General Questions

How will Student Financial Services communicate with me?
The primary means of communication are sent to your NSCC email and will appear on your myNorthshore account.

What is the myNorthshore?
myNorthshore is your online student portal. A student will receive a myNorthshore account during the enrollment process. For Student Financial Services it lists your financial aid award, current bill, alerts and any missing documentation. Students are expected to check their myNorthshore account frequently along with their NSCC email.

Financial Aid

What is financial need?
Your Financial Need is determined by the information provided on the FAFSA and the Cost of Attendance published by the institution.

The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is the number determined by the federal government based on your FAFSA and represents the amount you and your family are expected to contribute toward your education. This does not mean you will pay the amount given it is used to determine your financial need.

The Cost of Attendance (COA) is a budget determined by the college to what it may actually cost a student to attend NSCC. The budget consists of direct costs (charges that will show on your bill) such as tuition and fees along with indirect costs (other expenses that will not be on your bill) such as transportation, room and board.

Your financial aid counselor will calculate your Financial Need by subtracting the Cost of Attendance from the Expected Family Contribution. If there is anything left over, you're considered to have financial need.

Why am I considered Dependent if I pay my own bills and/or claim myself on my taxes for financial aid?
To read the definitions, find out who has to provide parent information on the FAFSA, and learn what to do if you aren't in contact with your parents please see this Federal Student Aid website's description of Dependency Status.

What is a "Freeze Date" for financial aid?
The freeze date is the date when your credits are "frozen" in order to determine your financial aid. The freeze date occurs one week after the beginning of each term or at the end of the official "Add-Drop" period. The freeze date does not apply to the government loans. A student must be in 6 or more credits in order for the school to receive the loan funds. Any classes added after the add/drop period will not be eligible for financial aid.

What is verification and why was I selected?
Each year, the federal government selects a group of financial aid applications for verification. Some are chosen at random and others are selected because the FAFSA data are inconsistent. The school may also select certain applications to verify due to conflicting or missing information on the FAFSA.

If you have been selected for verification, you will be required to submit appropriate documents to Student Financial Services for review. Any missing documentation will appear as required on your myNorthshore account.

What should I do if my income has changed drastically from the tax information that was on the FAFSA?
We understand that financial situations can change during the year. A financial aid counselor can review your FAFSA information to determine if the difference could possibly change your financial aid eligibility. You will need to complete a form and provide supporting documentation for the change. Please contact our office for more information.

Why do my grades and withdrawing from classes affect my financial aid?
The Department of Education requires institutions to have a Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (SAP). The government wants to ensure that students on financial aid are focused on completing their degree and move on to higher degrees. The Office will review your academic record once grades are submitted each semester to make sure you have a cumulative GPA of a 2.0 or better, you have completed 67% of your program and you have not exceeded 150% of the length of your program. You should be able to view your SAP status on your myNorthshore account.

How do I qualify for summer aid?

Federal Pell Grant and Federal Direct Loans are available for the summer terms. If you haven't already submitted your FAFSA, you should submit your FAFSA so we can determine your eligibility for Summer terms.

How come my aid has not paid?
There could be multiple reasons why your aid has not paid to your account. We start paying financial aid about 30 days into the semester. One common reason a student's aid has not paid is they have not provided us with all required documentation. A few other reasons are class attendance alerts and/or a change in enrollment. Please review your myNorthshore account and NSCC emails for anything that may create a delay in your financial aid paying.

Why can't I see my Mass Grant or the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship on my financial aid award?
Specific state grants and tuition waivers are added to the financial aid award after the add/drop period is over.

Billing

Where is my refund?

A refund is extra money after your tuition and fees are paid by your financial aid. This will appear as a negative number on your myNorthshore account. If you do not see a negative number on your myNorthshore account, your account will not be reviewed for a refund. Please contact the office if you have questions.

When are refunds sent to students?
Refunds are issued to students once your financial aid funds disburse to your account. Once the funds disburse to a student's account, it can take 3 to 4 weeks to receive a check in the mail. If you sign up for an eRefund account, you can receive your refund sooner. Click here for more information regarding eRefunds, including account set-up.

Where is my book store credit?
Book store credit or voucher is determined each semester. It is extra money after all of your tuition and fees are covered by financial aid. This is part of your refund you may receive. Book store credits are issued in $150 increments for every 3 credits you are registered and can be up to $600 each semester. You will receive an email to your NSCC account if you qualify for a book store credit two weeks before school starts. Once you receive the email you can go to the book store to make your purchase.

Why have I not received a bill in the mail?
Bills are sent electronically to a student's NSCC email. Students can also view their bill through their myNorthshore account.

Do you accept cash at the school for payment?
The office does not accept cash at either campus. Please visit our Payment Option page for more information.

What type of payments do you accept?
We accept checks, money orders and credit card payments (Visa, MasterCard and Discover) in the office. We highly recommend you to make on-line payments through your myNorthshore account. We accept ACH and credit card payments online. Please visit our Payment Option page for more information.

Can my parent and/or someone besides me pay my bill?
You can authorize another person to see your billing information and to make a payment on your account. This is done through your myNorthshore account under Account Inquiry and Payment Options and is labeled "Authorized Users". We suggest that you authorize your parent(s) and/or the person responsible for paying the bill. The process only takes a minute and all you need is their email address.

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