Types Of Financial Aid

College Can Be Affordable

More than 68 percent of our students receive financial aid, including scholarships, grants, work-study, and loans.

Nevada State University students may be eligible to receive assistance paying for financial aid-eligible coursework† through one or more of the following financial aid programs. Students’ combined financial aid from all sources cannot exceed their Cost of Attendance.

Achieve Nevada

Achieve Nevada is a robust financial aid program to cover more college expenses for more students. Qualifying students may receive free in-state registration and funding to help with books and other expenses.

• You may qualify for the 2024/25 academic year if you are eligible for the Federal Pell Grant and complete the FAFSA® by March 15, 2024.
• Students who are ineligible to complete the FAFSA® may complete the Non-Federal Aid Application during the semester for which they are applying.
• If you are not eligible to receive federal grant aid but your Student Aid Index (SAI) is below 12,000, you can still save up to 60% on your fees with a Nevada State grant.
• New and continuing students are eligible, and non-resident students can also receive funding to cover a portion of their tuition and fees.

Grants

Grants are awarded to students based on financial need and usually do not need to be repaid. Grants may be used to pay for tuition and fees, books and supplies, transportation and other expenses related to attending college. The following grant programs are currently available to eligible Nevada State students.

Federal Pell Grant

The Federal Pell Grant is available to students pursuing their first bachelor’s degree who demonstrate a high level of need according to the results of the FAFSA®. The amount awarded for each semester depends on a student’s financial need, costs to attend school, and number of credits taken. Students may receive a Pell Grant for up to two full-time semesters per academic year, plus an additional allowance for half-time or greater enrollment in the summer, with a lifetime maximum of 12 full-time semesters.

Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

The FSEOG Program provides need-based grants to help low-income undergraduate students finance the costs of postsecondary education. Priority is given to those students with exceptional need according to the FAFSA® (those with the lowest Student Aid Index (SAI)) and those who are also Federal Pell Grant recipients.

Silver State Opportunity Grant (SSOG)

The SSOG Program was established by the Nevada Legislature in 2015 to provide grants to eligible low-income undergraduate students  (Student Aid Index (SAI) of 8,500 or less) who are college-ready to assist with funding a portion of the cost of attending a community or state college within the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE).  Limited funds are awarded to students enrolled in 15 or more financial aid-eligible credits† in a semester on a first-come, first-served basis according to a formula established by the NSHE Board of Regents.  Students should complete the FAFSA® or the Non-Federal Aid Application in order to be considered for this award. SSOG will be released after attendance is confirmed, about 2-3 weeks after the semester begins.

Nevada State Access Grant

Funded from both state and institutional sources, these grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to both undergraduate and graduate students who receive the Federal Pell Grant with a  Student Aid Index (SAI) of 2,050 or less based on their FAFSA®. Award amounts are based both on a student’s SAI and number of credits taken in a term.  The priority deadline is March 15 to be considered for the upcoming academic year.

Nevada State University Grant

This institutionally-funded grant is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to undergraduate students who are eligible to receive Federal Student Aid, do not receive the Federal Pell Grant, and have an SAI of 12,000 or less according to their FAFSA®. Award amounts are based both on a student’s EFC and number of credits taken in a term.  The priority deadline is March 15 to be considered for the upcoming academic year.

Nevada State Opportunity Grant

This institutionally-funded grant is awarded to undergraduate NS students who are not eligible to receive Federal Student Aid, but have an SAI of 12,000 or less according to their FAFSA® or Nevada State Non-Federal Aid Application. Award amounts are based both on a student’s SAI and number of credits taken in a term.

Nursing Differential Grant

This fee-funded grant is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to students enrolled in the pre-licensure bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program and have an SAI of zero or less according to their FAFSA®  or Nevada State Non-Federal Aid Application. Award amounts are based both on a student’s SAI and whether they are enrolled in the full-time or part-time track. 

Graduate Access Grants

These fee-funded grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to students enrolled in a graduate program who have an SAI of zero or less according to their FAFSA®  or Nevada State Non-Federal Aid Application. Award amounts are based both on a student’s SAI and whether they are enrolled in a full-time or part-time track. 

Scholarships

Please visit the scholarship page for the most up-to-date information.

Student Employment

Student employment provides opportunities for eligible students to work part-time in positions across campus and in the community. In order to be considered for a student employment job, apply for open “student” postings through jobs.nsc.edu.  In order to qualify, students must be enrolled at least half-time as a degree-seeking student in the current or upcoming term and be eligible for employment in the USA. Students may not exceed 19.5 hours of work per week, and are paid twice per month. Funding is provided by both the institution and the Federal Work-Study program.  Federal Work-Study is awarded to employed students who demonstrate need according to the FAFSA®.

Federal Direct Loans

When you complete the FAFSA®, you may be offered Federal Direct Loans as a part of your award offer package. Remember that you must repay the full amount of the loan plus interest to the U.S. Department of Education beginning six months after you graduate, or stop attending school at least half-time.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for a Federal Direct Loan a student must:

1. be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien;
2. be taking at least six financial aid-eligible credit† hours and be matriculated in a degree or certificate program;
3. not owe any refunds on a Pell Grant or other awards received and not be in default on repayment on any type of student loan.

Maximum Loan Amounts

Dependent Undergraduate Students

A first-year Dependent student (parent information is required on the FAFSA®), with less than 30 earned or transfer credits, may borrow up to $5,500 per year with a maximum of $3,500 of that amount being in a subsidized loan. Second-year dependent students, with at least 30 earned or transfer credits, may borrow up to a maximum of $6,500 per year with a maximum of $4,500 of that amount in a subsidized loan. Third-year and beyond dependent students, with at least 60 earned or transfer credits, may borrow up to a maximum of $7,500 per year with a maximum of $5,500 in subsidized loans. A dependent undergraduate student may only borrow up to an aggregate limit of $31,000.

Independent Undergraduate Students

Independent students (parent information is not required on the FAFSA®) may have up to an additional $4,000 in unsubsidized loans per year. A first year independent student, with less than 30 earned or transfer credits, may be eligible to borrow up to $9,500 per year with a maximum of $3,500 of that amount being in a subsidized loan. Second year independent students, with at least 30 earned or transfer credits, may be eligible to borrow up to $10,500 per year with a maximum of $4,500 in a subsidized loan. Third year and beyond independent students, with at least 60 earned or transfer credits, may be eligible to borrow up to $12,500 per year with a maximum of $5,500 in a subsidized loan. An independent undergraduate student may only borrow up to an aggregate limit of $57,500.

Post-Baccalaureate Students

Post-Baccalaureate independent students in the School of Education can borrow up to $12,500 each academic year, or $5,500 for dependent students, in Direct Loans, of which up to $5,500 may be subsidized.

Graduate Students

Graduate students can borrow up to $20,500 each academic year in Direct Unsubsidized Loans. Additionally, Direct PLUS Loans can be used for the remainder of your college costs, up to your Cost of Attendance, not covered by other financial aid.

Pre-Graduate Students

Students in the Speech-Language Pathology Master’s Preparatory Plan (SLP-MPP) can borrow Direct Loans for one consecutive 12-month period.  Dependent undergraduates may borrow up to $5,500, which may be all subsidized depending on eligibility. Independent undergraduates (and dependent undergraduates whose parents don’t qualify for Direct PLUS Loans) can receive up to $12,500, of which a maximum of $5,500 may be subsidized.

Private Loans

If you are unable to borrow Federal Direct Loans, or these loans are not sufficient to cover your cost of attendance at Nevada State, you may be able to obtain a credit-based loan from a private student loan lender.   Because these loans are not regulated by the U.S. Department of Education, it is up to you to research and understand the terms for borrowing and repayment.  We’ve partnered with ElmSelect to provide you with a list of lenders that Nevada State students have borrowed from in the past, along with the ability to compare the terms of these loans.

Plus Loans

The U.S. Department of Education makes Direct PLUS Loans to eligible parents of dependent students and to graduate students. A Direct PLUS Loan is commonly referred to as a parent PLUS loan when made to a parent, and as a grad PLUS loan when made to a graduate student.

Financial Aid Eligible Credits

† In order to qualify for any financial aid funding, including grants, scholarships or loans, a course must fulfill an unmet requirement for a student’s degree or certificate program at Nevada State University.