By Mandi Enger
Over 3,000 students at Nevada State College received at least one form of financial aid during the 2010-2011 school year. Up from $5 million in 2009, students were awarded approximately $21 million in the form of grants, scholarships, and loans. As the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA) application due date for 2012 approaches, all NSC students are highly encouraged to participate.
Due June 30, 2012, the 130-question online FASFA will help determine eligibility for student funding during the 2012-2013-year school. Student applications are submitted to the U.S. Department of Education which in turn notifies the NSC Financial Aid Department with a list of opportunities available for each applicant.
Since 2009 we have more than tripled the dollar amount of funds awarded to our students and that number continues to grow, stated Neil Woolf, director of financial aid at NSC. The more students we can work with to complete the FASFA, the more opportunity we have to secure financial support for their education.
While funding reports for the current year will not be available until the end of summer, the department credits the continued growth of financial aid awards to their outreach efforts and personalized communication with students.
Our staff is working diligently to reverse the certainty many students feel that they are not eligible for aid and are therefore discouraged to even apply, continued Woolf. Simply completing the FASFA opens the door for students to qualify for a variety of state and federal funding opportunities including NSC scholarships and the Nevada State Access Grant.
On average, NSC annually disburses over $700,000 in scholarship funds raised through the Nevada State College Foundation and academic fees.
The most common financial aid award at NSC is the Federal Pell Grant. Nearly 2,000 students at the college were eligible for the Pell Grant in 2012 and received a total of $3.97 million in aid. Similar to scholarships, the grant does not have to be repaid but must be renewed on an annual basis.
As students get started with their FASFA, we encourage them to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to automatically pull in income figures from their filed taxed forms, finished Woolf. It is simple tips like this that our team looks forward to sharing with each student at NSC.
The Financial Aid Department at NSC is located upstairs in Basic and Water II. Counselors are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and may be reached at 702.992.2150 or financialaid@nsc.edu to make an appointment. Walk-ins are also welcome.
Financial Aid Awards Increase for NSC Students
