Category Archives: General Information

General Information about financial aid at NOVA.

Financial Aid Course Audit (FACA), General Information

Financial Aid Course Audit: Be Proactive!

The goal of financial aid is to assist students in achieving degree, certificate or CSC comple­tion. Students who receive financial aid must be working toward completion by taking courses required for their chosen programs of study at NOVA. Only required courses will be covered by financial aid for otherwise eligible students.

As fall term approaches, NOVA Financial Aid encourages every student to complete the following steps (Click here for tutorials that can assist you through these steps):

  • Review your program plan to make sure it aligns with your career goals.
  • Run your advisement report from your Student Center on MyNOVA to determine which classes are still needed for degree completion.
  • Check the transfer guide for the receiving school if you are planning to transfer to make sure you are taking the correct courses for transfer.
  • Use required electives wisely and, if possible, fill them with courses required by your transfer school. Courses must be required in your NOVA program or fill open electives in your NOVA program in order to be covered by financial aid at NOVA.
  • Talk with your academic advisor to confirm your progress within your degree plan and to choose the correct courses.
  • Take any additional courses needed for the receiving school on top of terms of at least 12 required credits, when possible, so aid is not reduced.
  • If you register for a course that is ineligible for aid and wish to take it anyway, you must pay for it.
  • Repeat courses needed for grade improvement BEFORE you complete all courses required for your program of study, or they cannot be covered.
  • Stay abreast of your financial aid status and the eligibility and enrollment-level requirements for each type of aid awarded.

 

Taking classes outside the program of study, withdrawing from or failing to successfully com­plete classes and/or changing programs of study can exhaust the limited Pell Grant and loans avail­able to you before you are able to complete, especially if you are planning to complete a four-year degree. Contact the Financial Aid Support Center at (855) 323-3199, or visit your Campus Finan­cial Aid Office, if you have questions about your aid eligibility.

FAFSA Process, General Information

Valid High School Diploma or GED Required To Receive Financial Aid

In order to receive financial aid, a student must have the equivalent of a U. S. high school diploma. The U.S. Department of Education requires colleges that receive federal funds to adopt procedures to determine the validity of a student’s high school completion status when the student applies for Federal Student Aid (FSA).

Students who possess a high school diploma that is determined to be invalid are ineligible to receive financial aid. A diploma will be considered invalid if there is reason to believe that limited coursework was required to receive the diploma and/or a fee was charged by the agency that issued the diploma.

Requirements considered to be the equivalent of a high school diploma changed 7-1-2012. Students who wish to receive financial aid may establish eligibility by completing one of the following requirements if they do not have a valid high school diploma and did not complete a homeschool curriculum recognized by the state in which they lived at the time. [Enrollment means actively registered and attending classes.]:
First enrolled in an eligible program prior to July 1, 2012 –
1. Completed GED
2. Passed an approved Ability to Benefit Test and earned the minimum required score
3. Enrolled in and passed a minimum of six curriculum credit hours
4. Transferred six credit hours from a previous institution

First enrolled in an eligible program after July 1, 2012 –
1. Completed GED

Students meeting other admission requirements will not be denied admission to NOVA but will not be eligible to receive financial aid until high school completion requirements are met. As of the 2013-2014 award year, high school completion is a verification requirement for selected students. If asked to submit this information, please do so promptly for your application to be processed. Contact your campus financial aid representative if you have questions regarding this requirement.

FAFSA Process, Financial Aid Support Center

IRS Website Update

Attention Students:

The IRS website has been updated, now you can get various Form 1040-series transcript types online or by mail. If you need your prior year Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) to e-file, choose the tax return transcript type when making your request. If you only need to find out how much you owe or verify payments you made within the last 18 months, you can view your tax account.

You could do that by visiting IRS.gov

————Click on the box Get My Tax Record

Option 1: If you would like to retrieve it instantly online, pleasure make sure you have the necessary personal information/records. Login using your IRS Online ID, or Sign Up if you don’t have one.

General Information

Easy Access to a New Social Security Card

We have exciting news about a new online service that is available in your state! If you need a replacement Social Security card, you may be able to request it using your personal my Social Security account.

Avoid a trip to the office and waiting in line. Encourage your friends and family to find out whether they can take advantage of this service by visiting www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber. We continue to make this service available to other states. Check back often for states added.

Remember to use your account to check your Social Security Statement each year to verify your annual earnings and get an estimate of your future benefits. If you currently receive benefits, you can use your account to get a benefit verification letter, check your benefit and payment information, change your address and telephone number, start or change your direct deposit, or get a replacement SSA-1099 or SSA-1042S for your taxes.

We hope you take advantage of the many services available through your convenient, secure, and free my Social Security account at: www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.

 

 

 

FAFSA Process, Financial Aid Course Audit (FACA), Financial Aid Support Center, Greenback Newsletter, Satisfactory Academic Progress

The Financial Aid Greenback – Our Financial Aid Newsletter

Financial Aid Newsletter – GREENBACK_JUNE_17_FINAL

Check out the latest issue of Greenback, our Financial Aid newsletter. This issue: Financial Aid Verification Just Became Easier, Free Financial Coaching, Ineligible Classes, Cash Contest updates, and more. This newsletter is designed to help students and staff members stay up-to-date on the latest and greatest in the world of financial aid.

 

Bookstore Purchases, FAFSA Process, Financial Aid Course Audit (FACA), General Information, Greenback Newsletter, Satisfactory Academic Progress, Scholarships

Financial Aid Newsletter – Greenback (December 2016)

Financial Aid Newsletter – Greenback_DEC-16_FINAL

Check out the latest issue of The Financial Aid Greenback, our quarterly Financial Aid newsletter. This issue: Manage your educational borrowing, FAFSA Filing Update, Scholarship information, Essay Tips, and more. This newsletter is designed to help students and staff members stay up-to-date on the latest and greatest in the world of financial aid.

FAFSA Process, General Information, Paying for College

File Your 2017-2018 FAFSA Now!!

You can file your FAFSA for next fall NOW…no need to wait to begin your financial aid application process!! You can file now using your 2015 tax information again. The online FAFSA at fafsa.gov will guide you through the application; click on the “Start A New FAFSA” button on the home page, and follow the directions on the screen. Below are tips to help you along the way:

  • Submit a 2017-2018 FAFSA now, 3 months earlier than usual. The new start date is October 1, 2016 (rather than January 1, 2017). The earlier filing date is a permanent change, thus allowing students to complete and submit a FAFSA as early as October 1 each year.
  • The 2017–18 FAFSA, will use 2015 tax information again. The use of one-year older tax information is another change. For one time only, the same tax information is used for two years, 2016-2017 and 2017-2018, if income earners are the same.
  • The FAFSA asks for information about you (your name, date of birth, address, etc.) and about your financial situation. You may be eligible to have your tax information imported automatically from the IRS into your FAFSA. Doing so for both years will help prevent conflicting information and lessen the chances of your having to provide income figures through the verification process.

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Financial Aid Support Center at: https://mysupport.nvcc.edu or call us at: 1-855-323-3199.

FAFSA Process, General Information

File Your FAFSA Oct 1, 2016!!!

The Department of Education implemented changes to make the FAFSA application process easier and more efficient, thus allowing for earlier availability of important financial eligibility information.

FAFSA_Oct-2016_Clock

TWO IMPORTANT CHANGES GO INTO EFFECT WITH THE 2017-2018 FAFSA:

  • Submit a FAFSA earlier: Students will be able to file a 2017-18 FAFSA beginning October 1, 2016 (rather than beginning on January 1, 2017). The earlier filing date will be a permanent change, thus allowing students to complete and submit a FAFSA as early as October 1 every year.
  • Use earlier income information: Beginning with the 2017-18 FAFSA, students will report income information from an earlier tax year. For example, on the 2017-18 FAFSA, students (and parents, as appropriate) will report their 2015 income information (rather than their 2016 income information).

The following table provides a summary of key dates as we transition to using the early FAFSA submission timeframe and earlier tax information.

For more information on Early FAFSA filing, visit: nvcc.edu/financialaid

Bookstore Purchases, Default Prevention, FAFSA Process, Financial Aid Course Audit (FACA), General Information, Greenback Newsletter, Satisfactory Academic Progress

Financial Aid Newsletter – GREENBACK (August_2016)

Financial Aid Newsletter – GREENBACK_August 2016

Check out the latest issue of The Financial Aid GREENBACK, our quarterly Financial Aid newsletter. This issue: Financial Aid Course Audit (FACA) – Steps to get and stay ahead, 2017-2018 FAFSA filing Changes, CashContest coming soon, Partner with NOVA and protect your identity, and more. This newsletter is designed to help students and staff members stay up-to-date on the latest and greatest in the world of financial aid.

FAFSA Process, General Information

New FSA Videos on Youtube for Financial Aid Assistance

Navigating the FAFSA:

Federal Student Aid published a new video to their YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdaGZASwjZU

This 6 minute video contains helpful information for parents of Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) applicants. It helps parents navigate the FAFSA process:  from logging in, to filling out and to signing their child’s FAFSA using their FSA ID.

 

Creating an FSA ID:

For information on creating an FSA ID, FSA has a video with detailed instructions on how to create an FSA ID: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLi0q7hkFns

 

Please review these videos and share them with students and parents on campus, at high school night or SDV presentations, in your offices and anywhere else it could be seen.