Consortium Agreements at NAU
What is a consortium agreement?
Federal regulations do not allow students to receive federal financial aid from two schools at the same time. By completing a consortium agreement, an undergraduate student can attend NAU and another accredited higher education institution, including community colleges, during the same semester and receive federal financial aid funding from NAU for the total combined units of both schools.
There are three types of consortium agreements:
- NAU Concurrent Enrollment Programs (CEP)
- Required for all CEP Nursing students.
- CEP Consortium Agreement is only for student enrolled in the Nursing, Respiratory or Dental Hygiene Concurrent Enrollment Programs.
- Agreement is initiated with NAU.
- NAU as Parent School
- Student will be receiving federal financial aid from NAU.
- NAU is considered the “Parent School”.
- Other college or institution is considered “Non-Parent School”.
- Mid-ADN to BSN students would submit this agreement.
- All non-CEP students would submit this agreement.
- Agreement is initiated with NAU.
- NAU as Non-Parent School
- Student will be receiving federal financial aid from their other college or institution
- Other college or institution would be considered “Parent School”
- NAU would be considered “Non-Parent School”.
- Agreement is initiated with the student’s Parent School.
Purpose of a Consortium Agreement
A consortium agreement does not change the types of financial aid offered to students but can increase a Pell Grant.
To learn more about each type of Consortium Agreement, select from the following options:
Concurrent Enrollment Programs (CEP) Accordion Closed
An NAU CEP consortium agreement is required for all CEP Nursing students who receive financial aid at NAU for each semester they are attending both NAU and their community college.
Read more on the CEP process and eligibility
NAU Concurrent Enrollment Programs (CEP) Program Manager
Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid
NAU as Non-Parent School Accordion Closed
- Students who wish to have another institution be their home school and who wish to have NAU be a non-parent school for the purpose of a consortium agreement are responsible for:
- Contacting their Parent School and obtaining that school’s consortium form.
- Sending the form to NAU at Consortium@nau.edu for NAU to verify enrollment at NAU.
- The Consortium Manager will complete the form and send the form back to the student to submit to their Parent School.
- Students should allow NAU 14 business days to complete the form and return the form to the student.
- The Consortium Manager will complete the form and send the form back to the student to submit to their Parent School.
NAU as Parent School Accordion Closed
After NAU (known as the “parent school”) charges are paid, use your potential financial aid refund to pay tuition at your other institution (known as the “non-parent school”). Students need to pay attention to payment deadlines at their non-parent school to ensure classes are not dropped for non-payment. An NAU as Parent School consortium agreement is required for students that are not in the CEP program and will be attending both NAU and a secondary institution.
Reminders:
- Save time and do not apply if you’re already enrolled in 12 or more credit hours at NAU; you’re already receiving the full amount of financial aid allowed.
- Eligible students must be enrolled in a minimum of six credit hours at NAU.
- Students who are receiving NAU Merit Scholarships must be enrolled in a minimum of six credit hours at NAU.
- Students who are receiving NAU Transfer Scholarships are eligible for a consortium agreement if they are enrolled in six or more credits at NAU and less than full-time at the non-parent school
Eligibility Accordion Closed
- Students enrolled in 12 or more credit hours at NAU or at another institution are not eligible for a consortium agreement as they are already receiving the full amount of financial aid allowed.
- Students must be enrolled in a minimum of six (6) credit hours at NAU and less than full-time at the non-parent school.
- This includes students receiving:
- NAU Merit Scholarships
- Arizona Residents
- Lumberjack, President’s, Dean’s, Opportunity, Arizona Academic Decathlon, National Scholars Awards and Flinn Scholars Awards
- Western Union Exchange (WUE)
- Founders Gold, Founders Blue and Opportunity
- Non-Resident
- President’s Excellence, President’s Scholarship
- NAU Transfer Scholarships
- Arizona Residents
- Jacks Transfer Award, 2NAU Scholarships, Phi Theta Kappa, All Arizona Academic Team Scholarship and Earn to Learn.
- Non-Residents
- Louie Transfer, 2NAU Scholarships and Phi Theta Kappa
- Students receiving Merit Tuition Scholarships will only have their Merit Tuition Scholarship apply to the approved charges for NAU credits only. A credit balance that is from the tuition scholarship cannot be refunded as the Merit Tuition Scholarships are non-refundable and the credit will be removed from the student’s account by the Office of Scholarships and Financial aid.
- Example: If a student is enrolled in 6 credits at NAU and 6 credits at the non-parent institution, the Lumberjack will only be applicable to the charges on the students Customer Account. Merit Tuition Scholarships cannot be used to pay for courses at the non-parent institution so the Lumberjack would only disburse for six credit at NAU.
- Student’s must be eligible for financial aid, and must either meet NAU Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards or be on SAP Probation status.
- Non-parent school courses must be transferable to NAU and approved by the NAU Undergraduate Admissions Office.
- Non-parent school courses must not be repeat courses.
- Students seeking a consortium agreement may have no more than 64 transfer credits.
- Exceptions include students enrolled in the following programs:
- 90/30 Interdisciplinary Studies
- RN / BSN program
- Dental Hygiene program
- Other NAU programs that allow more than 64 credits to be transferred toward an NAU degree program.
- There is no transfer limit for students taking their non-parent courses at Arizona Western College.
- Consideration of special circumstances may be granted on a case-by-case basis.
Student Responsibilities Accordion Closed
- Student is required to submit an official transcript from the non-parent school to the NAU Admissions Office at the end of the semester for which the agreement is approved.
- 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.
- Contact your non-parent school to determine how to obtain an official transcript and any costs involved with obtaining the transcript.
- Approval of future consortium agreements may be delayed until your transcripts are received and posted to your NAU Official Transcript.
- Student is required to notify NAU OFSA immediately and the non-parent school if they withdraw from their courses and provide a written detailed statement as to why they withdrew.
- It is the student’s responsibility to be prepared to pay their tuition, fees and books at the non-parent institution using their own funding resources or by payment plan at the non-parent institution.
- Once financial aid is disbursed by NAU to the student, it is the student’s responsibility to use financial aid refunds (if any) to pay the non-parent institution
- NAU does not send payment to the non-parent institution.
How to Submit a NAU as Parent School Consortium Agreement Accordion Closed
To submit a NAU as Parent School Consortium Agreement, click the link below that corresponds to the aid year for which you are submitting the agreement:
Once a student completes and signs the Consortium Agreement, the student must submit the completed agreement to Consortium@nau.edu.
- Incomplete forms will be returned to the student for completion.
- It is the student’s responsibility to obtain the proper signatures from the non-parent school’s financial aid office.
- Students who are in the 90/30 program are responsible for obtaining signature from their 90/30 instructors or program advisors.
- The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid will work with the Admissions Office to obtain the signatures on the Admissions Section of the form.
Deadlines Accordion Closed
To ensure the consortium agreement is processed before financial aid disbursement, submit the completed consortium agreement by the following Priority Deadlines:
- Fall: August 1st
- Spring: December 1st
- Summer: May 1st
The Final Deadline to submit a Consortium Agreement is 7 days prior to the 100% tuition refund date.
- Specific dates for each term can be found on the Student and Departmental Account Services website at nau.edu/SDAS.