Financial Aid - First Time Student
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First Time and
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Transfer Student Financial Aid
Step 1: Apply and be Accepted to NNU
The first step to getting financial aid from Northwest Nazarene University is to apply for admission to the university. After you have applied and been accepted, the NNU Office of Financial Aid will review your application, GPA, test scores and FAFSA to determine aid eligibility. If you have already applied and been accepted to NNU, please proceed to the next step.
Note: Your Application for Admission also serves as your application for Financial Aid at NNU, there is not a separate institutional form for this.
Step 2: Complete the FAFSA
The FAFSA helps NNU determine a student’s need and eligibility for federal grants and loans by evaluating your family’s financial ability to pay for college. The FAFSA is available after October 1 and will be used to determine your financial aid for the following academic year. For the largest amount of Federal Aid, NNU encourages you to complete your FAFSA by February 15 each year. Students and parents can complete the FAFSA by going to fafsa.gov. The FAFSA can be submitted online by signing with the FSA ID assigned to you and/or your parent. Apply for an FSA ID at fsaid.ed.gov.
Families completing the FAFSA for the 2022-2023 academic year will use their income-numbers from two years ago (the prior-prior year). The FAFSA can then be updated when your tax return is filed. You can provide this update a couple of weeks after you have electronically filed your income tax return by returning to the FAFSA web site and using the FAFSA corrections process to update your FAFSA with the IRS Data Retrieval process. If you are eligible to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, we highly recommend that you do so. It’s the easiest way to provide your tax data and it’s the best way of ensuring that your FAFSA has accurate tax information. Help using the FAFSA IRS Data Retrieval process.
Our school code is 001624.
Step 3: Complete the Following Steps for Financial Aid
Watch the mail starting as early as November 2022 for your Financial Aid Award Notification.
After you receive your first Financial Aid Award Notification, the NNU Admissions Status Page will contain all the information you need regarding your award. Log on at https://admissions.nnu.edu/account/login. Click on “Financial Aid” and then click on “Financial Aid Awards.” You will be able to accept or decline any award amounts listed on your financial aid award letter. Any new aid added will show in a “Hold” status until you accept the award.
The section “Application Checklist,” will let you know about any documents that need to be completed by you so the Office of Financial Aid can finalize your award.
If you plan to borrow Federal student loans and have not borrowed previously, you need to complete entrance counseling and a Master Promissory Note (MPN) online at studentloans.gov. Sign in with your student FSA ID. Students who borrowed a federal student loan in the last year do not need to complete this step.
Information on monthly payment plans and other financing options may be found here. Please refer to the Financial Aid Packet you received with your award notification for more details.
Important Dates and Deadlines
2022-2023 Academic Year
August
26: Fall 2023 payment due
26-29: New Student Orientation, Registration
30: First day of Fall 2023 classes
September
6: Last day to add a Semester/Quad I class
9: Last day to drop a Semester/Quad I class without a 'W'
13: Last day for 100% refund for complete withdrawal
18: Last day for 75% refund for complete withdrawal
25: Last day for 50% refund for complete withdrawal
26: Last day to withdraw from a Quad I class with a 'W'
October
1: FAFSA opens for 2023-24 academic year
10-11: Fall Break
16: Last day for 25% refund for complete withdrawal
24: Quad II classes begin
31: Last day to add a Quad II class
November
2: Last day to drop a Quad II class without a 'W'
4: Last day to withdraw from a semester class with a 'W'
21: Last day to withdraw from a Quad II class with a 'W'
23-25: Thanksgiving Break
December
15: Last day of undergraduate finals
January
6: Spring 2023 payment due
9: New student check-in, Registration
10: First day of Spring 2023 classes
17: Last day to add Semester/Quad I class
20: Last day to drop a Semester/Quad I class without a 'W'
February
6: Last day to withdraw from a Quad I class with a 'W'
15: Priority application date (for 2023-24 FAFSAs)
March
6: Quad II classes begin
13: Last day to add a Quad II class
15: Last day to drop a Quad II class without a 'W'
17: Last day to withdraw from a Semester class with a 'W'
27-31: Spring Break
April
10: Last day to withdraw from a Quad II class with a 'W'
May
4: Last day of undergraduate finals
5: Baccalaureate
6: Commencement
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NNU First-Time
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Freshman Scholarships
Prior to being awarded scholarships from NNU, you must apply and be accepted for admission to the University. If you have not applied to NNU, we encourage you to apply online. Your application for admission is your application for scholarships at NNU.
Academic Scholarship
The 2023-24 Academic Scholarship is given to incoming freshmen who display excellence in academic achievement. This scholarship must be applied to tuition costs.
Renewal is based upon maintaining an NNU cumulative GPA of at least 2.5, consult the Office of Financial Aid for more details.
2023-24 Academic Scholarships are as follows:
$18,000 - President's Scholarship
$16,000 - Dean's Scholarship
$14,000 - Wesley Scholarship
$12,000 - Riley Scholarship
Transfer students will be considered for Transfer Academic Scholarships between $6,000 - $12,000 based on their cumulative transfer GPA.
Pastor and Missionary Kid Grants
A reduction of tuition is available for dependent children aged 24 or younger of active, full-time pastors, chaplains, evangelists or missionaries whose primary income is from this vocation. The PK/MK Grant must be applied to tuition costs and is subject to receipt of additional documentation and approval by NNU.
Serving the Church of the Nazarene - 25% reduction of tuition
Serving Other Denominations - 10% reduction of tuition
Serving Mission Aviation Fellowship -
—MAF Missionary - 25% reduction of tuition
—Local MAF Staff that raises their own support - 15% reduction of tuition
—Local MAF Staff that do not raise their own support - 10% reduction of tuition
NNU Trustees Church Matching Scholarships
NNU offers matches to church awards for eligible students who fit specific criteria. Sponsorship by many churches requires regular attendance or participation in youth groups. We strongly recommend you check with your church regarding sponsorship requirements, necessary applications and submission timelines.
Trustee Matching Scholarship: A full-time student whose local church awards funds for his or her use in paying University costs will be eligible to receive matching funds on the church's annual maximum $550 contribution for the incoming class of 2023-24. This match is up to 7:1 ($4,400 annually) from Nazarene churches in the Northwest Field, and up to 4:1 ($2,750 annually) for Nazarene churches outside the Northwest Field.
The following local non-Nazarene churches receive up to a 4:1 match:
—Capital Christian Center
—Boise Calvary Chapel
—Cole Community Church
—Crossroads Community Church
—Eagle Christian Church
—All Treasure Valley Friends Churches
All other churches receive a 1:1 match (a $550 annual contribution from a church on your behalf will be matched with a $550 additional scholarship from NNU).
NNU will match a church award of up to $550 annually (divided evenly between fall and spring semester each school year), until work is completed on the first bachelor's degree for a traditional full-time undergraduate student; the maximum level of church contribution will remain at the same level it is awarded during your first year at NNU throughout this time. This scholarship must be applied to tuition costs.
Christian Education Partner High Schools
First time freshmen who attended and graduated from a Christian Education Partner high school and earned a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher are eligible for this scholarship. Students are awarded an NNU annual scholarship of $4,000 ($2,000 if living off-campus) for up to four years dependent on the years the student attended the high school. One year of attendance at the high school equals one year of NNU Christian Education Partner High School Scholarship. To find out if your Christian High School participates in this program, use our Net Price Calculator or call the Office of Financial Aid at 208.467.8638.
ROTC Housing Scholarship
Students actively participating in the ROTC program, who live on campus, are eligible for a housing scholarship. This scholarship covers room only. In addition, a meal plan would need to be purchased. This scholarship requires enrollment in grade-level appropriate Military Science courses and approval of the military advisor after the first year.
Department Specific Scholarships
Ministerial scholarships are available through the School of Theology and Christian Ministries. These scholarships are available to students at NNU with a major and minor in the School of Theology and Christian Ministries and is a member of the Church of the Nazarene. The freshman ministerial scholarship is $2,000. Please visit the School of Theology and Christian Ministries webpage for more information.
Music scholarships are available for both major and non-major students, and are dependent upon an audition. Please visit the Department of Music's scholarship webpage for more information.
Need-Based Grants
Students who demonstrate financial need could be eligible for a need-based grant. These grants are based on a percentage of need as determined by the FAFSA, and amount of aid already provided to the student either from outside sources or from institutional aid such as those listed on this page.
Community Scholarships Awarded By NNU
NNU is proud to support our community and churches through other scholarships offered at events such as the Harvest Classic, various auctions to help with fundraising for schools and churches, scholarship recognition programs, and many others. Students must be accepted for admission and be full-time, traditional undergraduate, degree seeking, currently enrolled students at NNU in order to receive these awards. Any other conditions for use appear on the certificate.
NYI and Regional Main Event Scholarships*
Awards given to students in recognition of excellence in various areas of talent as well as quizzing competitions within the district (NYI) and/or Region (Main Event) each year. NYI awards can be won at a local or national (Q or NYC) level. The student should present a copy of each award to the NNU Financial Aid Office so that the scholarship(s) can be included as part of the student's overall financial aid offer. Students must be accepted for admission and be full-time undergraduate, degree-seeking, currently enrolled students at NNU in order to receive these awards. Any other conditions for use appear on the certificate.
*The NYI and NYC/Q scholarships contain specific directions for the student to follow in order to request that the NYI portion of the funds be sent to NNU (this usually requires a written request from the student to someone within the NYI organization). Once these funds are received, NNU will match these scholarships on a 1:1 basis (up to $500 per academic year). Regional Main Event scholarships are awarded at face value.
You can also check out other scholarship opportunities.