Financial Aid Policies

Financial Aid Terms and Conditions

This page provides general information about your financial aid award letter and important information about eligibility for aid. 

• All financial aid awards are based on full time enrollment, which is 12 or more credits each semester.
• Awards will be prorated if you are in less than 12 credits.
• You must be in an eligible program of study. Your financial aid award can be found on your MyNorthshore account. 
• More detailed information can also be found on the Student Financial Services website along with our contact information.
• Please remember to review your MyNorthshore account and NSCC email frequently as your financial aid can change throughout the year.

 

Award Letter

• All your financial aid award information and bills can be found on-line through your MyNorthshore account.
• More information about the types of aid available and payment options.

 

Direct Loans

• Your award includes a Federal Direct Loan, which you will need to decide to accept, reduce or decline through your MyNorthshore account.
• These are funds you will need to pay back.
• In order to borrow federal direct loans, you must be enrolled in at least 6 credits or more. 
• More information about loan limits and the current fees.
• First time borrowers at NSCC will need to complete entrance loan counseling and a Master Promissory Note electronically through studentaid.gov.
• Check your MyNorthshore account for your loan requirements.

 

Federal and State Grants

• The grants are free money you do not need to pay back.
• These funds will appear as grants or scholarship funds on your award, if you are eligible for them.
• Detailed information about the different grant funds.
• The grant funding can change based on the number of credits you are taking each semester and the type of courses you take.
• The most common changes in grant eligibility are the following:

• Students lose their Mass Grant eligibility because they drop below 12 credits.
• Tuition Waivers cover the tuition only.  If you receive another waiver through the state such as Veterans Waiver, Senior Citizen, or Mass Rehab the NSCC tuition waiver will be canceled.

 

Other Scholarship/Cost of Attendance 

• The federal government requires that you inform us of any grants, scholarships or other education benefits you will receive from sources outside of NSCC.
• Please notify us as soon as possible as this could affect your financial aid eligibility.
• We need to consider this in your Cost of Attendance (COA) to attend NSCC and some of these funds may count toward your financial need.
• The COA is based on 12 or more credits and will be adjusted based on your enrollment status. This could result in a change to your award.

 

Freeze Date/Withdrawals

• Each semester your credits are locked one week after the add/drop period at start of the term. This is called the “Freeze Date”.
• Any classes added or dropped after this date will not adjust your financial aid award.
• However, if you drop below 6 credits before a loan is disbursed the funds cannot be paid. If at any point after the Freeze date you withdraw from all your courses during the semester, the school will be required to return some of your financial aid award. 
• Also, if you never attend a course we will need to adjust your financial aid.
• These adjustments could create a balance on your account.
• The withdrawal policy can be found here.

 

Satisfactory Academic Progress

• The government has set guidelines on how to maintain your eligibility for financial aid. You must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).  
• A student must maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average and have a completion rate of 67%. This means you need to complete 67% of the credits you take. 
• Also, students will continue to have financial aid eligibility up to 150% of the required credits to complete their program of study.
• NSCC's Satisfactory Academic Progress policy

 

Repeat Courses

• Students repeating a course may receive financial aid for a course which they previously failed or withdrew until they pass it.
• In addition, students may receive financial aid for up to one more attempt when repeating a course that they previously passed.
• Repeating a course will be counted towards your completion rate for SAP.

 

Bookstore Credit

• Bookstore credits are granted to students who have a credit on their account.
• You can review your bill through your MyNorthshore account to determine if you have a credit. Students are not guaranteed credits and will be notified through their NSCC email if they are eligible for one. 
• The credit can be used at the bookstore on either campus or online.
• The emails are sent a few weeks before school starts each semester and will need to be used by the deadline given.

 

Student Account

• Tuition and fees are assessed to your account based on the number of credits you are enrolled in.
• Detailed tuition and fees information can be found here.
• NSCC does not mail paper bills.
• It is the student’s responsibility to review their eBill and determine if their financial aid award is sufficient to cover the semester costs.
• If your award is not sufficient to cover the balance in full, you must act on one of the payment options listed on our website.
• You will be entitled to a refund if you have a credit balance after your financial aid has paid and any bookstore charges have been posted.
• The refund will be sent back to the credit card(s) that were used to make web payment(s) first, or to the verified eRefund ACH profile set up through your MyNorthshore account.
• If the eRefund ACH profile is not set up, a paper check will be mailed to the address on file.