How to Apply for Financial Aid

• When applying for admission at www.nvcc.edu, please provide your Social Security number (SSN) on the admission application so that your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be received and linked to your file. If your SSN was not listed on your admission application, please contact Student Services to correct your record.
• Contact a counselor to declare an eligible major if you did not do so when you applied for admission.
• Most one-and two-year programs at NOVA are eligible.
• Transfer students should request official transcripts from all schools previously attended and request a transfer credit evaluation by the College Records Office.

• Create an account (FSA ID) through the Federal Student Aid website. 
• All individuals who enter information on a student’s FAFSA (i.e. contributors), including parents or a spouse, must have their own StudentAid.gov account (FSA ID) with a different email address.

Click here to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

• Complete the FAFSA at https://studentaid.gov. Click: Apply for Aid > Complete the FAFSA form.
• Submit the 2024-2025 FAFSA for Fall 2024, Spring 2025, and Summer 2025.
• Submit the 2025-2026 FAFSA for Fall 2025, Spring 2026, and Summer 2026.
• Enter NOVA's federal school code (003727) on the FAFSA.
• Be sure that your name on the FAFSA exactly matches the name on your Social Security card.
• Contact the Financial Aid Office if you need assistance.
• Remember to submit the FAFSA to reapply for financial aid each academic year.

• Within two weeks after you submit the FAFSA, you will receive an email from the U.S. Department of Education with instructions on how to access your Student Aid Report (SAR) online. Carefully review it to ensure it is correct and complete.
• Read the comments on your SAR and verify that your FAFSA was not rejected. Also make sure that NOVA's school code (003727) was listed.
• You may correct any mistakes at https://studentaid.gov.

• Verify if additional information has been requested by frequently checking your To Do Items.  Log into myNOVA and click: SIS: Student Information System > To Do Items. Click on each To Do Item for instructions.

• Some students are selected for verification by the U.S. Department of Education or NOVA.
• Verify if additional information has been requested by logging into myNOVA and frequently checking your To Do Items.
• Contact the Financial Aid Office if you need assistance.

• You will be notified via your myNOVA Message Center when you are offered financial aid.
• You may then review the type(s) and amount(s) of assistance you were offered by logging into myNOVA and clicking SIS: Student Information System > Financial Aid.
• Accept, decline or reduce student loans and work-study in your myNOVA account.
• If you decide to borrow a student loan, complete a Master Promissory Note and Entrance Counseling at  https://studentaid.gov.
• Note that aid offered prior to the term census (which is the last day to drop with a tuition refund for the longest session of the fall, spring, or summer term) is based on anticipated full-time enrollment in courses required for your program. If you register for less than 12  eligible credits, your aid may be adjusted after the census.
• Aid will be adjusted throughout the term if enrollment status and aid eligibility change due to dropped courses or non-attendance, as explained on our policies and procedures website.

• Select and enroll in your courses before the term census date (i.e. the last day to drop with a tuition refund for the longest session of the fall, spring, or summer term).
  Pell Grant eligibility is determined by the credits in which you are enrolled and are attending as of that date. Neither Pell Grant nor state aid will increase if you add classes later.
• Aid can only be offered for courses that are required for your degree or certificate. Review your  Advisement Report to ensure your courses are required.
• Contact an advisor to discuss your courses if you have any questions.

If you did not opt out of the NOVA All Access program, the cost of your course materials is included in the charges shown on your myNOVA SIS account summary.  Information on obtaining your course materials through the NOVA All Access program is provided at this page.  

If you need to use excess financial aid to purchase items through the NOVA bookstore, complete the Bookstore Authorization e-Form each academic year.  This form only appears as a To Do Item in myNOVA if you are potentially eligible to use financial aid at the bookstore.

• Determine if your pending financial aid covers your balance based on your current enrollment and pay any remaining balance by the payment deadline.
• One option to consider is the NOVA payment plan.
• Note that you are responsible for dropping any courses you do not plan to attend by the deadline to drop with a tuition refund as indicated on the academic calendar.

• A check may be mailed to your address listed in myNOVA for any credit balance on your account if you do not set up direct deposit as your refund preference.
• If your address has changed, contact Student Services or update your mailing address on your myNOVA Student Center under Personal Information.
• Approximately six weeks into the term (if enrollment and attendance have been established at that time), excess financial aid above what you owe the College will be processed for disbursement.

• NOVA has contracted with NelNet to process electronic financial aid disbursements and tuition refunds to students. For more information and to set up your refund preference, please review the refund tutorial.
• Note that you might receive multiple refunds due to the timing of different types of aid disbursing to your account.
• Once aid is disbursed to your student account, allow 6-7 business days to receive the excess aid via direct deposit or up to 10-14 days to receive a check.