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Parent Corner

When it comes to financing your student’s NSU education, you are not alone. The Office of Financial Aid offers need-based, not-need-based, and merit-based financial assistance through state, federal, and institutional aid including grants, scholarships, student employment, and loans to new and continuing students. The first step in applying for financial aid at NSU is for you and your student to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at studentaid.gov each year. For detailed instructions, visit Apply for Aid – Getting Started.

Reshaping Your Relationship

Sending your child off to college may be the hardest transition that you and your student will ever make. Although you may not yet consider your student a full-fledged adult, your student will be responsible for making big decisions. Some decisions will have a long-term impact on your student’s life, such as accepting a student education loan, which has to be repaid with interest.

Now is a good time to reshape your parent-child relationship into a parent-young adult partnership and assist your teen in making responsible financial decisions. Below please find some tips which we hope will be helpful to you in supporting your student and staying involved.

take charge of your finances

Your student is beginning a brand-new chapter in life. The increased responsibility of managing school work and daily necessities without your assistance can cause your student to unintentionally put financial aid matters on the back burner.  

Encourage your student to take an active role in managing financial affairs. Here are some tips:

  • NSU email and NSU’s interactive online portal, SharkLink, are the  official means of communication with your student. Encourage your student to check their NSU email daily and regularly review financial aid and student account information in SharkLink.

  • Your student may have to submit additional information to complete their financial aid file, even if they have already received a financial aid award. Financial aid awards are subject to change based on many factors, so it is very important for your student to pay attention to all communications from the financial aid office.

NSU Debt Squad

The Office of Financial Aid Debt Squad provides students and families with information and counseling services on budgeting, strategies on stretching dollars, and maintaining good credit. For more information, including access to student loan repayment calculators, visit the NSU Debt Squad.

The University Bursar's Office establishes an account for each NSU student for the purpose of displaying university charges such as tuition and fees, food and housing if applicable, and financial aid credits. For details on how students can access their account and information on student account activity, visit Student Billing Accounts.

SharkLink is your student’s One-Stop Shop for all online resources. Your student can log in to access online classes, view NSU news, total account balance, financial aid status, outstanding financial aid requirements, academic profile, grades, and more. SharkLink is not available to parents; however, parents may learn more on the SharkLink Portal page.

Students are encouraged to access SharkLink to complete the following tasks:

  • Check their NSU emails
  • Access their financial aid information
  • Request official transcripts and view unofficial transcripts
  • View their student accounts
  • Make payments
  • Access their grades
  • Register for and drop courses
  • View their course schedules
  • Access their online degree evaluations
  • Obtain enrollment verification
  • Change their primary and mailing addresses and phone numbers
  • Apply for student employment jobs
  • Sign the Student Enrollment Agreement (SEA)

Payment Policy

By registering for courses at Nova Southeastern University, the student accepts financial responsibility for payment. The student is responsible for the full balance on the account plus any additional costs which may be incurred by the university in the collection of these debts. Payment is due in full at the time of registration. Email notifications are sent in the middle of each month, stating that NSU eBills are available for review online.

NSU eBill – Your Student May Add You as an Authorized User

nsu ebill logo

Your student can sign you on as an authorized user for your student’s NSU eBill account. This will allow you to receive the monthly eBill notification to your email. Depending on the level of access your student grants, you can also have access to view account details, make payments, and set up payment plans. To learn more about NSU eBill, visit the NSU eBill Frequently Asked Questions. 

Students are also strongly encouraged to add any NSU eBill authorized users to their Release of Information Consent in SharkLink. This will authorize student account representatives to speak freely with authorized individuals, such as parents and guardians, about the student's finances. For more details, see below. 

Payment Options

The fastest, securest, and most convenient option is to pay online via NSU eBill using a credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express) or echeck. For more details and options, visit Pay My Bill.  

Holds

If an outstanding balance remains on your student's NSU account 30 days after the beginning of the semester/term, your student will be charged a $100 late fee, and a hold will be placed on the account. Until the balance is paid in full, this hold will prevent your student from registering for classes and taking advantage of other university services, including, but not limited to, access to the Don Taft University Center RecPlex. You may view more information on holds.

Payment Plans

The NSU Payment Plan is a payment option designed to provide budgetary assistance each semester in meeting a student's educational expenses. For detailed information, visit the Bursar's page. 

 

Student financial assistance is regulated by federal and state laws and institutional guidelines. The process through which students apply for and receive financial aid can be complicated. Your student can avoid some common pitfalls by reviewing the important information on Disbursement of Financial Aid Funds. 

Prepare for a smooth move-in experience by making sure that your student’s account balance is taken care of before move-in day.

  • All on-campus residents must have satisfied their student account balance prior to their official check-in date.  

  • Students with outstanding balances must contact a student accounts representative prior to their check-in date for payment, payment plan set-up, or the completion of outstanding financial aid requirements at (954) 262-5200 or (954) 262-3380.

  • Please be advised that students will not be able to check-in to the Residential Life and Housing halls until all requirements to satisfy their outstanding balance have been fulfilled. 

 

For questions regarding housing, please contact Residential Life and Housing at (954) 262-7052 or toll-free at 800-541-6682, ext. 27052 or by email at housing@nova.edu

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the privacy of your student’s education record and prohibits university representatives from discussing your student’s personal information with anyone other than the student. Students can submit their Authorization for Release of Information (ROI) Consent so that parents or other designated individuals may have access to various types of protected information. For instructions and more details, visit the FERPA page. 

The Office of the University Bursar furnishes Form 1098-T to any student who paid “qualified educational expenses” in the preceding tax year in January of each year. This form provides information about educational expenses that may qualify for education-related tax credits. If you can claim your student as a dependent on your Federal Income Tax Return, you may be eligible for a tax deduction. If you can’t, then your student may be eligible for the credit. Either way, the 1098-T form will be provided to your student, not you. Students are encouraged to opt in to receiving Form 1098-T electronically. 

IMPORTANT: Your student must have a valid mailing address on file with the university for the 1098-T to be furnished. 

For more information on the opt-in process, visit the bursar’s website. For more information on tax benefits for education, visit the IRS online.  

Information on IRS Form 1095-B (Health Insurance Tax Form) is also available on the bursar website.

 

healthAll students are required to carry adequate health insurance coverage. Once your student registers for classes, the student is automatically enrolled and charged for the NSU Student Health Insurance Plan. If your student already has health insurance, the student must opt out of the NSU Student Health Insurance Plan by your student's program deadline. The Student Health Insurance Department within the Office of the University Bursar will send continuous emails to your student's NSU email account to notify your student of the charge and to provide waiver information. Once the waiver deadline has passed, it is no longer possible to waive the charge until the next semester. For detailed information, visit the Student Health Insurance Department.

We are Here For You!

 

One-Stop Shop

If you and your student prefer to speak with a financial aid representative in person, the One-Stop Shop in the Horvitz Administration Building on the Fort Lauderdale/Davie Campus is your destination! Staff members are cross-trained to answer inquiries about financial aid, registrar, and bursar functions. 

Hours of Operation (EST)
Monday-Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

To view a listing of services available at the One-Stop Shop, visit the One-Stop Shop Service Directory.

University Contact Center

The University Contact Center (800-806-3680) is available to answer any financial aid, registration, or student account questions you or your student may have by phone. Please keep in mind, that in accordance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), we are not permitted to release any confidential information to you in person or over the phone without your student’s consent.

Hours of Operations (E.T.)
Monday – Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: Closed

 

 

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