You can only receive financial aid at one university at a time. So, if you are attending both SWOSU and another college, you may only have aid for part of your enrollment hours unless a consortium agreement form is completed.
Consortium Agreements
This contract allows one college to count the hours being taken at the other school in the aid calculation. This typically results in more aid being made available. The university from which you are earning a degree is called the “home school,” while the other college is considered to be the “host school” or “contractor.” The home school typically initiates the consortium agreement at your request
Doing a consortium agreement is an involved and serious process, but it is worth it because a consortium agreement is a good tool to help you have more enrollment options… and receive financial aid that otherwise would be impossible to get. Please ask a Student Financial Services counselor any further questions you may have.
SWOSU Does Consortiums
SWOSU is usually willing to complete consortium agreements with other accredited schools in order to help you. We do require that you take at least one class at SWOSU the home school per semester. Students pursuing a degree from SWOSU should be enrolled in as many hours at SWOSU as they are in the host institution. We can sign off as the contractor for any student taking classes here while pursuing a degree from another institution. Students should also be enrolled in as many hours at SWOSU as they are in the host institution. You must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress. Students on financial aid suspension cannot have consortium agreements. Be aware that some institutions do not do consortium agreements. If a school refuses, that decision is respected and cannot be overruled. SWOSU also reserves the right to decline any consortium agreement on a case-by-case basis.
Requirements
Five signatures are required to complete a SWOSU consortium agreement. The student is responsible for full completion of the form and typically signs first, thus initiating the process. The contract should then go to the contractor's registrar who confirms enrollment dates and hours. Their financial aid office then signs off agreeing they will not award any financial aid and calculates the direct costs associated with enrollment there for that term. The student then coordinates getting the form back to SWOSU where our registrar will confirm the hours taken at the other institution will count toward your degree pursuit here and Student Financial Services agrees that we will process your aid including the costs and hours at the other institution.
Consortium agreements should be fully completed before the first day of the semester being covered. Some schools may need several days to complete their portion of the agreement. Please start the process in sufficient time to meet the deadline.
Students with consortium agreements are required to provide a copy of their course schedule and bill from the contractor school. You are also obligated to have academic transcripts sent to the home school right after the end of the semester. This is required even if you do not complete the enrollment you started at the host school, or if you don't earn the grades you had hoped there. Failure to do so could result in your being required to repay up to all the financial aid you received for that term immediately.