Financial Aid, Scholarships

Financial Aid Information

NPC offers a range of federal, institutional and private financial aid for students who need assistance in meeting the costs associated with a college education. Financial aid is provided in the form of scholarships, grants, and federal work-study employment.

NPC’s Financial Aid Procedure Manual serves as the guiding document for the administration of aid. A student has the right to know the information provided in the manual that is available at the Financial Aid Office.

The purpose of financial aid is to assist students and their families who have documented need with educational expenses, such as tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board and transportation when their own resources are inadequate to cover such costs. However, the primary responsibility for financing a college education lies with the student and the student’s family.

Students are encouraged to apply EARLY for financial aid assistance as it may take 3 - 6  weeks to review and process financial aid requests during peak times. Late applicants are required to make payment arrangements at the time of registration.

What is a “Priority Deadline”?

A priority deadline is the date by which students need to have submitted their completed FAFSA application AND provide any other required documents to the NPC Financial Aid Office through the student’s financial aid student portal. This allows sufficient time to determine the student’s financial aid eligibility. Priority deadlines are set for each semester. The submission of a FAFSA application does not guarantee the award of financial aid funding. 

LAST DAY TO SUBMIT REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR FINANCIAL AID PURPOSES: JULY 15. All documents must be uploaded into the student financial aid portal to determine eligibility for the academic year. 

Inquiries regarding financial aid should be directed to the Financial Aid Office, Tawa Center, Painted Desert Campus, 2251 E. Navajo Blvd. in Holbrook or by mail to Northland Pioneer College, P.O. Box 610, Holbrook, AZ 86025, phone (800) 266-7845, ext. 7318 or email financialaid@npc.edu.

Steps to Apply Online for Federal Student Aid at studentaid.gov

Step 1: Create your FSA ID:

Go to https://studentaid.gov/. Select “Apply Now,” and select the options for “New to the FAFSA Process?” or “Returning User,” “I am a student.” Then select the option to “Log In” or if you have not created an FSA ID select “Create FSA ID.” The FSA ID is a username and password that you are required to use to log in to complete your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and access certain U.S. Department of Education (ED) websites. If you are a parent of a dependent student, you will need to create your own FSA ID to electronically sign your dependent’s FAFSA. If you are a parent with more than one dependent attending college, you can use the same FSA ID to electronically sign all applications. It is important to remember that a mobile phone number or email address can be associated with only one FSA ID. So the student and the parent must have separate personal email addresses and separate mobile phone numbers to create each FSA ID. 

Step 2: Gather the following information:

Your (and spouse’s) social security number and your parents’ social security numbers, date of birth, date of marital status (if you are providing your parent information); Alien Registration Number if you are not a U.S. citizen; you and your spouse’s (parents’ if you are providing your parents’ information) most recent Federal Tax Return Transcript (available at https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript or by calling (800) 908-9946), and all W-2s (or Wage Transcript from the IRS), untaxed income, such as untaxed portion of individual retirement account (IRA) distributions, untaxed portions of pensions, tax-exempt interest income, child support received, housing, food allowances paid to members of the military, clergy and others (including cash payments and cash value of benefits), Veteran’s Non-educational Benefits, etc.; information on savings, investments and business and farm assets. 

Students are now able to file a FAFSA starting October 1 for the following academic year. This pushed the application date up by several months from the previous January 1 opening date. Students are also able to use tax information from two years earlier (prior-prior-year information). 

NOTE: Due to the FAFSA Simplification Act (https://studentaid.gov/help-center/answers/article/fafsa-simplification-act) the FAFSA application for the 2024- 2025 academic year will be available December 2023. After December 2023 the FAFSA will return to being available October 1st each year. 

Why is this important?

Filling out a FAFSA is the first step in determining your eligibility for federal financial aid, such as Pell Grants and a federal work-study job at NPC. The information on your FAFSA is also used by college scholarship committees, state governments, and private scholarship programs to determine if you qualify for other types of financial aid or scholarships. 

Nearly 20 million FAFSA filers get access to federal grants and loans each year - the vast majority are American college students. Yeah, it’s kind of a big deal. 

Sallie Mae reports that the FAFSA is the gateway to more than $150 billion in college grants, work-study funds, and federal student loans, as well as certain types of state-based aid. (https://www.salliemae.com/blog/top-reasons-to-fill-out-fafsa/#:~:text=It’s%20the%20gateway%20to%20 more,don’t%20think%20you%20qualify.) 

The biggest mistake you can make with federal aid is assuming you don’t qualify, so even if you don’t think you’ll be eligible, you should apply.

According to the education advising site Edvisors.com, two million students who would have qualified for the Pell Grant in a single school year missed out because they didn’t fill out a FAFSA.

More time to weigh options

By applying in October instead of January, students will find out earlier if they are eligible for aid, giving them time to consider college costs and weigh their options. This also gives the student plenty of time to collect needed forms and documents to complete their financial aid file. 

The convenience of using so-called “prior-prior-year” tax data also makes it easier for students to get college applications in before many scholarship deadlines, which are frequently set in January and February.

This widened window of time will enable families to determine the true costs of going to school once financial aid is factored in.

Streamlined process

The current ongoing changes are simplifying the FAFSA a great deal for the student and parent. Students who apply early each year can expect to have their financial aid released during the initial disbursements each semester. 

Students who choose to have federal tax information transferred from the IRS into their FAFSA application can potentially decrease the student’s chances of being selected for the verification process and decreased processing time. 

The FAFSA is far less of a headache than it used to be. Once upon a time (not so long ago), filing for financial aid involved a 10-page workbook and pouring over your family’s paper documents. Today, less than one-half of one percent of applicants fill out the paper version.

Now through an online form at studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa, or an iOS and Android app called myStudentAid, many of the application’s 180 questions will be auto-populated using data already on file with the government through the IRS, if the IRS Data Retrieval Tool is used to directly transfer tax return information into the FAFSA. 

According to the U.S. Department of Education, this will cut the filing time down to about 20 minutes on average. 

How do I know if I’m an independent student?

If you answer Yes to any of the following questions:

• Will you be age 24 before January of the year you will enroll? 
• As of today, are you married? (Also answer “Yes” if you are separated but not divorced.) 
• At the beginning of the school year, will you be working on a master’s or doctorate program (such as an MA, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, EdD, graduate certificate, etc.)? 
• Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces or currently serving on active duty? 
• Do you now have, or will you have, children who will receive more than half of their support from you between July 1st this year and June 30th of next year? 
• Do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and receive more than half of their support from you between July 1st this year and June 30th of next year? 
• At any time since you turned age 13, were both your parents deceased, were you in foster care or were you a dependent or ward of the court? 
• As determined by a court in your state of legal residence, are you or were you an emancipated minor? 
• Does someone other than your parent or stepparent have legal guardianship of you, as determined by a court in your state of legal residence? 
• At any time did your high school or school district homeless liaison determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless? 
• At any time did the director of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless? 
• At any time did the director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless? 

Step 3: Begin filling out your FAFSA.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or a Renewal FAFSA (for continuing students), must be completed each school year at https://studentaid.gov. NPC’s school year is Fall, Spring and Summer session. NPC’s Federal School Code is 011862. NPC’s Federal School Code is 011862.

When will I receive the FAFSA results?

Results are received in the form of a Student Aid Report (SAR). If you applied online, you should receive your SAR in approximately one week. Keep the SAR for your records and review the information carefully. The Financial Aid office will receive the information electronically at about the same time you receive your SAR. Check the status of your FAFSA with your financial aid office as soon as you receive your SAR by either calling the Financial Aid Office at 928-524-7318 or emailing the Financial Aid Office at financialaid@npc.edu. 

Step 4: Check your FAFSA status online: 

You may check the status of your submitted FAFSA, make corrections to your FAFSA (if needed), or print a signature page if you did not use your FSA ID. All unsigned FAFSA applications are held by the Central Processing System for 14 days; after 14 days the Financial Aid Office will receive your FAFSA. An unsigned FAFSA will delay the student’s financial aid process. 

Assistance with Financial Aid Application

Assistance in completing the FAFSA form is available by contacting a Financial Aid Representative at 928-524-7318. Appointments can be made to meet in person at a campus/ center closest to the student or a video meeting over the internet. If a Financial Aid Representative is not available an academic adviser at a campus/center can help a student to complete the FAFSA. 

Required financial aid forms are available in the student’s individual financial aid student portal (FASP), which the student must create once and log in to each academic year. If selected for verification or requesting a review of income or dependency status for financial aid due to an extenuating circumstance the student will access all appeals in their FASP. Forms available online are limited to the FAFSA signature page and the 4506-T to request federal tax record information visit www.npc.edu/financial-aid-scholarships/forms-worksheets or https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript. 

Federal Student Aid Programs

NPC participates in the following federal financial aid programs as authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended:

• The Federal Pell Grant is the foundation of all financial aid consideration. The grant is designed to assist students with documented need who have not earned a bachelor’s degree. If the student is eligible for a Federal Pell Grant and meets the priority deadline, he or she will be considered for other types of financial aid assistance as well. 

Limit on Federal Pell Grant Eligibility.
Students are limited to 12 full-time semesters (or 600 percent) of Federal Pell Grant eligibility during their lifetime. This change affects all students regardless of when or where a student received their first Federal Pell Grant. Students who have received 600 percent Federal Pell Grant eligibility will no longer be eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant. You may view your percentage of Federal Pell Grant used by logging into “My Aid” using your FSA ID at https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id

The Department of Education keeps track of your Federal Pell Grant Lifetime Eligibility Used (PELL LEU) by adding together the percentages of the Federal Pell Grant awards that you received for each award year. Your “Lifetime Eligibility Used” percentage will be displayed in the “Grants” section of the student’s “My Aid” page. Additional information is available online at https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/

2. A Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) is an award designed to assist exceptionally needy students with college education costs. FSEOG recipients are Pell-eligible students who demonstrate exceptional financial need and complete their financial aid files early.

3. The Federal Work Study (FWS) program offers students with financial need an opportunity to earn money working on a job at the college or at certain off-campus agencies while attending classes. In addition to earning funds for college costs, FWS offers students the opportunity to gain experience and develop references for future employment.

Please note that NPC does not participate in any Federal student loan programs, including Stafford, PLUS, FFELP, Perkins and Direct loans. NPC does not participate in Private educational loans. 

4. The Arizona Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (AzLEAP) establishes a state and institutional partnership to provide student financial assistance in the form of need-based grants to low-income Arizona resident students who are enrolled at half-time (6) or more credit hours [Contingent upon Arizona State funding].

Student Financial Aid Eligibility

Requests for financial assistance will be based on the following selection criteria:

1. A student must be degree-seeking in an eligible NPC degree or certificate program. Lists of eligible degree and certificate programs approved by the U.S. Department of Education are available from academic advisers, the Financial Aid Office, or by viewing the eligible program list at www.npc.edu/financial-aid-status-degree-programs.
2. Federal methodology calculations and the FAFSA form determine need-based financial aid. Students must have documented financial need as prescribed for federal aid programs;
3. Preference will be given to applicants whose financial aid file is completed by the priority deadline each semester;
4. Students must possess a high school diploma that is accredited by a regional accrediting association as defined by the United States Office of Education or approved by a state board of education or appropriate state educational agency or certificate of equivalency (GED®). Home school students may be required to submit their official home school transcript to the Financial Aid Office.

5. For students in an “eligible career pathway program,” documentation that they passed an approved ability-to-benefit (ATB) test or successfully completed at least 6 credit hours or 225 clock hours that are applicable toward a degree or certificate offered by NPC. (College and Career Preparation (CCP), including formerly BSK and TLC coursework, do not count toward this requirement.) 

6. Students must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) each semester of enrollment, please visit https://www.npc.edu/satisfactory-academic-progress for SAP requirements. 

7. An individual must meet the appropriate citizenship requirements as defined by federal regulations.

Verification Process

The Financial Aid Office is required to verify that information provided by the student, spouse (and/or parents) on the FAFSA form is complete and accurate, under the Federal Financial Aid Program rules (34 CFR, Part 668). Applicants are required to verify household size, number in college, high school diploma, official high school transcript with graduation date, certificate of equivalency (GED®) or home school requirement as well as the following income: tax income, certain types of untaxed income and benefits, such as Social Security benefits, child support, IRA/Keogh deductions, foreign income credit, earned income credit, interest on tax-free bonds.

Students are required to upload all requested documentation to the Financial Aid Office to be considered for financial aid assistance. All requests for information should be supplied before the priority deadline to ensure prompt completion and review of the student’s request for assistance. Individuals who neglect to comply with requests for information will not be considered for financial aid until their file is complete. Students should periodically check with the Financial Aid Office or their financial aid student portal to verify completion of their file and to ensure timely processing of financial aid.

Students are now required to log in to npc.verifymyfafsa.com, the financial aid student portal (FASP), to upload documents and track their verification status 

NPC Scholarships

NPC offers scholarships to help qualified students with college costs. NPC attempts to assist both the academically talented and students emphasizing a particular program.

Scholarship Search Website

NPC scholarships, local and national, including merit and non-need-based scholarships, are listed at the NPC website at www.npc.edu/scholarships. Students should review the application process - including deadlines and scholarship requirements/criteria before applying. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. 

Other Scholarship Award Criteria

Most NPC private and institutional scholarships have specific award amounts stipulated in writing. If not, NPC’s Scholarship Committee will distribute the money in a fair and equitable manner that assists the most students based on limited funds.

Financial Aid Disbursement

The disbursement of financial aid is approximately two weeks before the first day of classes each semester. Check the Financial Aid Calendar (see page 30) for finalizing your registration for financial aid disbursement, as well as disbursement date(s) for Fall, Spring and Summer semesters and last date to make changes to your class schedule for financial aid purposes. Financial aid disbursement will be delayed for late applicants and students who register late. Adding a course after the last date to make changes to your class schedule will not increase a students financial aid award. Disbursements are made through BankMobile, a financial services company. Students may choose to have the disbursement made to their BankMobile card, (see page 22), direct-deposited to their bank account, or paid to them by check. Students must create an account to chose an option for their financial aid refund, please visit www.refundselection.com. 

Satisfactory Academic Progress

All students who receive federal financial aid, are required to maintain certain standards of academic performance called Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). A student must make satisfactory academic progress toward the completion of his or her degree or certificate program. Academic progress toward the degree/certificate program will be measured at the end of each semester.

NPC has a qualitative, quantitative, and maximum credit hour measure of academic progress:

1. Qualitative Requirement: Maintain a minimum cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 2.0 or above;
2. Quantitative Requirements: Satisfactorily complete at least 67 percent (rounded up) of the cumulative credits in which the student is enrolled. Satisfactory completion means earning a passing grade of A, B, C, D, or P. Grades of W or F are not considered passing grades;

3. Maximum timeframe (MTF) to complete a degree program (maximum number of credits to complete a degree). Students may receive financial aid funding for up to 150 percent of the published credit hours for a degree or certificate program. 

The quantitative and maximum credit hour measures include all attempted NPC credits, as well as all accepted transfer and assessed credits. In addition, this includes all semesters with or without financial aid assistance. For example, an associate degree that requires 60 credit hours to complete will have a maximum credit hour allowance of 90 credits. 

Transfer students applying for financial aid should submit official transcripts of all previous college credits earned from other colleges/universities to the Records and Registration Office. Evaluated transfer credits will assist academic advisors prior to assisting a student with enrolling in classes at NPC that apply to the student’s declared degree intent. Transferred credit hours will be counted as both attempted and completed hours for the quantitative measure. 

1. A student may repeat a previously passed course one time only (with a prior passing grade). A student may repeat a class four times (if a passing grade is not received) and receive financial aid funding provided all academic progress requirements are met. Also, students may receive funding for a maximum of six repeatable special projects or special classes. For courses that are repeated, SAP calculations will only consider the GPA of the class with the highest grade.

2. Eligibility for federal financial aid is limited for students who are required to take “pre-college” courses to improve basic education skills at NPC. Students are limited to the equivalent of one year or 30 credit hours of College and Career Preparation (CCP) courses. Ineligible CCP (formerly BSK and TLC) courses will not be funded and will be counted toward the 30-credit-hour limit. 

The following CCP courses are eligible for funding:

CCP 072 - Reading and Writing Applications III Science 
CCP 074 - Reading and Writing Applications III Social Studies 
CCP 078 - Math Applications III 
CCP 082 - Reading/Writing Applications IV 
CCP 088 - Beginning Algebra with Applications 
CCP 103 - Workforce Readiness I 
CCP 104 - Workforce Readiness II  
CCP 106 - Workforce Skills I
CCP 107 - Workforce Skills II

The list of eligible CCP courses is also available online at www.npc.edu/college-preparation-adult-basic-education.

Incomplete Grades

Incomplete grades will not be factored into a student’s SAP calculation until a final grade has been posted to the student’s transcript. Changes to prior semester grades, including incomplete grades will be taken into account during the next SAP calculation following a completed semester. SAP calculations for incomplete grades may be made earlier upon request by the student.

Failure to Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements

If a student fails to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements the student will be placed on SAP Warning and then SAP SUSPENSION: 

1. The first time the student fails to meet SAP, the student is placed on Financial Aid Warning. 
2. The second time the student fails to meet SAP consecutively, the student is placed on Financial Aid SAP Suspension. 

• An appeal is required to request reinstatement of federal financial aid, if the student experienced a circumstance that was out of their control that prevented the student from meeting SAP requirements. 
• The student may apply for a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal in their financial aid student portal to request a reinstatement of their federal financial aid. 

Financial Aid SAP Warning

Recipients of Student Financial Aid Assistance will receive a Warning notification either by mail or email after any semester in which their cumulative grade point average falls below 2.0 or they fail to satisfactorily complete 67 percent of the cumulative credit hours in which they are enrolled. The SAP Warning notice serves as a caution to the student that he or she did not maintain satisfactory academic progress during the last semester of attendance at NPC. Students are eligible to continue to receive financial aid assistance while on warning status if all other eligibility requirements are met. 

Students will be removed from the warning status once they meet the cumulative 2.0 GPA and 67 percent completion percentage requirements. 

Financial Aid SAP Suspension 

Recipients of financial aid assistance will be suspended from aid if they fail to meet the 2.0 minimum cumulative gradepoint average, or satisfactorily complete 67 percent of their cumulative enrollment for two consecutive semesters of academic work. The SAP Suspension notice serves as a notification that the student is now ineligible for Title IV aid until the student returns to GOOD SAP status by meeting the SAP requirements. 

Students that are not able to finish a certificate or degree program within the maximum credit hour allowance for completion are put on SAP Suspension from the time that the student exceeds the maximum timeframe (credit limit) for their declared degree program. A student who has been suspended from financial aid assistance for exceeding the maximum timeframe may continue to enroll in classes at NPC without receiving financial aid assistance and will be responsible for paying for their educational expenses out their own pocket. 

Appeal is Required if Placed on Financial Aid Suspension

Students who are placed on Suspension status are required to appeal their eligibility status to the Financial Aid Office and further to the Satisfactory Academic Progress Committee. A student may request to have their financial aid reinstated by logging into their financial aid student portal (FASP) to request a SAP Appeal. The student must have experienced a circumstance ‘out of their control’ that prevented the student from completing their course(s). The student must complete the SAP Appeal form, must state within the online form the reason(s) the student did not meet Satisfactory Academic Progress, including how the condition or situation has been resolved, thus allowing the student the ability to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress. Students must submit a full degree audit and supporting documentation with their SAP Appeal request. SAP Appeal requests are available through the student’s individual financial aid student portal at npc.verifymyfafsa.com. The outcome for a petition for reinstatement may include approval in a restricted status (approved academic plan) or denied. 

There are no further appeals for students who have met their Federal Pell Grant Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU) or students that have earned a Bachelor’s degree. 

A student placed on “restricted status” will be placed on an academic plan toward the successful completion of the degree program. The student will be reviewed at the end of each semester for satisfactory academic progress toward their academic plan and completion of their degree program. The student making progress and meeting satisfactory academic progress will be considered an eligible student. A student may continue to receive financial aid assistance only as the result of a successful appeal. 

Schedule Changes on Financial Aid

Students who alter their enrollment (drop/add courses) during the course of a semester are subject to having their eligibility for financial assistance reviewed, may require recalculation and could be required to return some, if not all, of their financial assistance.

A student must consult with his or her instructor(s) and / or an NPC academic adviser and the Financial Aid Office before making any enrollment changes. Please note that students who receive financial assistance are subject to Satisfactory Academic Progress.

The Financial Aid Office is required to perform enrollment verification before the disbursement of financial aid. Financial aid may be reduced or canceled due to changes in a student’s enrollment status. Adding a course after the Census Date will not increase your financial aid award.

NOTE: Students must start attending classes to establish eligibility for federal financial assistance.

When Dropping and Adding a Course

Students who plan to drop and add a course as an even exchange are allowed to do so under the following conditions:

• During the first week of class students may only exchange a course for the same course (for example ENL 101  for ENL 101 *).
• During the second week of class students may only exchange a course for the same course AND the same instructor (for example MAT 152  for MAT 152 * both taught by Dr. Brown).

*If the same course is not available, students should meet with an academic adviser to identify an appropriate alternative.”

Students adding additional courses after the financial aid disbursement date and during the semester are responsible for payment of tuition, fees and late registration fee.

Withdrawal Before the First Day of Classes

Students who have received their financial aid refund and withdraw from all courses before the first day of classes are responsible for the return of all “over-awarded funds.”

Non-Attendance or No Show

If a student fails to attend some or all of their courses, their eligibility for federal assistance will be recalculated to exclude any non-attended courses. Students who accept federal funds and never attend any class sessions are responsible for the return of all “over-awarded funds” for any courses not attended.

Canceled Course

Students who register for courses canceled by NPC are required to return all “over-awarded funds.” A student may register for another eligible course with equal credits to replace the canceled course to avoid a return of “over-awarded funds.”

Withdrawing Without “W” on Transcript

Students who withdraw on or before the last day to withdraw without a “W” on their transcript (see “Academic Calendar  ” in this catalog or online at www.npc.edu/academic-calendar) may register for another course with equal credits to avoid return of “over-awarded funds.”

Noncredit and Audit Courses

The Financial Aid Office will not fund noncredit and audit courses at NPC.

Complete Withdrawal From All Classes

Students who completely unofficially withdraw and/or officially withdraw from NPC will have their federal financial aid recalculated by using the Federal Return of Title IV calculation prescribed by federal law. The Federal Return of Title IV calculation applies only to federal aid and will be returned to the appropriate Federal program(s) in the following order:

1. Federal Pell Grant
2. Federal SEOG

NPC does NOT participate in the following: National SMART Grant, TEACH Grant or Federal Student Loans.

Federal Work-study Program and Arizona Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (AZ LEAP) are excluded from calculation.

Federal Return of Title IV calculation consists of the following:

1. Title IV Aid Disbursed.
2. Institutional Charges: tuition, fees, etc.
3. Percentage of Title IV Aid Earned: the withdrawal date is the completed days divided by total days in the semester. Excluding scheduled breaks of five or more days and approved leave of absence.
4. Amount of Title IV Earned by Student: Multiply (a) by (c).
5. Amount of Title IV to be Disbursed or Returned: (a) minus (d).
6. Amount of Unearned Title IV Aid for Institution to Return: (b) multiplied by (1) 1 Equals Percentage of Unearned Title IV Aid: 100 percent minus (c)
7. Initial amount of Unearned Title IV Aid Due from Student: (e) minus (f).
8. Title IV Aid for Student to Return: (f) minus (2) 2 Equals Amount of Title IV Grant protection: (a) multiplied by 50 percent.

If amount for student to return is $50.00 or less, the student is not responsible for repayment.

Students may request a copy of their Federal Return of Title IV calculations from the Financial Aid Office.

The number of days completed is determined by the withdrawal date from one of the following:

Withdrawal date provided by NPC’s faculty:

• Attendance record
• Class record

If unable to provide the withdrawal date from the above documentation, then the following:

• Date of student’s last attendance at documented academically-related activity, such as attending class, taking an exam, completing tutorial, taking computer-assisted instruction or turning in an assignment.
• Date of student’s official notification to the institution.
• If student did not begin the withdrawal process or official notification, the midpoint of the enrollment period for which federal financial aid was disbursed or later date documented by NPC. Student would earn 50 percent of federal financial aid.
• If student did not begin the withdrawal process or official notification due to illness, accident, grievous personal loss or other such circumstances beyond the student’s control, NPC may determine the appropriate withdrawal date.

Students who withdraw after completing at least 60 percent of the semester will be considered to have earned 100 percent of their federal assistance.

It is the student’s responsibility to contact NPC’s Business Office to make payment arrangements and to continue to make satisfactory payments. You may make your payment at your NPC campus/center or payment arrangements can also be made at https://mycollegepaymentplan.com/northland/.-

If a student neglects to pay or no satisfactory payments are made after 45 days for the “over-awarded funds,” the student will be reported to the Department of Education, which will prevent the student from receiving federal financial aid from any institution.

Students are required to contact the Financial Aid Office once funds are repaid. The Financial Aid Office will notify the Department of Education to update the student’s status to “Repaid” to continue to receive federal financial aid if all requirements are met.

Student Financial Aid Rights and Responsibilities

1. Students are required to read materials, follow instructions and call the Financial Aid Office regarding their financial aid status. Your status may also be viewed at MyNPC or the new Financial Aid Student Portal at npc.verifymyfafsa.com.
2. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 prohibits the release of financial aid information without the student’s written consent. All information provided will be kept confidential.
3. The financial aid award year for NPC includes the fall semester, spring semester, and summer session(s).
4. A student must file a new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each financial aid award year. The FAFSA is available October 1 for the following academic year.
5. A student may only receive Title IV Aid from one institution per semester.
6. The Financial Aid Office must receive a valid Student Aid Report (SAR) or Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) by the student’s last date of attendance for the semester enrolled for financial aid consideration.
7. If a student’s cost of attendance exceeds NPC’s standardized budget, he or she may request a budget review with supporting documentation.
8. Students are required to review the accuracy of information and notify the Financial Aid Office with changes in their financial, academic or personal situation that affects their eligibility. This includes information not reported on the original FAFSA form.
9. If a student is selected for “verification,” he or she must upload all requested documentation, including a Federal Tax Return Transcript and all W-2’s, report all untaxed income and complete a verification worksheet to the Financial Aid Office at https://npc.verifymyfafsa.com.
10. Students are required to pursue an approved degree or certificate program in order to be eligible for Title IV Aid. Lists of eligible degree and certificate programs are available from academic advisers, Financial Aid Office or www.npc.edu/financial-aid-status-degree-programs.
11. Students who withdraw from courses are responsible for understanding NPC’s Institutional Refund Policy. For additional information, students may contact the NPC Business Office. A student has the right to know the types of aid available at NPC, the method and frequency of disbursement, and the terms and conditions of receiving financial aid.
12. The NPC Payroll Office mails checks or makes direct deposit to Federal Work-Study (FWS) students on the 15th and last day of each month. Students are encouraged to sign up for electronic deposit through direct deposit or Bank Mobile money paycard with the NPC Payroll Office. https://bankmobiledisbursements.com/refundchoices/
13. A student is required to register for and attend all classes for which he or she is awarded aid. Any changes in enrollment or a withdrawal from NPC must be reported to the Financial Aid Office. A student must consult with his or her instructor(s) and an academic adviser before making enrollment changes.
14. Financial aid recipients have the right to know the Federal Return of Title IV Aid procedure at NPC. Aid recipients withdrawing from all classes may be required to return a portion of the funds disbursed to them for the semester enrolled. A copy of the Return of Title IV Funds calculation is available upon request from the Financial Aid Office.
15. Courses added after the student has received his or her financial aid “refund” may not result in an increase to his or her award for the semester.
16. A student must verify all tuition and fees, if entitled to a “refund.” Students should contact the NPC Business Office regarding discrepancies in their billing charges.
17. A student has a right to know the standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), the criteria for continued eligibility and the criteria for reestablishing eligibility.
18. A student must maintain SAP standards to be eligible for financial assistance. Students with academic problems are encouraged to seek tutoring assistance, available for free.
19. A payment arrangement through e-Cashier Payment Plan is not intended to allow financial aid applicants to defer all payments until financial aid is approved. Students who have applied for financial aid, but have not been awarded financial aid, must make the scheduled payments. The student’s signature on, or approval of a payment arrangement, is an agreement to make payments.
20. NPC does not participate in any Private Educational Loans or in any Federal Student Loan Programs - including Stafford, PLUS, FFELP, Perkins, and Direct loans. 
21. If a student has received a student loan from another institution, the student is required to keep the lending agency informed of any change in address, change in enrollment status, withdrawal from school or graduation.
22. Financial aid recipient must be in good standing and not in “default of student loans” and not owing an “overpayment of federal financial aid” to any college/ university. Student may call (800) 433-3243 or log on to studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans.
23. A student may submit a Federal Student Loan Deferment form to the Records and Registration Office for processing while enrolled at NPC.
24. A student may submit a Consortium Agreement form from their parent school to the Financial Aid Office. A Consortium Agreement will not be completed unless the student is enrolled at NPC. Student must pay or make payment arrangements for tuition, fees and book charges at the time of registration. A Consortium Agreement does NOT defer payments and is not considered a third-party payment.

Additional Information

Requests for additional information regarding financial aid may be directed to the Financial Aid Office, (800) 266-7845, ext. 7318, during normal business hours:

8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday;
8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday.

Financial Aid Calendar

Also see, Academic Calendar 
For updates to Financial Aid dates, click www.npc.edu/academic-calendar

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