.

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Financial Aid File Maintenance

To ensure that all required documents have been received and to aid internal and external audits, all files will be maintained as follows:

Documents Required in Each Financial Aid File:

  • Student Aid Report – Analysis generated from the FAFSA
  • Award letter
  • Driver’s License or Passport photo ID
  • Miscellaneous communications from students

Paperwork that is serial and used every year will be brought forward to the current year file.

Maintenance of Records

To comply with federal requirements, the financial aid officer will maintain a master record for each student receiving financial aid.

All financial aid folders will be maintained for three years after submission of the student’s last financial aid application. Records involved in any claim or expenditure questioned by federal audit will be retained until that question is resolved. After the three-year retention period has elapsed and all open issues are resolved, the financial aid materials will be destroyed.

Confidentiality

As specified by law in The Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (“Buckley Amendment”), all information in a student’s financial aid file is confidential and may not be released or discussed with anyone except as provided by law.

Adequate records of requests must be maintained for information disclosure.

To disclose financial aid information, written consent from the student is required and must:

  • Specify records to be released
  • State the purpose of the disclosure
  • Identify the party(ies) to whom disclosure may be made
  • Be signed and dated by the student.

Information must be disclosed without written consent of the student to:

  • Students who request information from their own records
  • Authorized representatives of federal- and state-supported programs for the purpose of audit and evaluation;
  • The College’s duly appointed auditors, for the sake of audit and evaluation Information, may be disclosed without the written consent of the student to:
  • Personnel within the institution determined to have a legitimate educational interest
  • Officials of other institutions in which the student seeks to enroll
  • Organizations determining financial decisions concerning eligibility, amount, condition, and enforcement of terms of said aid
  • Organizations conducting studies to develop, validate, and administer predictive tests, administer student aid programs or improve instruction
  • Accrediting organizations carrying out their accrediting functions
  • Parents of a student who have established that student’s status as a dependent according to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, Section 152
  • Persons in compliance with a judicial order or a lawfully issued subpoena provided that the institution first makes a reasonable attempt to notify the student.

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The Administration of Financial Aid Programs

Responsibility for the administration of financial aid programs is a joint effort of the Financial Aid Director, the Registrar, the Business Office, and the Deans, who act in an advisory capacity. The Board of Governors of the College-Institute reviews and ultimately sets HUC-JIR financial aid policies.

The Financial Aid Office

  • Determines each student’s financial need, eligibility for specific programs, and the amount of aid to be awarded from each program
  • Maintains student financial aid records (on paper and electronically, as appropriate) and required reports that relate to those records
  • Authorizes the Business Office to disburse specified types and amounts of funds
  • Stays informed of government and state policies and implements school policies to stay in compliance with the Department of Higher
  • Oversees all processes for the student financial aid
  • Awards and processes Institutional Scholarships, federal and private student
  • Reports to the Department of Education and updates file rosters to the NSLDS in a timely and regular basis. When a roster has been updated it is reported to supervisory personnel in a timely

Monitoring of the Financial Aid Office is conducted by the Chief Financial Officer or Controller for the College-Institute. A sample population of student files of randomly selected students at all campuses is chosen and reviewed twice a year and sample student selections represent every pay period. Monitoring of student billing is managed by the Chief Financial Officer.

The Business Office

  • Disburses funds
  • Maintains permanent, cumulative records of disbursements to students as confirmation of receipt of funds
  • Exercises due diligence in the collection of College-Institute loans
  • Enforces holds placed on student checks by the Financial Aid Office
  • Works closely with the Financial Aid Director to work out problems with individual disbursements
  • Notifies students of the type of loan funds, amounts, and when funds are credited to students

The Registrar

  • Is responsible for the maintenance of students’ academic credits including semester and cumulative units and the grades received for those units
  • Monitors students’ adds, drops, and withdrawals of units and the exact date on which these events occurred
  • Notifies the Financial Aid Office of the date when students add or drop units, withdraw or graduate
  • Notifies the Financial Aid Office of students who are not making satisfactory academic (See section on “Satisfactory Academic Progress,” above.)

Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion

Mission Statement

The Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion defines itself as the academic arm of Reform Judaism dedicated to the study of Jewish and related disciplines in the spirit of free inquiry. Students are welcome who meet the College-Institute’s standards of scholarship and who, whatever their faith, are devoted to the exploration of the Judaic heritage. The College-Institute sees itself as standing for freedom of research, publication, and instruction.

—By resolution of the Board of Governors

Accreditation

All four campuses of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, In Cincinnati, Jerusalem, Los Angeles, and New York are accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, 215-662-5606).

Copies of the most current HUC-JIR accreditation reports are available, upon request, in the Library. You may also find current accreditation status here.

Association with Other Schools

Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is affiliated with the University of Cincinnati, the Greater Cincinnati Consortium of Colleges and Universities, the University of Southern California, San Francisco State University, Washington University in St. Louis, New York University, the University of Pittsburgh, General Theological Seminary, the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. These associations provide for cross-registration privileges, the use of libraries and other facilities, joint course offerings, and cooperative degrees.

HUC-JIR Academic Administration

Dr. Andrew Rehfeld – President

Roseanne Ackerley – Director of Financial Aid

Lauren Kim, National Registrar

Rabbi Adam M. Allenberg- Interim Director, National Office of Recruitment & Admissions

Rabbi Jonathan L. Hecht, Ph.D. – Dean of Cincinnati Campus

Rabbi Naamah Kelman- Dean of Jerusalem Campus

Joshua Holo – Dean of Los Angeles Campus

Rabbi David Adelson – Dean of New York Campus

Rabbi Andrea Weiss, Ph.D – Provost

Graduate Programs of Study at HUC-JIR

Cincinnati
Rabbinical School
School of Graduate Studies

New York
Rabbinical School
Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music School of Education
Master of Judaic Studies Doctor of Ministry
Doctor of Hebrew Letters

Los Angeles
Rabbinical School
Rhea Hirsch School of Education
Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management Pines School of Graduate Studies
Louchheim School of Judaic Studies

Jerusalem
Rabbinical School School of Sacred Music School of Education
Nelson Glueck School of Biblical Archeology
For further information regarding the current degree and non-degree programs, the individual campus facilities and a list of all faculty and instructional personnel, please see the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion website.

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Consumer Information

Recent legislation requires all educational institutions participating in a federal loan program to provide its students with information pertaining to the following items:

  • Any special facilities and services available to handicapped students
  • An annual campus security report
  • Completion and graduation rates
  • Drug and alcohol abuse prevention information

Due to the fact that the content of this information varies from campus to campus, the information listed above is distributed annually, by the campus, at the beginning of the academic year.

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Consortium Agreements

A Consortium Agreement will allow a student to use some of their federal student aid (Stafford, Unsubsidized Stafford, and PLUS loans,) at another approved school or program. Federal regulations allow only one institution, the “home institution” to award federal financial aid. As the “home institution,” HUC can recommend these forms of aid when its students study elsewhere, and obtain permission in advance to transfer courses to the HUC degree program. Academic progress standards for HUC do not change during the period of the agreement. HUC will maintain all records related to the student’s aid. Awards are based on the actual cost of tuition and fees at the Consortium School and HUC’s cost of attendance for the appropriate program.

This form may be used for courses to be taken elsewhere, provided you have the form completed by the Consortium School/Program. As with most forms of aid, you also file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Click here to download the Consortium Agreement Form

Directions

  1. Complete Section A of Be sure to sign.
  2. Obtain a signature from the advisor stating that permission has been granted and credits will transfer as equivalent to HUC Grades achieved at a visiting school will not necessarily be averaged in the student’s HUC GPA.
  3. Have Consortium School complete Section B of the Agreement and return to: Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion
    Office of Financial Aid
    1 West 4th Street,
    New York, NY 10012or fax to (212) 358-7752

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