Students Affected by Income Changes? Financial Aid Office Is Here to Help

Often, faculty and staff know of individual student circumstances before the Financial Aid staff does. Students applying for financial aid for 2020-2021 are required to enter 2018 income information on their FAFSAs. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and possible income changes, those 2018 income figures might no longer reflect the family’s ability to pay for college. Financial Aid Administrators have the ability to adjust line items on the FAFSA if sufficient documentation is submitted.

If you are aware that a student is struggling financially, please encourage them first to apply for financial aid if they haven’t already done so and they are eligible. And, if income has changed since 2018, encourage the student to contact NOVA’s Financial Aid Office to discuss the situation and available options.

If student costs for housing, food, childcare, healthcare or technology for remote learning have increased due to COVID-19, students are encouraged to apply for a Student Emergency Grant. Students who received a CARES Act Grant for spring 2020, summer 2020 and/or fall 2020 are eligible to apply again for spring 2021 if all criteria remain the same. Students may visit https://www.nvcc.edu/studentemergencyaid for details and the application.

NOVA’s Financial Aid Team is here to support students! Our virtual lobby hours and access can be found at https://www.nvcc.edu/financialaid, or students may email us at FinAidSupport@nvcc.edu.