What is "Title IV Authorization?"

All federal student aid funds are referred to as Title IV Funds, referencing the "title" of the Higher Education Act (HEA), under which student financial aid funds are legislated.

Per the HEA a school may not "hold" federal student aid funds for costs other than tuition, fees, and institutional room and board, without the permission (authorization) of the student. Federal student aid funds typically are delivered to the student through the school. In other words, and for example, you may have requested $60,000 in federal student loans. $30,000 will be delivered to CUA, of which CUA will "hold" approximately $23,500 for tuition and fees, and refund the remaining approximately $6,000 to you either by check or by way of direct deposit to your personal bank account.

Now, suppose you have decided to enroll in the CUA student medical insurance plan, for which you have been charged $2,500 on your student account. If you have not completed a Title IV Authorization, CUA will process your $6,000 refund (in the example above). You would then use these funds to make a $2,500 payment on your student account to cover the charge for medical insurance. You would then have $3,500 remaining in your personal bank account.

However, if you had completed a Title IV Authorization, giving CUA permission (authorization) to "hold" federal (Title IV) funds for charges other than tuition and fees, CUA would have "held" back $2,500 to cover your medical insurance charge, and refunded to you the remaining $3,500.

In summary, Title IV Authorization is a "convenience" option as exampled above. It is not mandatory. It may be granted and later revoked at any time.

How do I complete a "Title IV Authorization?"

Typically in late June, CUA will activate additional Cardinal Students options for incoming students. At that point in time, you will see one or more new sections on your Cardinal Students page(s). One of these new sections is called "Permissions," and it is within this section that you will complete the Title IV Authorization,* if desired.

You will receive an email when these new sections have been activated.

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* The Title IV Authorization policies and procedures are actually the responsibility of the Office of Enrollment Services and not the Office of Financial Aid. Accordingly, here is a link to the Title IV Authorization web pages provided by Enrollment Services. These pages provide more specific information about completing the form.