Terms and Conditions of your
2008-2009 Financial Aid Award Notification

Please read the following information carefully and thoroughly before accepting your financial aid award. Accepting the financial aid award offered to you signifies that you have read and agree to comply with all the terms and conditions listed below.

A. Procedures to Receive Funds

  1. To accept, reduce, or decline all or a portion of your loan and/or Federal Work-Study (FWS) award(s), you are required to make your request on WebSTAR. This is not a requirement if you are awarded only grants and scholarships. Please follow the step-by-step instructions below to access your award notice, or to accept, reduce or decline all or a portion of your award:
    • Go to WebSTAR.
    • Click on "Enter Secure Area" and log in.
    • Enter your NSU User ID and Personal Identification Number (PIN).
      If you do not know your PIN, please email PIN Help at pinhelp@nova.edu.
    • Click on "Student Financial Services and Registration," and select "Financial Aid."
    • Click on the link to "My Award Notice," then select the 2008-2009 award year.
    • You will be required to accept, reduce or decline all or a portion of your award by using the appropriate link to the "Manage My Loan/Federal Work-Study Awards" page. 
    • If you accept a loan, you will be required to complete the Lender Request Form to select a lender.

  2. General Information: You must submit all required documents by the appropriate deadline date. You must also comply with verification requirements, if applicable. Please be advised that your documents must be received, reviewed and verification completed at least three weeks prior to the end of the enrollment period for the term in which you are requesting aid. Failure to complete verification by the deadline may result in ineligibility of aid or cancellation of aid previously offered. As a general eligibility requirement for receipt of federal and state financial aid funds, you must be fully admitted into an eligible degree or certificate program (i.e., all admissions requirements/documents have been satisfied) by the end of the term for which you are requesting aid. Initial award amounts indicated on your award notice are based on full-time enrollment.

    If you are enrolling in a degree or certificate program with multiple parts of term, you must register for all classes at the beginning of the first part of the term. Generally, your enrollment status for financial aid purposes will be calculated at the end of the drop/add period for undergraduate students, and on the first day of classes for the period of enrollment for graduate students. For exact drop/add dates and the first day of classes, please contact your academic program office for the specific term for which you plan to be enrolled. Courses added after these dates may not be used to change your enrollment status or increase your award amount(s). Exception: For state aid, you must register for both parts of term at the beginning of the first part of term.

  3. Loans: All students awarded federal loans must be enrolled at least half-time. Half-time enrollment is defined as 6 credits per term for all undergraduate students. For graduate students and professional students, your program of study defines half-time status. For more information regarding specific financial aid requirements, check the NSU financial aid Web site. For Federal Stafford Loans, you are required to complete the Lender Request Form to authorize NSU to certify the processing of your loan(s) through one of the lenders you select on the Lender Request Form.
  4. Federal/State Grants and Scholarhips: If you are an undergraduate student, and have been awarded a Florida Resident Access Grant (FRAG) or Florida Student Assistance Grant (FSAG), you must enroll for at least 12 credits each term (9 credits for nursing students). Students who enroll less than full-time are not eligible to receive aid from these funds, and their awards will be canceled. Students (or parents, if students are dependent) also must be legal Florida residents for 12 consecutive months prior to the first day of classes of the term for which assistance is given. For more information regarding Florida State Aid program requirements, go to floridastudentfinancialaid.org.

    If you have been awarded the Academic Competitive Grant (ACG) or the National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART) Grant, you must be enrolled for a minimum of 12 credits each term regardless of your program of study. Students who enroll less than full-time are not eligible to receive aid from these funds, and their awards will be canceled. Awards for some state and institutional scholarship and grant programs (including the NSU Honor Award and Florida Bright Futures awards) are based upon the number of credit hours for which a student is enrolled, and require a specified number of credit hours. Awards may be adjusted or prorated for actual enrolled hours. If you have received a Federal Pell Grant, the amount of the award is based on full-time enrollment. Enrollment for less than twelve (12) credits in any term will reduce the award amount for that term. If you do receive a part-time Federal Pell Grant award during the first and second term, you may be eligible to receive the remaining portion of your grant in a subsequent term. Please contact a financial aid counselor at (954) 262-3380 or at (800) 541-6682 for more information.

B. Disbursement of Financial Aid Awards

One of the components in preparing a student’s financial aid package is determining a student’s Cost of Attendance (COA). Student awards issued prior to the drop/add date for the term are based on the estimated cost of attendance for full-time enrollment status. Student awards issued after the add/drop date are based on the COA for actual enrollment.

Provided you have submitted all required information and met all financial aid general eligibility criteria, your financial aid award will be credited to your student account at the beginning of each term. If the total amount of your award for the term exceeds your tuition, fees, campus housing, NSU health insurance and meal plan costs (if applicable) for the term, you may receive a check or automated deposit for the excess funds from the University Bursar’s Office. Students should make arrangements to pay cost-of-living expenses, books and any other applicable expenses until excess funds are issued. To receive excess funds as a direct deposit to your checking account, please complete the Direct Deposit Form.

  1. If you receive a Federal Work-Study award, the amount of your award reflects the amount you may be eligible to earn. However, your award does not guarantee you a job and you must work in order to receive the funds, which will be issued as a paycheck. You may view student employment positions and instructions on applying for these positions.
  2. If you receive a Federal Perkins Loan award, you will be notified by Educational Computer Systems, Inc. (ECSI) that you are required to sign a Perkins Master Promissory Note (MPN) and complete an entrance interview, if you have not previously completed this process at NSU. Failure to complete an entrance interview or sign an MPN will result in the cancellation of your Federal Perkins Loan.
  3. Award amounts for state aid programs may be estimated. Final disbursement amounts may be different from your award amount, and are based on state allocations.
  4. For Stafford Loans to be certified and disbursed, you must accept your financial aid award and complete the Lender Request Form.
  5. Financial aid awards which include funds from Federal Stafford Loans, Federal PLUS Loans, and private alternative loans will not be available to you until the funds are received from the lender and verified by NSU. If you are a first-time borrower under the Federal Stafford Loan program, you are required to complete an entrance interview before you receive your loan funds. You may complete the Entrance Interview online. For your lender to disburse the funds to NSU, you must have both an MPN and an entrance interview on file. Please contact your lender for any additional requirements. If your application has been selected for verification, any discrepancy in the information you have provided may cause the award amounts to change. Funds will not be disbursed until the Office of Student Financial Assistance has completed its application review and information verification process. You must submit all required documents no later than three (3) weeks prior to the end of the enrollment period for the term in which you are requesting aid. Failure to complete verification by this deadline may result in ineligibility for aid or cancellation of aid previously offered.

C. Responsibilities of Financial Aid Recipients

Acceptance of this award represents a contract that requires you to meet the conditions listed below:

  1. Federal regulations require students receiving additional financial assistance from sources external to the university to report such resources to the Office of Student Financial Assistance. Financial aid awards are subject to change in the event that additional assistance is received, either from an external source or from within the university.
  2. Financial aid awards will be automatically canceled if the student knowingly misrepresents or provides false information on any applications or documents. There may be legal consequences associated with this action.
  3. Financial aid recipients must be in good standing and maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in order to remain eligible for financial aid.
  4. Scholarship recipients must meet all scholarship requirements, including any required grade point average (GPA) or course load requirements. Failure to do so may result in cancellation or reduction of a scholarship award.

D. Awards are Subject to Availability of Funds

Awards are contingent upon actual receipt and verification of funds by NSU. If adjustments are made to the university’s federal or state allocations, the university reserves the right to make adjustments to individual aid awards at any time, as necessary.

E. Repayment and Refund Policy

If you withdraw from NSU for any reason, you must notify the Office of Student Financial Assistance. Financial aid awards may be adjusted, and you may be required to repay a prorated amount of the funds advanced to you for the term in which you withdrew. You will be notified by the Bursar’s Office of any balances owed to NSU. If you are entitled to a refund of tuition and fees, the refund will first be applied to any financial aid from which you have been awarded. Any excess funds will be disbursed to you after all balances owed to NSU have been satisfied. Students receiving federal and state financial aid should consult their financial aid counselor before dropping or withdrawing from courses to ensure compliance with federal and state standards of academic progress.

F. Renewal of Awards

Financial aid awards are made for one academic year only and are not automatically renewed. Awards are renewed contingent upon completion and submission of a new financial aid application and continued eligibility. The academic year for financial aid purposes is defined by each program office, and generally includes the fall and winter terms. However, if eligible, students will be awarded for all terms as defined by their program, including spring/summer terms.

G. Tuition Deferment Procedures

Payment of tuition, fees, and residential charges is due upon registration. The Bursar’s Office takes into consideration loans, grants, and scholarships approved by the Office of Student Financial Assistance, which are shown on your financial aid award notice, but which may not yet be credited to your account.

NSU accepts a variety of tuition payment options. Please visit the Bursar’s Web site for specific payment options.

Students with unpaid balances 30 days from the start of the term will be charged a minimum $50 late fee, and a hold will be placed on the student’s account preventing the use of all student services including registration, viewing of grades, and some University Center services until the outstanding balance is paid in full.

Most students earning bachelor’s degrees are eligible for a deferment plan of three payments with postdated checks and a minimum $50 fee: One third of the student’s total bill is due at registration; one third, 60 days after registration; and the final third, 90 days after registration for 16-week terms (8-week terms have 30- and 60-day intervals).

Please Note: In accordance with the NSU payment policy, students registered for classes agree to pay in full, all sums assessed by NSU for tuition, housing, fees, and any funds advanced to students that are required to be re-paid (see section E). If collection is required, the student agrees to pay applicable collection fees and/or attorney's fees.

H. Standards of Progress

All students receiving financial aid are required to remain in good standing and maintain satisfactory academic progress. To maintain satisfactory academic progress, you must complete your program within a specified time frame, achieve a minimum grade point average (GPA), and complete a minimum number of credits each year, as defined below:

1. Qualitative Measure

Students must attain the following minimum GPA after completion of each year of study:

Undergraduate

Undergraduate minimum gpa =
1 to 29 credits 1.70
30 to 59 credits 1.85
60+ credits 2.0

Graduate

credits minimum gpa =
1 to 12 credits 2.70
13+ credits 3.0

Law, Health Professions Division and Doctoral Programs

Refer to program Student Handbook.

2. Quantitative Measure

Students must meet the following minimum number of credit hours by the end of each academic year:

Undergraduate

Students can only receive financial aid for up to 150 percent of the published length of their program. In addition, full-time students must complete 18 new credits each academic year. Less than full-time students must complete 70 percent of attempted credit hours.

Graduate - Masters and Education Specialist

Full-time students must complete 12 new credits each academic year. Less than full-time students must complete 70 percent of all credits attempted.

Law, Health Professions Division and Doctoral Programs

Please refer to the program-specific student handbook.

SAP requirements are more stringent for some state programs and academic scholarships. FRAG and FSAG recipients must earn a 2.0 GPA and a minimum of 12 credits (9 credits for nursing students) for each term during which funds are received. Academic scholarships usually require a 3.0 GPA.

Failure to meet the required academic standards will result in the loss of your financial aid. Students who are suspended or dismissed are ineligible for financial aid until they are restored to good standing. In order to have your aid reinstated, you must attend NSU at your own expense until your financial aid eligibility is restored. Students who have extenuating circumstances may make an appeal to the Satisfactory Academic Progress Committee. The appeal must be made in writing, addressed to the committee in care of the Office of Student Financial Assistance, and include the following documentation:

Decisions made by the committee are final, and you will receive written notification of the decision. Students seeking a degree in one of the academic programs in the Health Professions Division (HPD) should refer to the program-specific student handbook for information regarding the appeal process.

I. Contact Information and Office Hours

For questions relating to financial aid, you may contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance at (954) 262-3380 or at (800) 541-6682; by fax at (954) 262-3966, or by email at finaid@nova.edu. You may visit the NSU financial aid Web site for more information regarding financial aid policies and procedures.You may also visit the One-Stop Shop in the Horvitz Administration Building during the office hours below:

Monday - Thursday, 8:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, 9 a.m. - noon

On holidays observed by NSU, the Office of Student Financial Assistance will be closed.

If you are not attending the Fort Lauderdale-Davie campus, you may visit the Student Educational Centers (SECs) located in various cities within the United States. For more information regarding the SECs, visit their web site.

Disclaimer

The information on this page is subject to change due to federal, state, and institutional regulations and policy updates.