Frequently Asked Questions

The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students submit the FAFSA to apply for financial aid for college from the federal government, state governments and most colleges and universities. About 20 million students file the FAFSA each year. Financial aid includes grants, scholarships, student employment and student loans.

As the name suggests, the FAFSA is a free form, and can be filed online at studentaid.gov. There is no need to pay anybody for help filing the FAFSA.

While PIN numbers are no longer required, you must, however, create a Federal Student Loan (FSA) Identification number.

The first step, before filling out the FAFSA, is to create an FSA ID, which serves as an electronic signature. Parents and students can find a link to obtain an FSA ID through the Federal Student Aid website. To create a unique ID, applicants will need their Social Security number, date of birth and their name as it appears on official documents.

The FSA ID is required in order to sign the FAFSA online and to log in to the myStudentAid mobile app.

You have to fill out the FAFSA form every year you’re in school in order to stay eligible for federal student aid.

Will someone be able to help me with my FAFSA?

• Download the “Complete the FAFSA” for a detailed guide to completing the application, including help on specific questions.
• Additionally, the federal government can help if you have questions with the form. If you are not sure which service center to call, contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243 or by email at studentaid@ed.gov.
• When you are working on the FAFSA online, you can also click the “Live Help” button.

The government requires your spouse’s information be completed when determining your financial aid eligibility. They are not stating that your spouse must pay for your education; they are merely stating that they must use your spouses’s financial data in determining your eligibility for federal funds.

Since Prerequisite Program courses are at undergraduate level, you must complete the FAFSA as if you are applying for undergraduate aid. This means you must:

1. Indicate that you are at the 5th year undergraduate level
2. Indicate you are enrolling in a non-degree program
3. Indicate enrollment in an undergraduate program. These data elements are updated to graduate responses prior to enrollment in a graduate program.

Those taking courses in the Prerequisite Program at NUHS who have submitted an application for an NUHS professional degree will receive a 50% discount on courses required for admission to DC, ND, or DAc programs.

If you were selected for “verification,” you will receive notification from the Office of Financial Aid requesting certain documents to verify that the data reported on your FAFSA was correct. These documents might include, but are not limited to, federal tax returns, W-2, a verification worksheet, and proof of citizenship. Once your file has been verified the Office of Financial Aid will notify you of your financial aid eligibility.

Students selected for verification must submit requested documents in the timeframe specified in order to receive a financial aid Award Letter. Eligible applicants who fail to provide requested documents by the last date of enrollment or August 20 of any award year will be ineligible to receive federal financial aid.

Generally, the verification process will be complete within one week of the documents being turned in to the office.

If something is incorrect on your FAFSA, the Office of Financial Aid will correct it and send any change(s) electronically to the Federal Processor. If any changes are made, you will receive a new student aid report from the processor indicating those changes.

You will receive an award notification from the Office of Financial Aid indicating your eligibility for financial aid.

You will be contacted via email if any additional information is needed from you to determine an award package for the year. Depending on the results of your FAFSA, you may be asked to submit a copy of your Social Security card, proof of birth date, confirmation of citizenship, or financial information. Please submit the requested documents as soon as possible.

Once a college admits you and reviews the information you provided on your financial aid applications (including FAFSA), it will offer you a “financial aid package.” This is sometimes called an award. In this package are different types of aid intended to meet all or part of your financial need for one academic year. The size and makeup of a financial aid package is, for many students, a major factor in determining which college to choose.

Your award letter will list the types and amounts of aid being offered. Aid may be a grant, a scholarship, a loan, work-study—or a combination of these aid types.

The award letter should also include:

• A breakdown of the college’s cost of attendance (COA)
• Your Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
• The amount of your financial need the college is meeting
• The deadline for accepting the aid offered
• How and when the money will be disbursed
• The academic period the award covers
• The process for accepting or declining aid
• Any additional documentation needed

First-time students applying for financial aid will be sent an award offer via U.S. postal mail. Included will be the amount and source of awarded funds, along with additional required steps to receive the aid offered.

Continuing students will be informed when aid for the award period is entered and viewable at mynu.nuhs.edu. The Financial Services Office sends estimated billing statements to all students three (3) weeks prior to the start of the upcoming term.

The Award Letters are sent out starting two months prior to the beginning of your first trimester. If you have not received your award notification prior to the beginning of the trimester, please contact the Office of Financial Aid to make certain they have received your student aid report, and have been notified that you have been admitted to the university.

You must sign one copy of your award letter, indicate any awards you wish to reject or decrease, and return it to the NUHS Office of Financial Aid. (Keep one copy for your own records). Specific instructions for receiving the funds will be included in the mailing you receive.

After completing all required steps to obtain loan funds, the Federal Direct Loan funds (DL) are transferred electronically to the Office of Financial Services at NUHS at the start of each trimester. Prior to releasing funds to your account, your enrollment status will be reviewed and your financial aid may be reduced if any changes in enrollment reduce the budget on which aid is based.

After confirming that all required forms were received, and enrollment status verified, your loan funds should arrive the second week of class.

The Office of Financial Services sends an email when the funds are applied to your account indicating the amount and source of the loan. That email also indicates the approximate date you may pick up a refund check from the Cashier’s office.

Not at this time. Refund checks are picked up from the Cashier or you may request to have it mailed to you instead.

The living expense amount is based on where you are living for the year. Whether living on-campus, off-campus or at home with parents/relatives, this is a fixed amount allocated for living expenses that needs to be carefully budgeted for the year. This includes allowances for rent, utilities, food, transportation, and personal expenses.

Financial aid funds are to be used solely for educational expenses. Under no circumstances will non-educational expenses be included in the Cost of Attendance. These expenses include items such as car payments, credit card payments, recreation, higher than normal rent/mortgage, spousal insurance, moving expenses, and security deposits. Living allowance information is listed in the “Cost Estimates” section in each program.

Undergraduate students are eligible for a variety of federal aid sources. Individual eligibility is based on demonstrated financial need (through submission of the FAFSA). Students may receive a Pell Grant, a Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grant, and Illinois residents may receive the Monetary Award Program (MAP) Grant. Additionally, since undergraduate courses are held in the evening, most students maintain part-time employment to assist with their educational costs. In addition to personal and family resources, undergraduate students may borrow from non-federal, private loan programs. These loans are credit-based and may require a co-signer.

Parents of undergraduate dependent students may borrow from the Parent PLUS loan, a low-cost, credit-based loan available through the Federal Direct Parent PLUS program. Interested parents should contact the Office of Financial Aid for further information.

Graduate students are generally able to borrow the estimated Cost of Education through the Direct Loan (not credit-based) and/or Graduate PLUS (credit-based) loan programs.

Degree seeking students may also work on campus under the Federal College Work Study program to help meet their expenses and to reduce the amount of loan.

You have the right to decrease your loan amount at any time throughout the period of your loan. You can decrease the amount you wish to receive on your Award Letter; or after funds have been disbursed to your account, you may write a check for the amount you wish to return and drop it off at the Office of Financial Aid. Sometimes it’s difficult to know just how large a refund you will receive until after the university bill is paid, and it’s OK to return a refund check rather than cash it.

MBS Direct is National’s online resource for textbooks, references and other supplies. Students access the bookstore via the MyNU Student Portal. A student supply center is located in in the Illinois site for the sale of additional supplies needed in the curriculum.

Tuition paid from Federal Direct loan proceeds will be returned to the U.S. Treasury due to a reduced course load. In addition, you could lose your financial aid eligibility. Courses dropped during a term are counted as “attempted” and may affect your Satisfactory Academic Progress status. If you intend to enroll as anything other than at least half-time student status, please consult with the Office of Financial Aid.

Always consult the Office of Financial Aid before making a decision to withdraw. The government has very specific guidelines to be followed in the case of withdrawal from classes. It is possible you could end up owing the government a refund of funds already paid out to you, and you could lose future financial aid eligibility until the overpayment is resolved.

If you do not meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress guidelines stated in the NUHS Bulletin, your aid disbursement may be held. Pursuant to government regulations, a student must be maintaining the minimum GPA published in the NUHS Bulletin, which is 2.0, and must pass a certain percentage of classes they have attempted. It is possible your financial aid disbursement will be held until you are in good academic standing with the university.

Undergraduate Students

Federal Student Aid recommends that students start researching for scholarships the summer after their junior year of high school. Every scholarship has different rules and different deadlines. Some even require submissions a year prior to starting college.

Graduate Students

Enrolled students will be informed when to apply for institutional scholarships.

A wide array of scholarships are available to NUHS students. For an up-to-date listing, click here.

Not for institutional scholarships. Submit a completed application and required documents (if applicable) to the Office of Financial Aid. You may apply for more than one scholarship using the same application. Applications are available in the Office of Financial Aid. 

Yes, several sources are listed below:

Fastweb
GoGrad
Unigo
Scholarships.com
Scholly
Sallie Mae’s Graduate School Scholarship Search

• Veterans Affairs Educational Benefits
  National University is approved to offer assistance to students using Veterans Administration benefits for educational purposes. Any students interested in determining for which benefits they may be eligible must speak with the Registrar. All veterans must provide a copy of their DD214 and complete VA form 22-1995, or 22-1990 if they have attended college previously.
• Yellow Ribbon Program
  National University participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program. The Yellow Ribbon Program ensures that students receiving benefits at the 100% rate under the Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) will receive full tuition and fees paid while pursuing their education at NUHS.

For an up-to-date listing of military assistance programs to aid those not covered by the Yellow Ribbon Program, visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, by clicking here.

Tuition costs for the next academic year are determined each May. Current year tuition rates are located in the NUHS Bulletin and in the “Cost Estimates” section of each program.

How are tuition payments broken down?
All tuition and fees are due and payable as indicated on the fee schedule furnished each term. The student must make arrangements for payment of tuition and fees in full prior to the first day of class through one of the Payment Options below.

• Payment Plan: Pay one-fourth of the tuition prior to the first day of class and one- fourth each of the next three months due on the first day of the month.
• Payment Options include: cash, personal check, money order, cashier’s check, traveler’s checks, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, Payment Plan, financial assistance through the Financial Aid Office, or Veterans Education benefits.
• Students wishing to use Veterans education benefits to cover tuition costs must provide the VA official at their campus location with a certificate of eligibility. Students who provide the certificate and are determined eligible for education benefits under Chapter 31, Chapter 33, Yellow Ribbon and Vocational Rehabilitation will not be subject to late fees, fines or holds during the waiting period for their VA tuition payments to arrive.

Yes! Students can pay monthly as aid is finalized, by making arrangements with Student Accounts.