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Consortium Agreements and Financial Aid Policy

Policy
Purpose: 

A consortium agreement is a written contract that enables students to pursue coursework at two institutions simultaneously. Under such an agreement, a student may receive financial aid based on total hours of enrollment at both institutions. Schools are not required to enter into consortium agreements.

If a degree-seeking KU student has a valid and approved academic reason for requesting a consortium agreement, KU will serve as the ‘home’ school. Non-degree seeking students may request that KU serve as the ‘host’ school and request a consortium agreement through the applicable ‘home’ school.

If requested and approved, KU will serve as the ‘host’ school when terms of the consortium agreement can be fulfilled.

Applies to: 

KU students interested in participating in a Consortium and KU faculty and staff.

Campus: 
Edwards
Lawrence
Policy Statement: 

KU Home School Procedures:

To enter into a Consortium Agreement, the following procedures will be followed:

KU degree-seeking students, who are interested in receiving financial aid through KU while taking some or all coursework at another institution, should speak with a Financial Aid Counselor in Financial Aid and Scholarships (FAS) to discuss the student’s reason(s) for requesting a Consortium Agreement. If applicable, a Consortium Agreement Request Form will be given to the student at that meeting.

FAS may initiate a consortium agreement on behalf of a KU degree-seeking student when one or more of the following conditions are met:

  • The course is required for the student’s degree at KU and not offered at KU for that specific term; OR
  • The course is required for the student’s degree at KU and the course is full; OR
  • An advisor recommends the student take the course at another institution because the coursework will enhance the student’s degree and provide valuable preparation for student’s chosen profession.
  • Students enrolled at the KU Edwards campus qualify for a consortium agreement if the required/recommended course is not offered at KU Edwards and if there is no KU online course equivalent available.

Electives generally are not approved for condition ‘a’ or ‘b’ since there are typically a variety of electives that can apply toward a student’s degree.

The student must submit the following to KU FAS:

  • A completed Consortium Agreement Request form;
  • The Consortium Agreement Advisor Certification form, completed and signed by the student’s academic advisor;
  • A copy of the course description(s).

If the consortium agreement is approved by FAS, the Associate Director will create the Consortium Agreement Contract and email it to the host school.

If the host school agrees to the terms of the Consortium Agreement, the contract will be completed, signed, and returned to KU FAS. Schools are not required to enter into consortium agreements so it is at the discretion of each institution to enter into such an agreement. Therefore, the consortium agreement is not officially approved until the completed contract and proof of enrollment from the host school is received in the FAS. The student may not qualify for all types of awards initially offered if not enrolled full time at KU. The Associate Director will advise students of the impact on any offered awards if the consortium agreement is approved (although this is typically discussed in the appointment with the Financial Aid Counselor).

All students who enter into a consortium agreement with KU as the home school will be required to provide proof of grades from the host school within thirty days of the end of the term. Aid for upcoming semesters will not be disbursed until the proof of grades has been provided. The deadline to submit a consortium agreement request is two weeks prior to the end of the term for which the student is requesting the consortium.

KU Host School Procedures:

A student who is degree-seeking at another institution may want to enroll in coursework at KU (host school) while obtaining financial aid from their home institution. The student must request the consortium agreement and obtain permission from their home institution.

If the student is not receiving aid at KU, FAS verifies enrollment at KU (we can only do this once the student is actually enrolled), provides cost of attendance information, and completes any additional items on the consortium agreement. In some cases, schools require the Registrar’s signature on the agreement. The Associate Director of the FAS must sign & date the consortium agreement.

The FAS makes a copy of the completed & signed Consortium Agreement for FAS files, emails the consortium agreement to the home school, checks enrollment of the student regularly through established reports, and notifies the host school of any changes in enrollment.

Contact: 

Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships
1502 Building
1502 Iowa Street
Lawrence, KS 66045
financialaid@ku.edu
785-864-4700

Approved by: 
Associate Director of Financial Aid & Scholarships
Approved on: 
Friday, February 1, 2008
Effective on: 
Friday, February 1, 2008
Review Cycle: 
Annual (As Needed)
Keywords: 
Consortium, Consortium Agreement, Home School, Host School
Change History: 
03/06/2023: Updated contact section.
12/12/2022: Reviewed and updated deadline for consortium agreement.
11/15/2021: Reviewed and updated.
12/09/2020: Reviewed policy; no updates.
09/30/2019: Reviewed and updated. 
11/16/2017: Reviewed and updated formatting. 
08/23/2016: Reviewed and updated.
10/27/2015: Specified rules for KU Edwards Campus.
08/01/2014: Reviewed and updated.
07/19/2013: Reviewed and updated. 
08/07/2012: Reviewed and updated. 
04/2011: Reviewed and updated. 
10/2010; Reviewed and updated. 
04/2009: Reviewed and updated.
Financial Categories: 
Student Financial Aid
Student Life Categories: 
Financial Assistance

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