Determining Financial Aid Eligibility

Following are a few basic steps that should be taken to qualify for federal and state financial assistance:

1. Apply and be accepted for admission to Northeast State and select a major in an eligible program of study. Your admissions file must be complete before any financial assistance will be disbursed to you. Official copies of your high school transcript or GED Certificate as well as any academic transcripts from previously attended colleges should be requested and sent to Northeast State’s Admissions and Records Office. 
   
    
2. Demonstrate need for financial assistance by filing the current year Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by the March 31 priority deadline. Students applying after this date may decrease or nullify their eligibility for some limited federal/state financial aid funds.
   (Note: The academic year for financial aid begins in the fall and ends the following summer.)
   
    
3. Enroll in an eligible program of study. A limited number of certificate programs such as Emergency Medical Technician, Human Development and Learning, and Cisco do not qualify for financial aid. Credits for audited and continuing education courses do not count in any financial aid eligibility calculation. Campus counselors or faculty advisors can provide program information. Applicants who do not possess a high school diploma or GED or who are dually enrolled in high school and at Northeast State are not eligible for federal financial aid. Those students who are dually enrolled may be eligibile for the Tennessee Lottery Scholarship for Dual Enrolled Students
   
    
4. Make satisfactory progress in your program of study in accordance with the Northeast State Financial Aid Office Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards (SAP).
   
    
5. Complete and submit a student loan information worksheet as early as possible but at a minimum of one month prior to the start of the period for which you intend to borrow. Note: Stafford loans are disbursed half at the beginning and half midway through the loan period. Initial disbursements for first-time freshmen borrowers are delayed until 30 days after classes begin. Students must be enrolled at least half-time (6 hours) when loan funds are disbursed.
   
    
6. Seek advice and information about student financial assistance from the Northeast State Financial Aid Office.
   
    
7. Be prepared to repay all or a portion of your federal and/or state financial aid if you fail to attend the entire term for which you have received financial assistance. Avoid or resolve any default on a federal educational loan.
   
    
8. Do not make financial commitments other than deferment of institutional charges on the basis of anticipated financial aid. Loans, grants and scholarships are to be used to satisfy tuition and fees before any monies are refunded to students.
   
    
9. Report to the Financial Aid Office all scholarships, grants and tuition assistance you receive or anticipate receiving from organizations, government agencies and private donors.
   
    
10. Financial Aid Funds received in excess of fees credited to your account should first be used to buy any books and supplies that are required for your classes.