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Welcome to NSU's Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA)! Here you will find everything you need to know about student financial aid, including how to apply, financial aid deadlines, and types of aid available to graduate and undergraduate students, including Florida student financial aid. Our office administers federal, state, and university financial aid programs such as grants, loans, scholarships, and veterans benefits. Please take a moment to explore our site!

Announcements  

Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II) Announcement

On December 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) was signed into law authorizing the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II). In total, the CRRSAA authorized $81.88 billion in support for education, in addition to the $30.75 billion that had been provided to colleges and universities through the Coronavirus Aid, Recovery, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in the spring of 2020.  As a result, NSU has received additional federal funding to make financial aid grants available to students with exceptional need. 

Eligibility: Federal regulations stipulate that priority is to be given to students with demonstrated exceptional need. NSU will be distributing grants in the amount of $1,500 to students on a first come, first served basis who meet the following criteria:

• Student must be eligible for Title IV funds and enrolled in the winter/spring 2021 semester/term.

• Student must have an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of $0 based on submission of a 2020-21 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

•  Priority will be given to those students who have not previously received emergency grant funding through the Federal CARES Act at NSU or who have received less than $1,500 in Federal CARES Act funding.

• The student must apply funding toward components of the cost of attendance budget which include tuition, student fees, books & supplies, room & board, transportation, personal, healthcare (including mental health), childcare, and/or toward emergency costs related to COVID-19.

• Student must submit an NSU Application for Emergency Grant Funding.

• IMPORTANT: Students with exceptional need ($0 EFC based on the 2020-21 FAFSA) enrolled in the winter/spring 2021 semester/term will be invited to apply for a grant in the amount of $1,500. Students may not forward or share the link with others as it is specific to them. Students must monitor their NSU email for additional information. 

• The application will be available to eligible students beginning March 1 through March 8, 2021.

• Funds will begin to be disbursed in mid-March.

• Students will be notified of the outcome of their application by NSU email.

 International students are ineligible for HEERF II Funding. 

Should the federal government pass new legislation for a third stimulus package, including additional funding for emergency financial aid grants to students, the Office of Student Financial Assistance will notify students accordingly.

New Requirement for 2021-2022 Federal Direct Loan Borrowers

Students and parents who wish to borrow a Federal Direct Loan in the upcoming 2021-22 academic year, which includes Federal Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized, Parent and Grad PLUS loans, will need to complete a new requirement called the Annual Student Loan Acknowledgement (ASLA) at  studentaid.gov. While completion of the ASLA was optional for the current 2020-21 academic year, it will become a new mandatory requirement for 2021-22 Federal Direct Loans to disburse.

The ASLA informs borrowers what they owe or could owe in federal student loans and is individually tailored toward first-time and current loan borrowers to help provide details surrounding loan status and forecasts of estimated monthly payments.

Please take note of the following important details:

• The 2021-22 ASLA is expected to become available in the spring (late April/May 2021) at studentaid.gov.
• The ASLA must be completed annually if you wish to borrow federal student loans.
• The ASLA is in addition to existing requirements. First-time borrowers will still need to complete entrance counseling and a Master Promissory Note.
• The ASLA should take less than 10 minutes to complete.

If you will be borrowing a 2021-2022 federal student loan, log into studentaid.gov beginning in late April/May 2021 to complete the 2021-22 Annual Student Loan Acknowledgement (ASLA). The Office of Student Financial Assistance will send communications to borrowers once the ASLA becomes available. 

File the 2021-22 FAFSA for Maximum Award Consideration  

The 2021-2022 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now available at studentaid.gov and in the myStudentAid app. The FAFSA determines your eligibility for grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study programs and is the essential first step in receiving financial aid from federal, state, and private sources. The Office of Student Financial Assistance encourages you to file your FAFSA as soon as it becomes available on October 1 each year: 

• The sooner you apply, the better chance you have of receiving the maximum amount of funds.

• Completing the FAFSA early will allow you to plan more efficiently.

• Many scholarships require you to complete a FAFSA.

New Filer? Get a Head Start by Creating Your FSA ID

If you will be filing the FAFSA for the first time, you can get a head start by creating your FSA ID ahead of time. The FSA ID is a username and password combination that gives you access to Federal Student Aid's online systems. It can also serve as your legal signature. If you don’t have an FSA ID by the time you fill out your FAFSA, you will be prompted to apply for one, but it may take one to three days before you receive it. Get a head start on that process today by creating one here.  

Returning Filer? Changes to the 2021-22 FAFSA include:

• You will use your (your parents') 2019 federal tax return information.
  
  
• Enhanced abilities of the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) to verify if a Schedule 1 was filed 

Don't miss out by filing late! File as soon as possible at studentaid.gov.

NSU Federal School Code: 001509

Tips:

• Have your FSA ID handy before you begin.
  
  
• Use your legal name as it appears on your Social Security Card! Any deviation from that name will cause your FAFSA to be rejected.
  
  
• Don't rush! Any type of mistake, even an innocent typo, will cause a delay in processing. Take advantage of the helpful tips and read questions, instructions, and definitions carefully.
   
• Whenever possible, use the the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) to automatically import information from the federal tax return into your FAFSA. That makes filing not only faster, but also more accurate. 
  
  
• You can also complete the FAFSA using the myStudentAid app, available on the App Store (iOS) or on Google Play (Android).