Financial Aid Facts

Information you should be aware of:

1. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) every academic year at FAFSA.gov. A student aid report (SAR) will be emailed to you from the Department of Education notifying you of your EFC (Expected Family Contribution). This information will also be sent to Nassau Community College if you enter our school code, 002873, on the FAFSA. The College will then determine and notify you of your financial aid award.
2. You must be a matriculated student in an approved degree or certificate program at Nassau Community College to be eligible for financial aid. Classes taken for audit are not eligible for financial assistance. It is the student's responsibility to inform the Office of Financial Aid if he/she enrolls in a class for an audit grade.
3. Your financial assistance is awarded based on calculated need as determined from the information you provided on your FAFSA. Financial aid awards are subject to adjustments or cancellations due to changes in laws, regulations, appropriations, changes in your financial situation, verification, discovery of data errors, changes in your enrollment status, or changes in your residency status amongst other reasons.
4. You must maintain satisfactory academic progress. Students receiving federal aid for their educational costs are required to maintain an acceptable cumulative GPA, while at the same time completing a specified percentage of the credits for which they registered within a certain time frame.
5. Student must file a FAFSA to be considered for Federal student loans. Perkins Loan-a low interest loan (5% fixed) is awarded based on financial need. Interest begins nine months after the student is no longer enrolled for at least 6 credits.  Federal Direct Stafford loans – A subsidized loan is a need-based loan. An unsubsidized loan is NOT based on financial need. You are responsible for the interest that begins to accrue on this loan once it is disbursed. You must be enrolled at least half-time (six degree-bearing credit hours minimum) to be eligible for the Federal Direct Loan(s) in a given semester. Repayment of these loans begins after you stop pursuing your degree or you are registered for less than 6 credits. You will then be required to complete an online, Exit Counseling session at studentloans.gov.
6. Students who have been previously incarcerated or are currently incarcerated or who might be incarcerated during their current term of attendance must identify themselves to the financial aid office to determine their financial aid eligibility.
7. If you receive any financial assistance from an outside source (e.g., a private scholarship or grant) you must inform the Financial Aid office.
8. You will be responsible for repaying any funds you receive that exceed your financial need, or if for any reason, you become ineligible for the financial aid. Changes in your actual enrollment status, such as non-attendance, course withdrawals or if you stop attending classes without officially withdrawing (unofficial withdrawal), could reduce or cancel your award and repayment may be required. Please contact the Office of Financial Aid prior to dropping or withdrawing from the College. It may impact your current or future aid eligibility and you will be responsible for any balance on your student account.
9. Students should be aware that withdrawal from one or more courses may affect some, or possibly all, financial aid awards. Therefore, it is prudent to understand the consequences of the withdrawal before formally submitting the paperwork. Financial aid awards will be revoked upon withdrawal should the withdrawal affect the eligible enrollment status.
10. If requested, you must provide documents to verify the accuracy of information reported on the FAFSA before financial aid can be awarded or disbursed to your student account. The requested documentation must be submitted prior to your last date of enrollment. If not, you may lose aid eligibility and be responsible for your tuition and fee semester bill.
11. Federal Work-Study (FWS) is determined by the results of your FAFSA. Although the FWS amount is shown on your Award Letter, FWS funds are not applied to your NCC student account. You receive a pay check every two weeks. Job placement is based on availability.
12. Students who have completed their degree or certificate program will not be eligible for financial aid in subsequent semesters unless they are enrolled in another degree program. Bachelor's degree: if you already have this degree, you are ineligible for Federal Pell and Federal SEOG.
13. If you are having problems with your Direct Loan that your school cannot resolve, contact the U.S. Dept. of Education's Office of Loan Ombudsman at 1.877.557.2575.
14. If it is determined that you have provided or purposely given false or misleading information, you may be fined up to $20,000, sent to prison, or both.
15. Repeat courses: NY State Aid- Courses in which the student has already received a passing grade cannot be included in meeting full-time study requirements for State sponsored financial aid. Repeat courses may be counted toward full-time study if a failed course is repeated or when a student has received a passing grade at the college but is unacceptable in a particular curriculum or area of concentration. Federal Aid – A student may receive federal aid to retake a previously passed course once.
16. For students in remediation classes: First time TAP (Tuition Assistance Program) recipients must be registered for non-remedial courses equal to at least 6 credits to be considered for the 2006/2007 state academic progress chart. The remaining classes must be degree-bearing so the total enrollment equals full-time status which is 12 or more credits.
17. Ability to Benefit: Students that were home schooled or do not have a certificate of graduation from a recognized school within the United States or have received their high school diploma from a foreign school must take an approved "Ability to Benefit" test and attain a passing score prior to the end of the college's add/drop period to be considered for state aid. Contact the Placement Testing Center at placementtesting@ncc.edu or call 516.572.7780.
18. Aid for part-time study (APTS) grant recipients must be enrolled for 3 to 11.5 credits. Students carrying a part-time course load that includes non-credit remedial courses must be registered for at least 3 degree-bearing credits.
19. Winter Session is considered as part of the spring semester for federal financial aid purposes. This means that if a student is registered for three credits during winterim, and nine credits during spring, they would be considered a full-time student and their Federal financial aid would be packaged as such. All students are responsible to pay their winterim tuition bill by the assigned due date. All winterim and spring financial aid will be disbursed together as spring aid and will be disbursed in the spring semester only. Courses not completed in the winterim term will not be eligible or included in the spring disbursement. Please note: New York State aid such as TAP and Aid for Part Time Study, is not available for winterim. Please be aware that all awards are contingent upon funding and your remaining aid eligibility.
20. To be eligible for the Bookstore Voucher, a Financial Aid application must be accurate and in our database. In addition, any missing documents needed to fully process your application must be error free and submitted to our office. Check the Financial Aid Office for book voucher cut off dates and deadlines. Book voucher amounts are determined based on your Federal TIV awards exceed your semester's bill by at least $100.00.
21. Read your NCC e-mails, letters, postcards, announcements and other notifications that you receive from the College. Check the NCC website for deadlines.
22. You can view your financial aid awards, read messages, and determine what documents are required by logging in to MyNCC Portal.