Federal regulations mandate that institutions have written policies and procedures. Beyond the federal requirement, there are many benefits to having a written document outlining financial aid office policies and procedures: 1) for distribution to appropriate others outside the Financial Aid Office (FAO) for the purpose of informing and fostering an understanding of the complexity and operation of the FAO: 2) for FAO staff as a referral guide to assist in maintaining consistency in the problem-solving process; and 3) as an important component of a comprehensive training program.

Statement of Purpose
The purpose of this document is to record policies and procedures surrounding the delivery of financial aid at Centenary College of Louisiana. If no policy or procedure addresses a given issue, the FAO staff is expected to use professional judgment based upon the intent of all financial aid programs and Office practices.

This Manual:

1. Provides the financial aid staff with current policies and procedures which pertain to eligibility assessment for federal, state, and Centenary programs.
2. Provides each staff member with general and specific responsibilities of the total staff, their individual responsibilities, and the Office's relationship to other departments/divisions of the College.
3. Provides each staff member with general office procedures in order that a systematic and consistent approach may be taken in the operation of all programs; ensuring that similar operations will be handled in a uniform manner.
4. Provides quick reference to various practices.
5. Facilitates the orientation and training of personnel when changes occur.

 

Financial Aid Reference Documents
There are many resource guides which assist the FAO staff, these citations are maintained by the office staff.

The documents which are used to determine students' eligibility for financial aid include current regulations published in the Federal Register, Department of Education guides (such as the Federal Student Financial Aid Handbook, Verification Guide, formula books, and Audit Guide), Dear Colleague Letters, financial aid legislation and other laws or regulations that impact student aid, and the National Association for Student Financial Aid Administrators Newsletters. Some of the publications are stored in an electronic format, while some are retained in hard copy as needed.