Select each heading below and go directly to the information:
Applying for Financial Aid
I did not submit the by the priority deadline, is it too late to apply for financial aid?
It鈥檚 not too late to apply for financial aid. However, we recommend Fall entry students submit the application no later than July 1st to receive a financial aid offer prior to the fall bill due date. Spring entry students need to submit the application no later than November 1st to receive a financial aid offer prior to the due date. The instructions to apply for financial aid are posted on our website. Current students who want to receive federal loan funding for the next academic year must submit the for the upcoming academic year by April 1st to receive a financial aid offer by mid-June. This timeframe will allow current students time to review their financial aid offer and accept their federal loans prior to the fall bill due date.
Can I use financial aid to cover the admission deposit?
No, financial aid cannot be used to pay the admissions deposit. The Admissions Office manages the admission deposit, and this funding must be paid out of pocket to their office to secure a spot to enroll.
My tax return does not reflect my current income. How should I report this?
Graduate students are offered federal loans not based on financial need. Therefore, a change of income does not impact your financial aid offer. DUSON need-based scholarships are awarded to students who qualify based on financial need. However, this scholarship is only provided to students who are eligible prior to the start of the first semester classes.
How can I report expenses not included in the financial aid budget?
Students with high medical or daycare expenses, can email us and we will email a Cost of Attendance Request Form with instructions. Routine medical expenses are already factored in the Cost of Attendance budget, so we will only consider expenses which exceed that allowance. We are NOT able to increase the budget for consumer or routine household expenses, such as credit card debt, car payments, rent/mortgage payments, etc.
Will I receive my financial aid offer before submitting the admissions deposit?
Yes, students receive a notification to check their Admission portal within two to three weeks after being admitted if the financial aid application are received by the priority deadline. The financial aid offer will post to the Admissions portal upon receipt of the notification. Newly admitted graduate students will have a couple of weeks to review their financial aid offer prior to the admission deadline. If the application was submitted after the priority deadline, students will receive a financial aid offer by notification within two weeks of receipt of the by the Financial Aid office.
Financial Aid Awards
My aid award only includes part of my program. What about aid during my final semesters?
Financial aid eligibility is reviewed each academic year which consists of fall, spring, and summer semesters. Therefore, you will need to complete a new each academic year you are enrolled and want to borrow federal student loans. The academic year always begins with the fall semester.
Will I need to fill out the each year?
Yes, submit the for each academic year of enrollment to borrow federal student loans. The for the upcoming academic year is available after October 1st. However, we recommend waiting until the first of January to submit the for the next academic year. There are two applications available during this time: one for the current academic year and one for the next academic year. Make sure to submit the for the upcoming academic year. Current students do not need to submit the FAFSA again if they will graduate before the next academic year begins in fall semester.
How do I accept my financial aid?
Once you have accepted the offer of admission and paid the deposit, you will receive a NetID and password from 色戒直播鈥檚 Office of Information Technology (OIT) within a couple of weeks. This will allow you to log in to your (student portal) account. Within the 鈥Financials鈥 section of the you can view, accept, reduce, or decline your financial aid offer. Please contact our office before reducing your federal loans. The manages the and they provide documentation and screenshots for students to help with navigating on their .
Can I accept only a portion of my loans?
Yes, you may accept only a portion of your loans. The financial aid offer is calculated to cover exact tuition and fees based on the standard curriculum for your program. If you want to reduce the dollar amount of a particular loan, please email us first to ensure the funding you want for that loan has the origination fees (deducted from federal loans) factored into the total. We email a Financial Aid Guide to all matriculated students who received a financial aid offer. The Guide is emailed to your 色戒直播 email address and a copy is saved in the under My Info-Message Center. The guide includes information regarding how to customize your loans, detailed information regarding your financial aid offer, and answers most frequently asked questions. Please complete the necessary steps to customize your loans BEFORE accepting the loans or email us for assistance
I am receiving an outside scholarship. Do I need to report this to the Financial Aid office?
Yes, outside scholarships must be reported to the Financial Aid office per federal policy if you are receiving federal loans. Email us to report outside scholarships.
I am eligible for Veterans benefits. How do I activate this benefit at DUSON?
After paying your admission鈥檚 deposit, request a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) from the VA and submit this to 色戒直播鈥檚 Veterans Education office to begin this process. More information regarding Veterans benefits is available on the . The 色戒直播 Veterans Education office will only activate VA benefits for students who have accepted the offer to attend.
Federal Student Loans
What are the minimum number of credit hours each semester to be eligible for federal loans?
Graduate students must be enrolled in a minimum of 3 credit hours in fall/spring semesters and 2 credit hours in summer semester to be eligible for federal student loans. This federal policy applies to the unsubsidized loan, Grad PLUS loan and Nurse Faculty Loan. If you are below the minimum, the loans will not disburse to your Bursar account even if you have accepted them in the .
What are the requirements to be eligible for federal loans?
- Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
- Have a valid Social Security number
- Be registered with Selective Service, if you're male (you must register between the ages of 18 and 25)
- Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an eligible degree program
- Be enrolled at least half time in an eligible degree program
- Maintain satisfactory academic progress
- Not currently be in default on previous student loans borrowed through FSA
- Not have exceeded the maximum aggregate loan limit
How much am I eligible to receive in Direct Unsubsidized Loan?
Most graduate-level students are potentially eligible to receive up to $20,500 per academic year of the Direct Unsubsidized Loan. For more information about annual loan limits, visit the .
What are the eligibility criteria to apply for the ?
The Grad Plus loan is included in the financial aid offer but requires credit approval by the Department of Education. Students accept the loan in the 鈥Financials鈥 section of the under Accept/Decline Awards to begin the credit approval process. The Grad Plus loan has a fixed interest rate, generous qualifying credit criteria and flexible repayment plans. For more information regarding the Grad Plus loan, visit the .
How do I apply for a direct Graduate Plus loan?
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (). Graduate students apply for the loan by accepting it in the 鈥Financials鈥 section of the in Accept/Decline Awards. A credit check is initiated once it鈥檚 been accepted in the . Credit checks and loan approval are only valid for 180 days. Do not apply for the Plus loan more than 180 days before the start of the first semester of the academic year or you may have to repeat the process again.
What if I'm not approved for the direct Graduate PLUS loan?
For more information about how to make an appeal or use a cosigner to pass the credit check, visit the .
What are the current interest rates on the direct unsubsidized and graduate PLUS federal loans?
The interest rates and origination fees change annually. Visit the website to view the current year鈥檚 interest rates.
What if I am currently in default or have defaulted on a prior federal student loan?
Contact your for instructions of how to clear the default. Federal loans cannot be offered until the default has been resolved through your federal loan servicer.
What is the aggregate loan limit?
The is the total amount that you may borrow for your undergraduate and graduate programs combined. In addition to borrowing limitations based on the cost of attendance for the program, students are also limited in terms of lifetime borrowing. The aggregate loan limit for all federal loans, including undergraduate and graduate studies is $138,500.
How do I find out if I am near my aggregate loan limit?
Federal student loan borrowing history is available at website by logging in with your ID and password. Please note that private education loans borrowed for other degrees are not included. You will need to contact your private lender for this information.
How do I receive the federal loans offered to me?
Accept the loans in the 鈥Financials鈥 section of the under Accept/Decline Awards. After accepting the federal loans, you will be directed to the to complete the and . These items will show up in the under My Information-To Do鈥檚 until received by 色戒直播. Once they are received the items will disappear which means all requirements have been met. The loan will not disburse if these items have not been completed and received by 色戒直播.
When will my student loan disburse?
Student loans disburse one week prior to the start of classes each semester. For loans processed during the academic year, please allow at least 10 business days for disbursement provided all required steps have been completed.
I am an international student. What financial aid is available to me?
International students are not eligible for federal loans or 色戒直播 School of Nursing scholarships. International students may be eligible to apply for private student loans with a U.S. cosigner. International students can set up a monthly payment plan in the 鈥Financials鈥 section of the under Nelnet Payment Plan. For more information, visit the . The other option is to borrow a private student loan. 色戒直播 provides a . You are not required to use any lender on this list but use a lender of your choice even if they aren鈥檛 on the list. We recommend applying to several lenders to compare interest rates. Use the lender offering the lowest interest rate and the best terms.
I am in a specialty certificate or non-degree program. What financial aid is available to me?
Specialty certificate and non-degree students are not eligible for federal loans or School of Nursing scholarships. Specialty certificate and non-degree students can set up a monthly payment plan in the 鈥Financials鈥 section of the 色戒直播Hub under Nelnet Payment Plan. For more information, visit the . The other option is to borrow a private student loan. 色戒直播 provides a . You are not required to use any lender on this list but use a lender of your choice even if they aren鈥檛 on the list. We recommend applying to several lenders to compare interest rates. Use the lender offering the lowest interest rate and the best terms.
Disbursements and Student Bursar Account
When will my financial aid disburse?
Student loans and DUSON need-based scholarships will disburse one week prior to the start of classes each semester. Other awards such as veteran鈥檚 benefits, North Carolina FELS, HRSA Nurse Corps and NHSC scholarships will disburse approximately 6-8 weeks after the drop/add date each semester.
Why aren't my loans showing up as anticipated aid in the Bursar section of the or on my Bursar bill?
Only loans that were accepted prior to the will show up on the bill as anticipated aid (credit against the bill). Check to make sure the loans were accepted in the 鈥Financials鈥 section of the under View Financial Aid. All other aid such as DUSON scholarships are accepted when financial aid offers are processed since this is money granted to the student and isn鈥檛 repaid. To accept the loans, go to the 鈥Financials鈥 section of the 色戒直播Hub under Accept/Decline awards. Loans must be accepted, if you wish to use them, by the to avoid late fees.
When will I receive my refund check?
The Bursar Office begins reviewing account balances once the loan and scholarship funding disburses one week prior to the start of classes each semester. Credit balances will be sent to students as a refund. Their office processes refund checks the first day of classes. To expedite receipt of the refund, set up direct deposit through the "Financials" section in the . If direct deposit is not set up, refunds checks will be mailed to your preferred mailing address noted in the . View your account information in the 鈥Financials鈥 section of the under Account Activity-Classic to see if you have a credit balance and if your refund has been processed. The Financial Aid Office does not process refunds.
Does 色戒直播 offer a monthly payment plan?
Yes, the Bursar鈥檚 Office (色戒直播鈥檚 central billing office for all schools) offers a monthly payment plan option. You can set up a monthly payment plan in the 鈥Financials鈥 section of the under Nelnet Payment Plans. More information is available on the .
When are payments due each semester?
The Bursar Office (色戒直播鈥檚 central billing office for all the schools) posts billing and payment schedules on their . The bill due date for Fall is August 1st, Spring is the fourth business day in January and Summer is May 12th.
How do I access my 1098-T for tax reporting?
The Bursar Office posts these forms in the 鈥Financials鈥 section of the by the end of January. For more information, visit .
What is the cost of the graduate programs?
Tuition and fees are posted on the 色戒直播 School of Nursing website. Tuition and fees change annually and will be different for subsequent years of enrollment. The tuition rate changes are announced in March.
Outside Scholarships
How do I find outside scholarships?
We post outside scholarships we think our students will find interesting and are related to the nursing field on our website. There is also a list of outside organizations and scholarship searches on our website.