Financial Aid FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

HOW AND WHEN SHOULD I APPLY FOR AID?

For need-based financial aid, it is recommended that you complete the FAFSA® as soon as possible prior to the priority deadline listed below. Students who apply after the priority deadline may not be considered for some NSC grants, which are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. The Federal Pell Grant is considered an entitlement, and those eligible will be awarded even if applying after the priority deadline. Loans are not affected by the priority deadline.

Remember: You must re-apply for financial aid each year. We strongly recommend using the IRS Data Retrieval tool through the FAFSA® website, if it is available to you. Finally, it is important to promptly submit all documentation requested by the financial aid office (check your myNSC account’s “TO DO List”). Your financial aid application cannot be processed until all requested documents are received.

WHAT IS NSC’S FEDERAL SCHOOL CODE TO BE ENTERED ON MY FAFSA®?

NSC’s Federal school code is 041143.

CAN I APPLY FOR AID IF I HAVEN’T YET COMPLETED MY TAXES?

The FAFSA® that becomes available in October uses information from the forms most tax filers already submitted earlier in the year. In the event that you have an extension, you may complete the FAFSA® with your best estimate. You are required to update your FAFSA® with the final information from your completed tax returns when finished.

WHAT DO I DO IF I DON’T HAVE MY (OR MY PARENT’S) TAX RETURNS TO FILL OUT THE FAFSA®?

For a copy of federal tax returns, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.

I HAVE COMPLETED AND SENT THE FAFSA®. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

After your FAFSA® is successfully submitted to the Department of Education for processing, you will receive a Student Aid Report. You should review this report to ensure all information is accurate and make any necessary corrections. NSC will receive the results of your FAFSA® electronically, and will notify you via the email account listed as preferred in your MyNSC Student Center. If there are additional documents required to complete your application, they will be indicated on your MyNSC To-Do List. If your application is complete, you will receive an Award Offer, listing all forms of aid for which you are eligible. We begin sending award offers for the fall semester in spring.

WHAT IS VERIFICATION?

Verification is the process of checking the information you reported on your FAFSA® for accuracy. If your application is selected for verification by the Department of Education or NSC, you will be required to submit additional documentation to Inceptia for processing. Information from these documents is then compared to your FAFSA® information and corrections are made when required. Inceptia is required to resolve any potential conflicts in information. The specific documents and forms you are required to submit will be indicated in the Inceptia Verification Gateway Portal.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I HAVE NOT RECEIVED AN AWARD OFFER FROM NSC?

Check your MyNSC Communication Center first for any correspondence from the financial aid office. You should also check the Student Aid Report sent to you from Federal Student Aid when you completed your FAFSA® to make sure NSC is listed as one of the schools on the FAFSA®. If NSC is not listed, return to www.fafsa.gov to make a correction to your FAFSA® and add NSC’s Federal school code of 041143.

DOES NSC OFFER SCHOLARSHIPS AND HOW DO I APPLY?

The Nevada State College Foundation funds a number of scholarship programs for students. Applications are reviewed by NSC committees which include faculty from across campus. Award amounts are determined by the Foundation based on donor agreements. Please keep in mind that Board of Regents’ policies require scholarship recipients to have at least a 2.75 GPA. The Nevada State College Foundation Scholarship Application is available from December to April for the following fall semester.
WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF ACADEMIC/GRADE LEVEL?

For the purposes of financial aid packaging, the following levels are used:

Completed Credit Hours Academic Level

0 – 29 Freshman
30 – 59 Sophomore
60 – 89 Junior
90 or more Senior

HOW IS MY ENROLLMENT STATUS DEFINED?

Financial aid is awarded based on the following enrollment statuses:

12 or more credit hours = full time
9 – 11 credit hours = three quarter time
6 – 8 credit hours = half time
1 – 5 credit hours = less than half time

Note: Remedial courses may not be included in calculating your enrollment level for some types of aid.

I PLAN TO TRANSFER TO NSC, WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO RECEIVE FINANCIAL AID?

First, return to www.fafsa.gov and add NSC’s school code 041143 to your FAFSA®.

Next, if you have received an award from another institution for the current school year and will be transferring to NSC for the following semester, you should contact your current institution and decline your aid there for the remainder of the school year.

I AM A NSC STUDENT AND PLAN TO TAKE CLASSES AT ANOTHER SCHOOL AT THE SAME TIME. CAN I RECEIVE AID AT BOTH SCHOOLS?

Students can only receive federal grants from one institution at a time, and there are restrictions on receiving federal loans from multiple schools. If the courses taken at another institution will apply toward your declared degree program at NSC, you may qualify for a Consortium Agreement. This agreement will allow one school to award financial aid based on enrollment at both institutions. Please see the Consortium Agreement FAQs on the Financial Aid Forms page for specific requirements.

IS FINANCIAL AID AVAILABLE FOR SUMMER SESSIONS?

Yes; however, federal aid programs have annual limits, which, if used for enrollment in the fall and spring, may not be available for summer. There is no application other than the FAFSA® or Non-Federal Aid Application to apply for summer financial aid. Summer is the last semester of the financial aid year at NSC, so the FAFSA® or Non-Federal application used is the one used for the past fall and spring semesters. Degree-seeking students enrolled in financial aid eligible credits for summer semester who have a complete financial aid file will be considered for summer financial aid and notified of aid eligibility by e-mail.
WHAT IS STUDENT EMPLOYMENT AND HOW DO I FIND A JOB?

Part-time employment opportunities are available for students to work up to 19.5 hours per week. Jobs are available in many on campus departments, or off campus in community service activities. Available opportunities can be found by searching for Job Type = Student under the More tab at the jobs.nsc.edu website.

WHAT OTHER FINANCING OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE BESIDES FINANCIAL AID PROGRAMS?

NSC’s Deferred Payment Plan can spread costs over the first half of the semester. Contact the Cashier’s Office for additional information (992-2120).

WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF A DISBURSEMENT?

Disbursements are the actual payments of the specific financial aid awards to a student’s school account. Disbursement of the aid will occur no earlier than 10 days prior to the beginning of the semester for which it is to be used. A student’s financial aid will not disburse until the application is complete and all requirements for each aid type are met.

WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF AWARDS THAT DO NOT DISBURSE TO MY STUDENT ACCOUNT THROUGH NSC FINANCIAL AID?

Most types of financial aid automatically disburse to your student account in myNSC. We want to remind you that the funds received from external agencies and donors must be reported to NSC and may result in an adjustment to your financial aid package.

HOW DO I INITIATE THE NSC EMPLOYEE GRANT-IN-AID?

NSHE employees and their dependents must complete the appropriate paperwork with their hiring department before waivers are applied to their student account.

WHAT DO I DO IF I OR MY PARENTS EXPERIENCED A CHANGE IN INCOME OR BENEFITS FOR THE COMING SCHOOL YEAR?

Contact NSC Financial Aid to discuss your options and to determine whether to pursue a review of your current financial situation. A financial aid counselor will discuss your options for appealing the results of your FAFSA®.

WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF DEPENDENCY STATUS?

To be considered an independent student for financial aid consideration, you must be able to answer “yes” and provide documentation that you meet one of the independency criteria of the FAFSA®. If you cannot answer “yes” to at least one of these questions, you are considered a dependent student and must include parental information on the FAFSA® form. If you are not considered independent, but are unable to provide parental information due to extenuating circumstances, please contact NSC Financial Aid for assistance.

WILL I RECEIVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF FINANCIAL AID NEXT YEAR?

Aid eligibility is determined each year based on the results of the FAFSA®, which must be filed each year, and grant award amounts may vary based on availability of funds. Also, your loan limits may change depending on your academic level and your dependency status.

WHAT IS THE LIFETIME PELL GRANT LIMIT?

Federal Pell Grant eligibility is limited to 12 full-time equivalent semesters. For example, if a student receives half-time Federal Pell Grant for two semesters, those two semesters will equal only one full-time equivalent semester. The duration of eligibility calculation will include all semesters Federal Pell Grant funding was received at any school.

WHAT ARE THE OFFICE HOURS?

NSC Financial Aid is located in the Raker Student Success Center and the office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM 5:00 PM. Virtual and phone appointments may be made through the financial aid website.