NDSCS College Catalog |
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| How to Obtain and Maintain Financial Aid |
| NDSCS is a state-supported college. This state support covers about two-thirds of all instructional costs to the student and is the largest form of financial support. Students are responsible for about one-third of actual instructional costs in the form of tuition. To help students pay tuition plus fees, room, board, books, supplies and other costs, students and/or parents receive financial aid. Approximately 85 percent of NDSCS students receive some type of financial aid. |
| The NDSCS Enrollment Services office, which includes financial aid, awards and monitors $14 million a year in financial aid. Generally, the aid is distributed as follows: 60 percent loans, 30 percent grants, 5 percent on-campus employment and 5 percent scholarships. Most students receive a package of aid, including a mixture of grants and loans and possibly a scholarship and some work study. Loans must be repaid. Grants and scholarships normally do not have to be repaid. |
| NDSCS can arrange full financing for most students, provided they meet the following criteria: |
| • U.S. citizen; |
| • High school graduate (or complete the G.E.D. or pass an approved Ability to Benefit test); |
| • Complete the actual paperwork, including actually taking out the student loans; and |
| • Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards listed later in this section. |
| Financial Aid Process |
| The NDSCS Enrollment Services office, which includes Financial Aid, accepts applications for financial aid and scholarships from all students and will assist in obtaining this aid. NDSCS will not deny student financial aid to any students solely because of race, sex, color or national origin. A complete listing and description of the various aid programs may be viewed by clicking here. |
| At least 70 percent of the financial aid in the U.S. comes from the federal government with most of it coming from the U.S. Department of Education in the form of Title IV funds. The process for applying for, processing, disbursing and repaying financial aid is regulated by the federal government. |
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| Step 1: Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) |
| These forms are available from several sources, including the NDSCS Enrollment Services office. Students must apply each year. Completed FAFSAs should be sent by March 1 preceding the college year that starts in August in order to receive the fullest consideration. The FAFSA information is sent in to a federal processor that inputs the data, computes the expected family contribution (EFC) and sends the Student Aid Report (SAR) to the applicant. The FAFSA may be sent in via U.S. mail. It takes about a month to process the form and to send the results to the student applicant and the college(s) listed on the FAFSA form by the applicant. The FAFSA data also may be sent electronically over the Internet. Applicants are encouraged to use the Internet, since it is faster and more accurate. The final EFC figures should be the same, whether it is sent in by mail or via the Internet. |
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| Step 2: Review information on SARs for accuracy and follow up as needed |
| Correct it as needed and send the SAR to the NDSCS Enrollment Services office. Colleges are required to examine reports they receive for conflicting information and to resolve these matters. About 30 percent of the applicants will be selected by the federal processor for specific review in a process called verification. If the applicant is selected for verification, the college will contact him or her for information such as a copy of his or her income tax forms, W2 forms, family size verification and other information. This is a routine process, and the applicants should comply as requested on a timely basis. |
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| Step 3: Complete scholarship applications (if desired) |
| One generic scholarship application form normally covers all NDSCS scholarships. These forms are available at several locations: within financial aid packets, with the college admission application materials on the NDSCS Web site. The criteria vary from one scholarship to another, but academic standing is usually one of the criteria. Scholarship requirements also vary, usually focusing on one or more of the following: academic standing, financial need, citizenship, county, state, academic program, gender, year in college or age. As a general statement, first-time applicants with an ACT score of 25 and an accumulated GPA of 3.6 or higher likely will receive $1,000. If the ACT score is 30 or higher, the dollar amount likely will be $1,500. Those with an ACT score lower than 25, but with an accumulated GPA of 3.6 or higher generally can expect a scholarship of $1,000. Those with GPAs lower will be considered if dollars are available. Not all the scholarships include high academic standards. Second-year students enrolled at NDSCS with an accumulated GPA of 3.6 or higher can expect a scholarship of $500. These are estimates; actual awards are based on the number of applications and available dollars from year to year. |
| Priority deadline for scholarship applications is Dec. 1 with scholarship awarding beginning Jan. 1. Deadline for all scholarships is Feb. 1. Applications received after Feb. 1 will be considered, if dollars are available. |
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| Step 4: Sign and return award letters |
| Beginning in June, financial aid awards are available to accept/decline online through the CampusConnection on the NDSCS Web site Applicants will need to have their UserID (begins with a capital W followed by your seven digit ID number) and password to access the CampusConnection. The applicant should carefully review their financial aid award and budget information before accepting/ declining their award. |
| In accepting an award letter, the student acknowledges the aid presented and permits NDSCS to pay all financial obligations shown on their respective accounts. This includes tuition and fees, room and board, all bookstore charges and all other charges the student may have incurred. These other charges may include parking fines and other fines, various telephone charges, unpaid emergency/revolving loans, and damage/penalty assessments of any kind. They may also include all unpaid bills from a previous term/session up to $100 and more than $100. For past-due financial obligations from a previous year that are more than $100, the student should make financial arrangements to have sufficient finances in place to reasonably cover the current year’s educational needs in addition to meeting the prior obligation. Students have the right to not have the aid applied to all of the charges. If that is the intent of the student, he or she should inform the Financial Aid office and/or the Business Affairs office at least 20 days prior to the beginning of each new term. Aid is normally distributed within 15 days after the start of each term. Regarding leave of absence for refund purposes, students must request this in writing. The maximum leave of absence is 180 days in any 12-month period. |
| All scholarship and grant recipients also should be aware that if their combined grants and scholarships are greater than the amounts of their tuition, fees, books and supplies, part or all of the excess may have to be reported as income for U.S. income tax purposes. Consult with a tax advisor for more details. |
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| Step 5: Sign and return loan contracts |
| If the applicant indicated the acceptance of a loan, the loan contract will arrive at his or her home in late July or early August. These forms must be filled out, signed and sent to the lender to receive the loan funds. The lenders normally send the loan papers via the Internet for your electronic signature. This involves using a Personal Identification Number (PIN) to sign it. It is the same PIN you use to sign a FAFSA. If you do not sign it electronically, you may request the lender send the promissory note in paper version. Then, sign it in ink and return it. Most of the aid will be applied electronically right to the student’s individual account at the campus, thus paying off his or her respective tuition and fees and other charges. |
| NDSCS honors the applicant’s right to have the funds come in and not be applied to any or all of their educational costs. This right is honored whether one separately indicates it on the official award letter or not. The student must make the NDSCS Financial Aid office aware of his or her wishes and make acceptable arrangements with the NDSCS Business Affairs office for his or her respective charges. Also, students may change their minds from one term to another as to whether they want the funds to continue to come in on an electronic fund transfer (EFT) basis and whether they want it to be electronically applied towards their account. Students have the right to change their minds even after the EFT funds have been applied towards their account. NDSCS allows up to 30 days for these changes. Again, the students should inform NDSCS in a timely basis. |
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| Step 6: Maintain Financial Aid Status |
| Students enrolled for less than 12 credit hours will have their financial aid awards reduced accordingly. |
| Financial aid recipients are reminded to update dependency status throughout the academic year to the Enrollment Services office, other than marriage of the student. Likewise, if the economic situation for the family has significantly changed from what was originally reported on the FAFSA for the upcoming academic year, the student is advised to visit with the Enrollment Services office. |
| Finally, students should maintain academic standing according to the Standards of Satisfactory Progress listed later in this section. |
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