Procedures for Consortium Agreements
With FHSU as the Home Institution

A Consortium Agreement is an agreement between FHSU (the home institution) and another participating school (the host institution) which allows a student to take classes from both schools during one semester and receive the maximum amount of financial aid for which that student is eligible. If a school does not participate and will not enter into a Consortium Agreement, a student’s financial aid will be based upon his/her enrollment at only one of the schools. The FHSU Financial Aid Office and any other institution reserve the right to deny consortium agreement requests. A student may receive federal financial aid from only one school during the same semester.

Before requesting a Consortium Agreement, with FHSU acting as the home institution, a student must meet the following criteria:

Please note that while a Consortium Agreement allows a student to receive full eligibility for most Title IV Aid (Pell, Stafford loans), academic scholarships require the student be enrolled in at least twelve (12) credit hours at FHSU.

Students are advised to request a Consortium Agreement at least four (4) weeks prior to the beginning of the semester so proper eligibility can be determined. Remember, disbursement of aid cannot take place until your enrollment can be certified at both institutions. In most cases, this will be at least the 20th to 30th day of class. The checklist below outlines the student's responsibilities and procedures when requesting a Consortium Agreement. A Consortium Agreement must be completed for each semester a student wishes to take classes simultaneously and receive financial aid. You must contact the FHSU Financial Aid Office prior to each semester.

After any Title IV aid has been disbursed, no increases in financial assistance can be made due to enrollment level changes. If hours are added after aid has been disbursed, no adjustments can be made to the student's financial aid package.

___ 1. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and list FHSU (code: 001915) as a school to receive the information and respond to all requests for additional information. The student's Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) will be processed and an award letter will be sent to the student with estimated financial aid eligibility amounts based on total enrollment/tuition for that semester. The student's final cost of attendance will reflect actual tuition/fees assessed by the host and home institutions. The remaining cost of books, supplies, room and board, transportation, and miscellaneous expenses will be based upon FHSU's standard cost of attendance. Adjustments will be made at the time of disbursement if enrollment changes or original estimates of expenses differ from actual expenses.

___ 2. Aid eligibility cannot be changed, for any reason, after funds are disbursed. Changes to enrollment level must take place before any Title IV funds are disbursed.

___ 3. Submit a Consortium Agreement form to the FHSU Office of Financial Assistance. A formal institutional Consortium Agreement will then be submitted by the Financial Aid Office to the other school for enrollment certification.

Note: Some institutions cannot certify enrollment until after 30 days of class; therefore, it is the student's responsibility to make whatever arrangements are necessary for fee payment and books at each school.

Financial aid cannot be disbursed until the Consortium Agreement has been certified and returned to the FHSU Financial Aid Office.

___ 4. Financial Aid money remaining after payment of FHSU fees will be credited to the student's Tiger Card or direct deposit account. It is the student's responsibility to make fee payment arrangements at both the home and host institutions.

___ 5. Unless already completed at FHSU, all Stafford loan borrowers must participate in Stafford Loan Counseling. A loan counseling video, approximately 15 minutes in length, can be viewed at the FHSU Office of Financial Assistance anytime during regular office hours (Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.). Be sure to schedule enough time to see the video before 4:30 p.m. In lieu of viewing the video, students may complete counseling on-line by clicking here.

___ 6. Request an official academic transcript be sent to the FHSU Registrar's Office at the end of the Consortium Agreement semester for determination of satisfactory academic progress. This must be completed before the student can receive financial aid for the next period of enrollment.

All other federal regulations and FHSU policies and procedures are applicable while a Consortium Agreement is in place.

Please note: it may be difficult to obtain an in-school deferment for prior loan payments when a student is enrolled at two institutions. Contact your lender or servicer for details on obtaining an in-school deferment while simultaneously enrolled.

For questions regarding the Consortium Agreement procedures, please call the Consortium Agreement Coordinator at Fort Hays State University at (785) 628-5870.