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Determining Your Financial Aid Eligibility

How much financial aid you can receive at NSU depends on several factors. Generally, your eligibility depends on your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), your year in school, your enrollment status, and your program’s cost of attendance (COA).  Need-based financial aid, such as the Federal Pell Grant, the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, the Direct Subsidized Loan, Federal Perkins Loan, and Federal Work-Study, is determined based on the following formula:

Cost of Attendance (COA) - Expected Family Contribution (EFC) = Eligibility for need-based aid

The Cost of Attendance (COA) is determined by the Office of Student Financial Assistance, as governed by federal regulations, and includes tuition and fees, housing and food, books, supplies, transportation, and other personal expenses. If your EFC is lower than the cost of attendance at NSU, the university considers the difference between the two amounts to be your financial need.

The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is the amount that you and your family are expected to pay toward your higher education. It is calculated using a standard formula established by the U.S. Congress based on the information you and your family provide on your Free Application to Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Eligibility for aid that is not need based, such as the Direct Unsubsidized Loan, the Federal PLUS Loans, and the Teacher Education Access for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant, is determined as follows:

Cost of Attendance (COA) – Financial Aid Awarded So Far*  = Eligibility for financial aid that is not need-based

*"Financial Aid Awarded So Far" includes aid from all sources, including institutional and external scholarships.

Special Circumstances – Professional Judgment
The Office of Student Financial Assistance may use Professional Judgment to take into account a student’s special circumstances to make adjustments to his or her (or his or her parent’s) Expected Family Contribution (EFC) for educational expenses, standard budget, and/or financial aid dependency status to increase a student’s eligibility for certain types of aid. For more information on Professional Judgment, including instructions on how to submit a request, students should review the Professional Judgment Information Statement.

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