Financial Information

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Bachelor's Degree Program
Programs leading to a Bachelors degree
The fee per credit is: August 2006 $70.00, January 2007 $75.00 Workshops have additional fees, which vary according to the course.

Open Study (includes special and exchange students). The fee per credit is: August 2006 $80.00, January 2007 $85.00. There are additional costs, which vary according to the course.

Other charges and fees*

Application for Admission	$20.00
Enrollment	$10.00
Identification Card	$6.00
Validation of card	$2.00
Studio/workshop or Lab Fee	$10.00-$80.00
Construction	$35.00
Computers	$25.00
Re-admission application	$20.00
Transcript	$2.00
Certification of Studies	$2.00
Removal of Incompletes	$10.00
Evaluation of Portfolio	$20.00
Late Enrollment	$10.00
Late application for services	$10.00
Admission to Open Study	$20.00
New Admission Seminar	$30.00-$60.00
Library	$15.00, Summer $5.000
Late return of books	$0.50/day
Late return of equipment	$10.00/day
Change of concentration	$5.00
Graduation Fee	$50.00
Notarized documents	$25.00
Changes in courses of study	$5.00
Copies of list of classes	$2.00
Cultural Activities	$15.00

*The Escuela de Artes Plásticas reserves the right to change these fees and charges.

Art materials are not included in the enrollment fees or charges or tuition. These must be acquire by each the student.

To protect the health and welfare of students, the Escuela has entered into an agreement with an insurance company to obtain health care coverage. The coverage is compulsory and will be charged with the tuition of the student, unless the student can provide evidence of coverage under other medical insurance. Coverage at the Escuela includes dental services and generic medicines. The premium varies from semester to semester.

Deferred Payment Plan

The deferred payment plan is a privilege granted to students so that they may extend the payment of tuition and fees for a specific period of time. Students are not considered to be active at the Escuela de Artes Plásticas until tuition is paid in full. The deferred payment plan is an exception to this rule, allowing students to receive all student services, although payment has not been made in full.

Students with proven financial need shall have a right to a deferred payment plan under the following conditions:

The student must submit a request for deferred payment on the established date.
The student must pay one third of the total amount of tuition by the date established in the academic calendar.
The student must pay the balance owed no later than the deadline specified in the academic calendar
Any debt not satisfied by the deadline will carry a surcharge of ten dollars ($10.00), for every thirty (30) days of late payment.
Any student who does not satisfy the deferred payment plan within the specified date is considered to be in default, and as such will not receive services usually offered to students, including, but not limited to:

issuing of official documents such as grade transcripts, certifications, etc.;
borrowing privileges at the Library;
letters of recommendation;

permission to use workshops at other than regular hours;
grades
pre-enrollment for the following semester.

There shall be three deferred payments, the first of which will be for 34% of the total tuition plus student medical insurance for students who do not have their own medical insurance, or for those who have there own medical insurance, but even so desire to be included in the student medical insurance. The following two payments shall be for 33% of the total cost of tuition. The dates for these payments shall be defined in the Academic Calendar.

Students with Pending Debts

Students owing money to the Escuela will not be issued any official document regarding academic records, nor will be allowed any deferred payment or any other service offered by the institution, whether or not a fee is charged for the service. Any service he or she has been receiving will be suspended, further to written notice, until such time as the student has paid the amount owed or complied with an installment plan.

FINANCIAL AID

In recognition of the importance of higher education in Puerto Rico and the financial need of our students, the Escuela de Artes Plásticas has a Financial Aid Office, offering the following programs: Federal Pell grant, FSEOG, Work-Study , institutional scholarship, undergraduate student aid, and scholarship program. Financial aid is used for tuition, books, meals, transportation, housing and personal expenses.

General Financial Aid Requirements
• USA citizenship or legal residence with valid Social Security number.
• Hold a High School Diploma or a GED.
• Enrollment in a course of study conducive to a degree.
• Males, between 18 and 25 years, should be registered at the Selective Service.
• Comply with established deadlines.
• Comply with satisfactory academic standards.
• Not be in default with the Federal Stafford loan program.

Pell Grant
This program was established by the Federal government as the basic financial aid program

Any student wishing to receive this aid must fill in a federal student aid form and send it via e-mail or by regular mail to the address on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The form is available at www.fafsa.ed.gov or on printed forms at the Financial Aid Office.

Further to submitting the FAFSA, the student will receive the results of the application by one of the following means:

• The printed version of the student Aid Report (SAR) by mail.
• If the student provided a valid email address, the results will be sent in a message that contains a link for the electronic SAR.

The Student Aid Report contains the EFC (Expected Family Contribution). The Escuela uses this index, combined with other factors to calculate the kind and amount of aid.

Federal regulations provide that the Pell grant will only cover courses conducive to a bachelor's degree or until such time as the student reaches 150% of the course of study, whichever occurs first. All students are responsible for completing the process of stating their concentration during the second semester of the first year of study. Failure to comply with this requirement will mean loss of eligibility for financial aid.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)

This grant helps students who demonstrate significant financial need. Recipients must be enrolled for three credits or more in their curriculum. Priority will be given to all students who are eligible for the Federal Pell grant with an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of 0. The amount will be determined according to the funds that are assigned to the Escuela.

Federal Work Study Program
This is a self-help program that provides employment for students who demonstrate financial need to cover the cost of study. Through this experience it is sought to develop positive skills among participating students. The Financial Aid Office will select and place students. Per hour wages begin at $5.15 and depend on the availability of funds at the Escuela.

Institutional Scholarship Program
This scholarship is part of the funds the Escuela receives to provide financial aid for students with exceptional financial need. General requirements for participating in this program are having a 3.00 or higher GPA and showing a need for financial aid. Student must be enrolled with 12 credits or more, except fourth-year students who are candidates for graduation.

The amount awarded depends on the funds that are assigned to the Escuela, the evaluation of need by the Financial Aid Office, and recommendations made by the Office of the Dean of Academic and Student Affairs.

State Financial Aid Programs
Aid granted with funds provided by the Higher Education Council under Public Law 435 enacted on September 22, 2004, which amends Public Law 170 of August 11, 2002. This law created the Permanent Financial Aid Scholarship Fund for Postsecondary Students.

The Escuela participates in the following state financial aid programs:

Undergraduate Educational Aid
The purpose of this program is to complement financial aid received by students through federal programs, institutional scholarships, and other programs. Aid granted shall never be greater than the student's financial need.

Scholarship Program
The program was created to guarantee access to a post-secondary institution for high achievement students having financial need who fulfill admission requirements. Priority will be given to new students who graduated from high school with a GPA of 3.00 and who enroll in 12 credits or more. After these students have been processed, if there are available funds, second, third, and fourth year students will be processed in that order.

APPLICATION FOR FINANCIAL AID
To be considered for any kind of financial aid, whether federal, state, and/or institutional, all students must fulfill the above general requirements as well as filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), submitting all required documents to the Financial Aid Office and complying with the deadlines established in the academic calendar.

Verification process
The US Department of Education section 34 CFR 668.53 of the Higher Education Act requires that all institutions have a policy for verification of financial aid applications. Institutional Policy at the Escuela de Artes Plásticas establishes that all applications will be reviewed.

To comply with institutional policy, students must submit the following documents to the Financial Aid Office:

1. Income tax returns for the year before the year of application. All persons who are eligible for filing tax returns as established by the Puerto Rico Treasury Department and fail to do so shall not be evaluated for receiving funds under the financial aid programs.
2.Official Documents that are evidence of non-taxable income such as:
   a) Social Security (form SSA1099)
   b) Veteran's Pension (Letter from the VA)
   c) Child support certified by the Court or letter of Acknowledgment, if by mutual accord
   d) Nutritional Assistance Program (PAN, TANF, etc.)
   e) Pensions (Retirement, disability, etc.)
3.The tax withholding form (W-2) or a letter from the employer certifying that the student and/or parent work and do not make more than $3,300.
4.Any other document (copy of the Social Security card, birth certificate, marriage certificate, among others) that may be requested by Financial Aid staff to validate information submitted on the FAFSA.

Notification of Grant
Students will be notified of their grants through a Notification of Grant.
Students will be notified of aid granted through a Notification of Grant letter. Any student who does not wish to accept any aid granted shall visit the Financial Aid Office in person and state the refusal of aid in writing.

Assignment of Funds according to Financial Need
Financial need is defined as the difference between the estimated cost of study and the amount the student and his or her family can contribute. The Escuela de Artes Plásticas follows federal guidelines in determining need. The family and students have the primary responsibility for covering the cost of education

Parents', student's, and spouses' incomes (as may be the case), assets, liabilities on assets, size of family group, and the number of individuals attending postsecondary institutions are evaluated to determine the family's or the student's financial capacity.

The difference between the cost of study and the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is the financial need. This need is what the grant program strives to cover.

Reimbursement Policy for Federal Financial Aid Programs

This process calculates the portion of Financial Aid funds that must be reimbursed to the Federal government in the event of total withdrawal.

The date of withdrawal shall be considered to be the date on which the student begins to process official withdrawal as established by the Escuela, or the date on which the student submits an official notice of the intention to withdraw.

The Escuela will consider as the date of withdrawal the 50% point of the semester if the student stops attending classes without submitting official notice of his or her intention to withdraw, as indicated in the previous paragraph.

If a student completes enrollment and does not attend classes, the Escuela will process an administrative withdrawal and 100% of financial aid will be reimbursed to the Federal Government. To determine the amount to be reimburse, the percentage of the class period completed, the total number of calendar days elapsed between enrollment until the date of withdrawal by the student will be divided by the number of calendar days in the semester.

Students will submit official notice of withdrawal at the Registrar's Office.

Calendar Days Completed (elapsed)

The total calendar days of an enrollment period includes all the days within the period, except academic recesses, (any period of five (5) consecutive days) within that enrollment period.

The amount of financial aid consumed by the student is determined by the percentage of class attendance at the time of withdrawal. This amount is determined by multiplying the percentage of credit hours by the amount of Title IV funds disbursed or eligible for disbursement.

If the withdrawal occurs on or before 60% of the semester, the percentage earned and consumed shall be equal to the percentage credit hour period the student has completed at the date of withdrawal. If the withdrawal occurs after 60% of the semester has elapsed, it will be considered that 100% of the financial aid granted was consumed.

Dates for partial or total withdrawal are established in the Academic Calendar.

Students for whom an administrative withdrawal is processed and whose tuition was paid under a Pell Grant shall be responsible for paying the applicable percentage.