Summer 2023

• Request an FSA ID
• Complete the 2021-2022 FAFSA online
  • You will need your 2020 federal tax information
  • If you did not receive full-time financial aid (12+ units) for both fall and spring at your community college, you may be eligible for aid at NAU
  • Already have a 2022-2023 FAFSA on file? Add NAU’s institution code (001082) to your existing FAFSA

Fall 2023

• Complete the 2023-2024 FAFSA online
  • NAU School Code is 001082
  • You will need your 2021 federal tax information
• If your starting semester consists of only NAU classes, a CEP Consortium Agreement is not needed

Monitor your LOUIE account for items requested by our office. Regularly check your NAU email for important information and updates.

Determine your dependency status by watching this short video.

What is a CEP Consortium Agreement?

The CEP Consortium Agreement is only for students enrolled in either the Nursing, Respiratory or Dental Hygiene Concurrent Enrollment programs.

***Mid-ADN to BSN students are not in a CEP student group and should complete an NAU as a Parent School consortium agreement.

A financial aid consortium agreement is a contract between a student and Northern Arizona University (NAU) allowing the student to receive financial aid from NAU (known as the “parent institution”) to pay for and successfully earn credit hours at both NAU and another college or university (known as the “non-parent institution”). The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) processes the agreements based on the outlined criteria.

How does it work?

After your CEP Consortium Agreement is processed, your NAU financial aid will disburse, pay your NAU charges with any remaining aid being directly deposited to you. It is recommended that students either set up a payment plan or pay their community college tuition and fees out of pocket to avoid their classes being dropped for non-payment.

In addition to the eligibility requirements below, students seeking a consortium agreement may have no more than 64 transfer credits. Exceptions to this include: 90/30 Interdisciplinary Studies, RN/BSN, Dental Hygiene, and other NAU programs that allow more than 64 credits to be transferred toward an NAU degree program. There is no transfer credit limit for students taking their non-parent courses at Arizona Western College.

Priority date of July 20, 2023, for fall 2023 semester! (this date ensures enough time to process the CEP Consortium Agreement by the financial aid disbursement date of August 18, 2023)

•  Non-parent school courses must be transferable to NAU and approved by Undergraduate Admissions and Orientation.
•  Student must be enrolled in 3 credits at NAU with a combined enrollment of 12 or more credits. Student must be eligible for financial aid, and must either meet NAU Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards or be on SAP probation status.
• Student is required to submit an official transcript from the non-parent school to the Office of the Registrar. Courses taken at the non-parent school will not be transferred to the student’s NAU record until the official transcript has been received and evaluated.
• Student is required to notify NAU OFSA and the non-parent school if they withdraw from their courses.
• Consortium agreements will not be processed after a student’s aid has been disbursed.
• Consideration for special circumstances will be granted on a case-by-case basis.

Send your non-parent official transcript to NAU Admissions at the end of each consortium agreement semester. Find out how much your other school charges for an official transcript and budget accordingly. Approval of a new contract might be delayed until your transcript is received.

The CEP Consortium Agreement Form must be submitted to OSFA prior to the final deadline for the applicable term:

Priority date of July 20, 2023, for fall 2023 semester!  (this date ensures enough time to process the CEP Consortium Agreement by the financial aid disbursement date of August 20, 2022)

o Fall: August 15
o Spring: December 15

CEP Consortium Agreements will not be accepted after the final deadline.

1. Only Nursing, Respiratory, and Dental Hygiene block courses from Maricopa, Pima, Northern Pioneer, Central Arizona, Coconino, Yavapai, Mohave or Arizona Western Community Colleges can be included in your NAU financial aid class load as those are the only classes from your community college that are needed for your degree program.
2. Your consortium agreement will be denied if you are enrolled in duplicate courses.
3. An NAU course is required if you need an additional credit and/or course to reach full-time status for scholarship, loan and/or Pell Grant funds.
4. Consortium agreements do not guarantee an increase in financial aid.
5. You are responsible for paying tuition and other expenses, or making payment arrangements, at your non-parent school. NAU does not pay the non-parent school. Understand your other school’s payment deadlines and pay them directly. Your NAU tuition and other allowed charges will be paid with financial aid before a refund is issued.
6. It is against federal regulations for students to receive financial aid at more than one school at a time.
7. A new consortium agreement is required each semester that you attend both your community college and NAU.
8. For all NAU scholarships or waivers, refer to the scholarship criteria.
9. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy applies. You must meet SAP standards while on a consortium contract.
10. Consortium agreements will not be processed after a student’s aid has disbursed.
11. Consideration for special circumstances will be granted on a case-by-case basis.

Please email CEPFinaid@nau.edu directly with any questions.

If you did not receive full-time financial aid for the fall and spring, you may be eligible for summer financial aid

• You must be enrolled in at least 6 units at NAU only to be awarded an additional Pell Grant (if eligible) and any loans you did not take during the fall and spring semesters

How to apply for summer financial aid:

• There is not a separate summer aid application. Students who enroll for the summer 2023 term and have a FAFSA on file for the 2022-2023 aid year will be automatically considered.
• Summer 2023 Financial Aid Disbursement occurs 10 days prior to the official start date of a student’s first summer class.
• Must complete a 2022-2023 FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
• Must enroll in the summer term
• Must enroll half-time for student loans (6 credits for undergraduate students and 5 for graduate students)
• Must meet eligibility criteria
• Click here for additional Year-Round Pell Grant Information

For financial aid purposes, the enrollment status requirements for summer sessions are the same as the fall and spring requirements. The Academic Policy for course load for summer sessions does not pertain to financial aid. Those policies may be found here: Undergraduates and Graduates

• 2NAU – Up to $2,000
• Phi Theta Kappa – Up to $4,000
• All Arizona Academic Team Scholarship – 100% of tuition

The above scholarships can be applied to tuition and are not eligible for a cash refund nor to be applied to any other non-tuition related charges.

Students must be enrolled in a total of 12 units and have a CEP Consortium Agreement on file and deadlines to submit the form apply.

Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans

What’s the difference between Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans?

• Direct Subsidized Loans have slightly better terms to help out students with financial need.
  • Direct Subsidized Loans are available to undergraduate students with financial need.
  • The U.S. Department of Education pays the interest on a Direct Subsidized Loan while you’re in school at least half-time.
• Direct Unsubsidized Loans are available to undergraduate and graduate students; there is no requirement to demonstrate financial need.
  • You are responsible for paying the interest on a Direct Unsubsidized Loan during all periods.
  • If you choose not to pay the interest while you are in school and during grace periods and deferment or forbearance periods, your interest will accrue and be capitalized.

First-time Federal Direct Loan borrowers

If you are a first-time Federal Direct Loan borrower you must complete Entrance Counseling and sign a Master Promissory note (MPN).

• Interest rates are set by Congress each year.
• Loan Repayment and Consolidation
• Annual and lifetime loan limits are based on your academic level and dependency status:

Loan Limits

Annual and lifetime loan limits are based on your academic level and dependency status. If either changes during the academic year, you may be eligible for additional loan funding. Contact our office to discuss your options.

A limited amount of Federal Nursing Loan funding is available to eligible students in the Northern Arizona University Nursing Program.

Selected NAU students will receive up to $4,000 for the academic year ($2,000 per semester).

Meet the following criteria for priority consideration:

• Complete the FAFSA by February 1 each year. No additional application is required.
• Demonstrate financial need as calculated from your FAFSA information.
• Be accepted and enrolled in the last two years of your Nursing program. (Pre-Nursing students do not qualify.)
• Enroll in at least 12 credit hours. (Concurrent enrollment students must have an approved Consortium Agreement.)
• Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Funding is limited; meeting the criteria does not guarantee you will receive a loan. Contact us if you’re interested in joining a waiting list for consideration for the next academic year.

Lending requirements 

Information will be supplied at the time the loan is offered.

• Review three separate disclosures.
• Complete the Private Education Loan Applicant Self-Certification.
• Complete a promissory note and entrance counseling.

For more information on Nursing Loan repayment see Student and Departmental Account Services.

Another financial aid option to fund your education at Northern Arizona University

If you are considering student loans offered by private lenders such as banks or credit unions, consider the pros and cons carefully before applying.  There are important differences between federal and private student loans.

• Interest rates– Interest rates for private student loans are usually higher than those for federal student loans and are generally not fixed.
• Loan fees– Private lenders may charge additional fees such as origination fees, monthly service charges, or late fees.
• Eligibility– In general, private student loans have stricter eligibility requirements. Lenders may require a good credit score and a co-signer. Note: If you are an international student, you will be required to have a credit-worthy United States citizen as a co-signer to obtain a private education loan.
• Loan amounts– The maximum amount you can apply for is your cost of attendance minus any other financial aid you are receiving.
• Repayment plans– Private lenders may not offer repayment plans that are as flexible as those offered for federal student loans, such as income-based or extended payment plans.
• Other differences– Visit Federal Student Aid on the Web for more information on federal versus private loans.

Be aware the interest rate or APR you are charged on private loans will vary based on the Prime or LIBOR market interest rates. This means your monthly payment will change based on the current rates.

Private education loans are subject to credit approval and may be denied. To increase your chances of getting approved for a private loan, consider having a credit-worthy person cosign for the loan.

Review information regarding various private lenders on ELM Select:

ELM Select