Financial Aid Overview

The Financial Aid Office assists students and families in locating financial resources to offset the costs of attending college. Financial aid is intended to provide access to higher education by attempting to bridge the gap between a family's ability to pay and the total cost of the student's education. The university administers numerous programs to assist students, some of which are awarded solely on the basis of academic achievement. However, many of the federal financial aid programs require the submission of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form (see the general eligibility requirements).

*Financial aid is not available for international students

Need-Based Aid

The basic principal of need-based financial aid is that the family is expected to contribute as much as is reasonably possible for an education. The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is determined from the information a student and the student's family provide on the FAFSA. The financial need is calculated by subtracting the EFC from the Cost of Attendance (COA). The COA represents an estimated total cost of a student's education. NMU is prepared to assist students in meeting financial need by awarding grants, scholarships, federal loans and federal work study.

Types of Aid at NMU

There are three types of financial aid:

  1. Scholarships and grants, which are considered gift aid, and do not need to be repaid
  2. Loans, which must be repaid
  3. Work-study to help students obtain on-campus employment

Funding for financial aid comes from federal, state, private and institutional sources. Information on specific scholarships, grants and loan programs may be obtained from the Financial Aid Office or the Financial Aid site.