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.