FAQ

1. How do I apply for all types of aid?

a) A student must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (allow 4-6 weeks for processing). Upon receipt of your Student Aid Report, contact us at 1-800-823-3008 to confirm receipt by the school.

b) A student must also complete a NSU Financial Aid Data Form.

c) Upon completion of financial aid package, you will receive an award letter by mail, accept or decline the awards and return the award letter.

2. What types of aid are available?

Northwestern State University offers grants, loans, work-study and scholarships. All programs are designed to assist students with the resources necessary to further their education at NSU. The information located at PROGRAMS will provide more detailed information.

3. What is "Cost of Attendance or Budget"?

Cost of Attendance is an estimated budget of costs for attending college. This
includes tuition, books, transportation, etc. Your total aid package (grants,
scholarships, loans, etc.) cannot exceed this Cost of Attendance budget.

4. What is verification?

At least 30% of all FAFSA applicants are selected for verification by the Department
of Education. This merely means that you are asked to supply additional paperwork
to "verify" income, family members, untaxed income, etc. Northwestern does not select you for this process; however, Northwestern is required by the Department of Education to verify this information before aid can be awarded to you. If you are unable or unwilling to provide requested documentation, Northwestern will be unable to process any Federal aid for you.

5. What is an EFC?

EFC - Estimated Family Contribution is a number determined by the U. S. Department of Education that is subtracted from your Cost of Attendance to determine eligibility for Pell Grants, other Grants, and other need-based aid.

6. How do I complete the Fee Payment Process?

Fee Payment, held in Prather Coliseum and other sites, is a process by which students pay their tuition and fees, obtain book vouchers (if eligible), obtain meal plans, parking stickers, etc. All students should complete this process or return a Letter of Intent to the Registrar's Office.

7. When should I apply for financial aid?

Priority Deadlines for Financial Aid are dependent upon the type of aid of which you are applying:

Grants and Loans for Fall May 1
Grants and Loans for Spring October 1
Scholarships December 1

8. Will my financial aid be affected if I drop a class?

All Financial Aid recipients are subject to the policies concerning Satisfactory Academic Progress . Satisfactory Academic Progress is defined as passing the required number of hours, obtaining the required grade point average, and not exceeding a maximum attempted hours.

9. How do I appeal to get my financial aid back?

A student must appeal to receive financial aid after failure to obtain standards required by Satisfactory Academic Progress by completing a Financial Aid Appeal Form. Deadlines are as follows:

Fall Appeals  

Spring Appeals

Summer Appeals

Priority deadline July 15   

Priority deadline January 2 

Priority deadline June 6

Final deadline September 30

Final deadline February 28

Final deadline July 15

Any appeal that has been denied must be approved by the Director of Student Financial Aid for committee reconsideration. Any student that had an appeal approved for the preceding semester must also obtain approval for reconsideration from the Director of Student Financial Aid.

10. What is considered financial aid?

Any type of assistance used to assist with the Cost of Education is considered Financial Aid.

11. What is a Master Promissory Note?

The Master Promissory Note (MPN) essentially opens a line of credit for
education expenses during your academic career. When you sign a
Federal Stafford Master promissory note, you promise to repay your student
loan(s). The note also includes important language about your rights and
responsibilities as a borrower. You'll need Acrobat Reader, available free
from Adobe, to view this Plain Language Disclosure. The MPN replaced
the Common Federal Stafford Application and Promissory Note for all
Federal Stafford loans on July 1, 2000.

12. As a dependent student, is there additional aid available?

As a dependent student, the amount of aid is determined by eligibility and need. You may be eligible for additional grants or apply for a Parent Plus Loan. If a parent is denied a parent plus loan, additional loan proceeds may be certified for the student.

13. What is an overaward?

Federal and University of Louisiana System rules state that a student cannot receive aid in excess of their Cost of Attendance budget. Any time a student receives any federal, state, or institutional aid in excess of their Cost of Attendance, funds must be returned or adjusted to accommodate the overage.

14. Can I get financial aid for summer school?

Summer School is in excess of the normal awarding process. Students can receive aid for summer school attendance only if the aid has not been exhausted during the Fall and Spring semesters. If a student attends school full - time for both fall and spring, aid is not usually available. To determine your eligibility, complete the Summer Loan Application and submit to the Office of Student Financial Aid for eligibility determination.

15. After a resignation from school, why do I owe money?

After an official or unofficial withdrawal from the university, a refund and/or repayment evaluation must be performed on students' accounts to determine eligibility for refund or repayment. Federal Regulations require that we determine the amount of time enrolled at the institution and apply appropriate refunding. You must earn more than 60% of your aid by attending more than 60% of your registered class time to keep all aid disbursed. NOTE: If a recipient of federal aid stops attending class without officially resigning from the university, a last date of attendance will be applied based on information received from the instructors and appropriate refunding applied.