Financial Aid, Scholarships

Financial Aid Information

NPC offers a range of federal Title IV grant aid, institutional, and private financial aid for students who need financial aid 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/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. Select the option ‘Start New Form’, you will be prompted to ‘Log In’ with your 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 parent(s) of a dependent student, each parent is required to create their own FSA ID to electronically sign your dependent’s FAFSA.  Each parent is considered a contributor on the student’s FAFSA application and must provide consent to disclose information to the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) and approval to retrieve and use certain federal tax information.  If you are a parent with more than one dependent attending college, you can use the same FSA ID to electronically sign all dependent applications. It is important to remember that each contributor must have their own mobile phone number or email address for each FSA ID created. 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:

• Student and Parent(s) information required for the 2025-2026 FAFSA:
• Social Security Number (SSN)
• Date of Birth (DOB)
• Marital Status
• Date of Marital Status
• 2023 - Federal 1040 Tax Return (all pages)
• 2023 - W-2s (all W-2 forms from employer)
• 2023 - 1099s
• Alien Registration Number (if the student is not a U.S. citizen)
• Untaxed income, such as:
  • untaxed portion of individual retirement account (IRA) distributions, 
  • untaxed portions of pensions, tax-exempt interest income, 
  • child support received, 
  • housing and 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

The 2025-2026 FAFSA application availability was delayed to open on December 1, 2024 for the 2025-2026 academic year. The 2025-2026 FAFSA application availability was delayed due to the major overhaul of the FAFSA application and awarding processes.

NOTE: The FAFSA application is available on October 1st each year. *Subject to change by the Department of Education.

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 most students receive some type of financial aid, so you should fill out a FAFSA application even if you don’t think you qualify. Some families assume they won’t qualify for financial aid and don’t even bother completing the FAFSA. This could be a huge mistake. In 2022, students left an estimated $3.6 billion in Pell Grants on the table by not submitting the FAFSA.

(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 can be set in January and February (example:  prior-prior year = two years ago; two years back from 2025 is 2023).

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 changes have simplified the FAFSA a great deal for the student and parent. Due to FAFSA Simplification the FAFSA application has been decreased from 100 plus questions to 47 questions and the enhanced ability to directly transfer federal tax data from the IRS which reduces the amount of manual entries for the student and parent, which can reduce the amount of time to complete the FAFSA application.  Directly transferring federal tax data into the FAFSA application may decrease the student’s chances of being selected for the verification process which can decrease processing time. Students who apply early each year can expect to have their financial aid released during the initial disbursements each semester.

The FAFSA has been through a major overhaul to streamline for ease of use for students and parents. In prior years, the FAFSA application had over 100 or more questions compared to today with only 47 questions. Today, less than one-half of one percent of applicants fill out the paper version as more applicants chose to use the online form for ease of use and the ability to submit immediately with notification of federal aid eligibility status. Now, through an online form at https://studentaid.gov the FA-DDX process enables the FAFSA to retrieve income and tax data directly from the IRS. FA-DDX simplifies the steps to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The IRS Data Direct Exchange (DDX) tool allows you to consent for the exchange of Federal Tax information directly into the student’s FAFSA application for student (spouse) and/ or parent(s).”

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

If you answer Yes to any of the following questions:

• Were you born before Jan. 1, 2002?
• As of today, are you married? (Answer “No” if you are separated but not divorced.)
• At the beginning of the 2025-26 school year, will you be working on a master’s or doctorate program (such as an M.A., MBA, M.D., J.D., Ph.D., Ed.D., graduate certificate, etc.)?
• Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. armed forces for purposes other than training? (If you are a National Guard or Reserves enlistee, are you on active duty for other than state or training purposes?)
• Are you a veteran of the U.S. armed forces?*
• Do you have children or other people (excluding your spouse) who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you now and between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026?
• At any time since you turned age 13, were you an orphan (no living biological or adoptive parent)?
• At any time since you turned age 13, were you a ward of the court?
• At any time since you turned age 13, were you in foster care?
• Are you or were you a legally emancipated minor, as determined by a court in your state of residence?
• Are you or were you in a legal guardianship with someone other than your parent or stepparent, as determined by a court in your state of residence?
• At any time on or after July 1, 2024, were you unaccompanied and either (1) homeless or (2) self-supporting and at risk of being homeless?**
  • Answer “Yes” (you are a veteran) if you (1) have engaged in active duty (including basic training) in the U.S. armed forces (military, naval, air, or space service) and were released under a condition other than dishonorable; (2) served full-time as a Reservist or member of the National Guard; or (3) were called to federal active duty. 
  • Also answer “Yes” if you are not a veteran now but will be one by June 30, 2026.
  • *Answer “No” (you are not a veteran) if you (1) have never engaged in active duty in the U.S. armed forces, (2) are currently a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) student or a cadet or midshipman at a service academy, (3) are a National Guard or Reserves enlistee activated only for state or training purposes, or (4) were engaged in active duty in the U.S. armed forces but released under dishonorable conditions. Also answer “No” if you are currently serving in the U.S. armed forces and will continue to serve through June 30, 2026.
  • **You’ll be considered provisionally independent and will be allowed to fill out the FAFSA form as an independent student if you indicate that you are unaccompanied and homeless or at risk of being homeless on the FAFSA form for the first time and you don’t have a determination from an individual at an eligible agency. An individual at an eligible agency includes one of the following:
  • your high school or district homeless liaison or designee
  • the director or designee of an emergency or transitional shelter, street outreach program, homeless youth drop-in center, or other program serving those experiencing homelessness
  • the director or designee of a project supported by a federal TRIO program or a Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grant
  • a financial aid administrator

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 on October 1. NPC’s school year is Fall, Spring and Summer semester. NPC’s Federal School Code is 011862. 

When will I receive the FAFSA results?

Results are received via email in 3- 5 business day from the Department of Education (DOE) in the form of a Federal Submission Summary (FSS), previously known as the Student Aid Report (SAR). If you applied online, you should receive your FSS in approximately 3 - 5 business days. Keep the FSS for your records, and review the information carefully, and make corrections as needed. The financial aid office will receive the information electronically from the DOE in 5 - 7 business days which is about the same time you receive your FSS. Check the status of your FAFSA with your financial aid office as soon as you receive your FSS by 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 (spouse or parent(s)) did not use your FSA ID. All unsigned FAFSA applications are delayed by the Central Processing System (CPS) 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. To avoid this type of delay, the student (spouse) and/or parent(s) should create an FSA ID to electronically transfer federal tax information and to sign the FAFSA application. 

Assistance with Financial Aid Application

Assistance in completing the FAFSA form is available by contacting the Financial Aid Main Office at 928-524-7318. Recently the financial aid office has placed financial aid representative at the Snowflake, AZ NPC campus and the Winslow, AZ NPC campus for ease of access to assist all applicants interested in financial aid funding.  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 advisor 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) account, which the student must create once and log in to each academic year to auto-populate task(s). If selected for verification or requesting a review of income or dependency status for financial aid due to a circumstance out of the student’s control the student will access all required tasks and appeal options 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 financial need who have not earned a Bachelor’s degree. If the student is eligible for a Federal Pell Grant and meets the priority deadline, the student 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 of 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/understand-aid/types/grants/pell/calculate-eligibility.

• The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) is grant aid 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 in a timely manner before the April 15 financial aid deadline each year.
• The Federal Work Study (FWS) program offers students with financial need an opportunity to earn money working on-the-job at the college or at certain off-campus agencies while attending college. Students who participate in the FWS program gain considerable benefits such as gaining work experience, the ability to work where they learn, the ability to schedule working hours around class hours, and building work relationships for future job references.

Please note that NPC does not participate in any Federal student loan programs, which include the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program, the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program, and the Federal Perkins Loan Program. NPC also does not participate in any private or personal educational loans.

State Aid Grant

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. The state grant is contingent upon Arizona State funding.

Student Financial Aid Eligibility

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

• 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 advisors, the Financial Aid Office, or by viewing the eligible program list at: www.npc.edu/financial-aid-status-degree-programs.
• Federal methodology calculations and the FAFSA form determine need-based financial aid. Students must have documented financial need as prescribed for Federal Title IV aid programs;
• Preference will be given to applicants who complete their financial aid file in a timely manner by the priority deadline each semester;
• A student must have a high school completion document 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®). A student who earned a home-schooled high school education will be required to upload their official home school transcript into the student’s financial aid student portal (FASP). The review is completed by the Records and Registration Department.
• A student who has not earned a high school diploma or a GED (General Education Diploma) may be able to eligible for the Ability to Benefit (ATB) provision. The ATB makes financial aid available to students without a high school diploma or the equivalent of a high school diploma. If you were enrolled in college or career school prior to July 1, 2012, or if you are currently enrolled in an eligible career pathway program*, you may show you’re qualified to obtain a higher education by 
  • passing an approved ability-to-benefit test* (if you don’t have a diploma or state-recognized equivalent, NPC can administer a test to determine whether you can benefit from the education offered at NPC) or
  • completing six credit hours, 225 clock hours, or equivalent course work toward a degree or certificate.
  • College and Career Preparation (CCP), including formerly BSK and TLC coursework, do not count toward this requirement.

A student who is offered financial aid funding must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) at the end of each semester of enrollment. Please visit www.npc.edu/satisfactory-academic-progress for SAP requirements.

An individual must meet the appropriate citizenship requirements as defined by federal regulations.  An individual may review citizenship eligibility per the DOE at https://studentaid.gov/2425/help/citizen.

Verification Process

A student can be selected for ‘verification’ by the Department of Education’s central processing system.  The student (spouse) and/or parent(s) will be required to verify specific information provided on the student’s FAFSA application based on three categories of verification groups.  The student (spouse) and/or parent(s) will be required to submit specific documentation to verify the accuracy of the data reported on the student’s FAFSA application.  Documentation that the financial aid office may request for verification:

• federal income tax return (includes amended federal tax return)
• other income and asset documents
• marital status document
• proof of high school completion
• valid, unexpired, government-issued photo identification
• family size information

The financial aid verification process cannot be completed without the required documentation. The student’s financial aid eligibility cannot be determined without all documentation being submitted.  A student can be selected for the verification process more than once during their lifetime as a college student.

Students are required to upload all requested documentation to the student’s financial aid student portal to be considered for financial aid assistance. All requested documents for information must be uploaded three weeks before the financial aid priority deadline to ensure review of the student’s request for financial aid assistance and receipt of a financial aid offer two-weeks prior to the first day of class. Financial aid applicants who neglect to comply with requests for documentation or information will not be considered for financial aid until the information requested is submitted. Students should periodically check with the Financial Aid Office or their financial aid student portal (FASP) to verify completion of their file that all uploaded documents were accepted to ensure timely processing of financial aid funding.  Students must log in to npc.verifymyfafsa.com (the financial aid student portal - FASP) each academic year 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 in 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

Satisfactory 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 grade. (Even though a D is considered “passing” for financial aid, your degree program may not recognize the “D” as a passing grade and you will be required to retake the course. Check with your academic advisor.)
3. Maximum time frame (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 (with or without a passing grade), which includes all accepted transferable 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.

Students who choose to transfer from another college to NPC can apply for financial aid and may be required to 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. Transferable credits that apply to the degree or certificate program at NPC can reduce the required number of credits to complete a degree or certificate.  Transferred credit hours will be counted as both attempted and completed hours for the quantitative measure.

 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 (Grade Point Average) of the class with the highest grade.

Eligibility for federal financial aid is limited for students who are required to take ‘pre-college’ courses to improve basic high school 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 named 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 federal financial aid 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/ccp.

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 considered during the next SAP calculation following a completed semester. SAP calculations for incomplete grades may be made earlier upon request by the student.

Unsatisfactory Progress towards Degree Completion

If a student does not meet Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements, the student can become ineligible for Title IV aid (Pell Grant, SEOG, and FWS program). If the student fails to meet SAP, the following guidelines will be followed:

1. The first time the student does not to meet SAP, the student is placed on financial aid SAP Warning status.  A student on SAP Warning status is still eligible to continue receiving Title IV funding for the next semester of enrollment.
2. The second consecutive time the student does not meet SAP, the student is placed on financial aid SAP Suspension status. A student on SAP Suspension status is not eligible to continue receiving Title IV funding for the next semester of enrollment. A student on SAP Suspension status may appeal their SAP Suspension status to the financial aid SAP Committee for reinstatement of federal financial aid funding.

• 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 within their financial aid student portal to request a reinstatement of their federal financial aid. 

Financial Aid SAP Warning status

Recipients of student financial aid funding will receive a Warning notification either by postal 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 (also known as PACE) requirements. 

Financial Aid SAP Suspension status

Recipients of student financial aid funding will be suspended from aid if they fail to meet the 2.0 minimum cumulative grade point 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 not eligible for Title IV aid until the student meets SAP requirements to be eligible to return to GOOD SAP status and eligible for Title IV aid again. 

Maximum Time Frame (MTF) for Degree or Certificate Completion

Students who are not able to finish a degree of certificate program within the maximum credit hour allowance for completion are placed on SAP Suspension status from the time that the student exceeds the maximum time frame (credit limit) for their declared degree or certificate program. A student who has been suspended from financial aid assistance for exceeding the maximum time frame 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. The student may choose to submit a SAP Appeal request to extend the MTF to complete their degree or certificate program at NPC. 

Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal

Students who are placed on financial aid Suspension status may choose to appeal their financial aid 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 manage a request for an 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 in their financial aid student portal, must state 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 (signed by an academic advisor) 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 denial.

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

A student placed on “restricted status” could be required to 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 towards 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 a result of a successful appeal.

Schedule Changes on Financial Aid

Students who choose to change their enrollment (drop/add courses) during the course of a semester are subject to having their eligibility for financial funding reviewed, which may require recalculation of Title IV aid and the student may be required to return a portion of Title IV aid awarded or all Title IV aid awarded. Other institutional and tribal or private scholarships can be impacted, as well, in the next semester of enrollment.

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

The Financial Aid Office is required to perform enrollment verification before the disbursement of financial aid, two weeks prior to the beginning of each semester. Financial aid may be reduced or canceled due to changes in a student’s credit enrollment status or changes in course selection. Adding a course to increase credit enrollment status will not increase your financial aid offer after the Census Date (also known as Pell Recalculation Date or the Last Day to Withdraw without a ‘W’ on their transcript).

NOTE: A student must start attending classes to establish eligibility for federal financial assistance and must show up in person or online for each class they are registered for.

When Dropping and Adding a Course

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

• During the first two weeks of class, students may only exchange a course for another eligible course, however, the exchange must be for the same credit amount (for example: 3 credits for 3 credits).

Students adding additional courses after the second week of the semester or during the semester are responsible for payment of tuition and fees.

Withdrawal Before the First Day of Classes

Students who have received a financial aid award and choose to withdraw from all courses before the first day of class are responsible for the return of all “over-awarded financial aid funds.”

Non-Attendance or No Show

If a student chooses not to attend some or all of their courses, their eligibility for federal financial aid 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. The student must pay back all of the ‘over-awarded’ financial aid to NPC Student Billing prior to enrolling for courses again.

Canceled Course

Students who register for course(s) 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 www.npc.edu/academic-calendar) may register for another eligible course with equal credits to avoid the return of “over-awarded funds.”

Noncredit and Audit Courses

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

Complete Withdrawal From All Classes

Students who completely unofficially withdraw and/or officially withdraw from all classes prior to the last day of classes 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 financial 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: Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants,Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant or Federal Student Loans.

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

Federal Return of Title IV calculation consists of the following:

a. Amount of Title IV Aid Disbursed.

b. Amount of Institutional Charges: tuition, fees, etc.

c. Percentage of Title IV Aid Earned: the withdrawal date is the completed days divided by the total days in the semester. Excluding scheduled breaks of five or more days and approved leave of absence.

d. Amount of Title IV Aid Earned by Student: Multiply (a) by (c).

e. Amount of Title IV Aid to be Disbursed or Returned: (a) minus (d).

f. 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)

g. Initial amount of Unearned Title IV Aid Due from Student: (e) minus (f).

h. Title IV Aid for Student to Return: (f) minus (2) 2 equals the Amount of Title IV Grant protection: (a) multiplied by 50 percent.

If the amount for the 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.

Determination of the student’s Last Date of Attendance (LDA)

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 a 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 a tutorial, taking computer-assisted instruction, or turning in an assignment.
• Date of the student’s official notification to the institution.
• If the student did not begin the withdrawal process or official notification, the midpoint of the enrollment period for which federal financial aid was disbursed, or a later date documented by NPC. A student would earn 50 percent of federal financial aid.
• If the 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.

Important Note: 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 pay in full any ‘over-awarded federal financial aid’ or to make payment arrangements and continue to make satisfactory payments on time. Please call NPC’s Student Billing department at 928-524-7470 to set up a payment arrangement or to resolve issues with your payment arrangement. Contact Student Billing prior to setting up payment arrangements online at https://www.npc.edu/ecashier. You may also make a payment at your local NPC campus or center.

If a student neglects to pay or no satisfactory payment arrangements are made after 45 days for the Return to Title IV calculation, the financial aid office is required to report that student 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 he or she has paid in full the amount due for the Return to Title IV calculation. 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

• Students are required and expected to read materials, follow instructions, and call the Financial Aid Office regarding their financial aid status. Your financial aid status may also be viewed at MyNPC or view your financial aid document status in your Financial Aid Student Portal (FASP) at npc.verifymyfafsa.com.
• 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.
• The financial aid academic award year for NPC includes the fall semester, the spring semester, and the summer semester.
• A student must apply each academic year for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is available October 1 each year for the following upcoming academic year.
• A student may only receive Title IV Aid from one institution per semester.
• The Financial Aid Office must have received an Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) AND must complete their Financial Aid file BEFORE the student’s last date of attendance for the semester enrolled for financial aid consideration.
• If a student’s cost of attendance exceeds NPC’s standardized budget, he or she may request a budget review with supporting documentation.
• Students are required to review the accuracy of information and notify the Financial Aid Office of changes in their financial, academic, or personal situation that affect their financial aid eligibility. This includes information not reported on the original FAFSA form.
• If a student is selected for “verification,” he or she must upload all requested documentation, including a Federal Tax Return Transcript or signed Return and all W-2s, report all untaxed income, and complete a verification worksheet in the FASP at npc.verifymyfafsa.com.
• 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 advisors, the Financial Aid Office, or www.npc.edu/financial-aid-status-degree-programs.
• 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.
• The NPC Payroll Office mails checks or makes direct deposits 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/.
• A student is required to register for and attend all classes for which he or she is awarded financial 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 advisor before making enrollment changes.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• NPC does not participate in any Private Educational Loans or in any Federal Student Loan Programs - including Undirect and Direct federal student loans.
• 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.
• Financial aid recipients 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. Students may call (800) 433-3243 or log on to https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/repayment.
• A student may submit a Federal Student Loan Deferment form to the Records and Registration Office for processing while enrolled at NPC.
• 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. Students must pay in full 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 Main 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

See www.npc.edu/academic-calendar

Return to Student Services