Next Steps for Undergraduate Students

By enrolling at Northeastern, you’re indicating to us that you plan to accept your financial aid as offered.

If you choose to reduce or cancel any awarded funding, such as Federal Student Loans or Federal Work-Study, you must submit your request through the SFS Service Portal.

Please note that federal loans may only be cancelled on a student’s behalf up to 14 days after disbursement.

Students who complete the FAFSA may be selected for Federal Verification. This requires Student Financial Services to confirm the information on your FAFSA with documents such as tax returns and confirmation of who is in your household. Although some of these documents may have already been provided via IDOC, additional information may be required.

Students who are required to provide additional documentation will receive an email request from Student Financial Services. Requested documents can be uploaded to IDOC. Please be sure to respond to any requests from our office for additional information, as the completion of verification is required before awarded financial aid can be disbursed to your student account.

While tax or income information will need to be provided by using the IRS Direct Data Exchange, institutional verification forms such as the Household Size/Number in College Verification Form can be accessed via IDOC.

Federal Student Loans, such as the Federal Direct Subsidized or Unsubsidized Loan, are offered to eligible students who file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). They are in the name of the student and have a fixed interest rate for the academic year.

In order to accept awarded Federal Direct Subsidized and/or Unsubsidized Loans, the student borrower must complete the following:

• Federal Loan Entrance Counseling
• Direct Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN)

If you accept the loans and complete all required documentation, the funds will post directly to your student account and will appear as anticipated aid along with any other aid you receive from Northeastern. Please note that the net amount of the loan(s) that disburses to your student account will be slightly less than the awarded amount, as reflected on your financial aid award, due to the associated origination fees. Learn more about receiving financial aid.

During future academic years, eligible students are considered for the Federal Direct Subsidized and/or Unsubsidized Loans by completing the FAFSA.

For additional information regarding the Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans, visit the Federal Student Aid website.

Students who have been awarded the Federal Health Professions Loan or Nursing Student Loan must first accept these loans through the Student Hub. Heartland ECSI, Northeastern’s loan servicer, will then email the required Promissory Note, Self-Certification form, Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, and Personal Data Sheet in late summer. These documents must be completed before the loan disburses.

Learn more about how financial aid is disbursed.

Working while going to school has a variety of benefits and allows students to continue the learning process outside of the classroom. Students who have been awarded Federal Work-Study, or those interested in general student employment opportunities, may utilize the student employment site to apply for both on and off-campus part-time employment opportunities. When applying for employment opportunities, please note that:

• Available employment positions may vary be campus
• If you have been awarded Federal Work-Study as part of your financial aid, you may filter available employment opportunities to those that require Federal Work-Study
• Hiring for fall positions will begin in early September. Students enrolled in The N.U.in Program may begin applying for available positions in the spring term

Getting Paid

Students who have secured an employment position are paid through direct deposit for hours worked during the prior week.

If you have been awarded Federal Work-Study, you will be paid through the Federal Work-Study program. Earnings through Federal Work-Study are not applied as a credit to your e-bill. Please note that while you have been awarded Federal Work-Study, you are not required to work. The amount reflected on your financial aid offer indicates the total amount per-semester that you may earn.

Additional Information

Learn more about student employment, including the benefits of student employment, required paperwork, and more.

If you will be receiving an outside scholarship, you must notify our office of this additional resource. To do so, please complete the Outside Scholarship Recipient Form available on the SFS Service Portal.

Upon receipt of this information, we will review your current financial aid to determine if it needs to be adjusted. Please note that we will not reduce awarded grants or scholarships unless your combined total aid exceeds the Cost of Attendance for the academic year. Due to federal aid regulations, we may need to reduce Federal Work-Study and/or Federal Direct Subsidized Loans. Should adjustments be necessary, a revised financial aid award will be sent to your Northeastern email address.

Need-based financial aid aid is awarded to students based on the Cost of Attendance which includes university housing and meal plan. If you live at home and will not incur those costs, your Cost of Attendance will be adjusted accordingly and may result in a reduction in your eligibility for need-based financial aid. Recipients of need-based Northeastern University Grant who live at home will see an adjustment to their financial aid award for this lowered cost, and other aid may be adjusted as well depending on the amount and types of aid awarded.

Please note that merit scholarships, including the National merit Scholarship, Dean’s Scholarship, and Honors Scholarship, are not awarded based on financial need and will not be reduced or adjusted due to living at home. However, awarded merit-based scholarships that cover room and board will be adjusted accordingly if the student is not living in university housing or has a meal plan.

Students who have a credit balance on their account after their financial aid for the semester is applied towards billed costs, will automatically be issued a refund unless an opt-out request is on file. Please note that refunds will not be processed until after the start of the term. We encourage students to plan accordingly as books and supplies may be needed prior to having a refund in hand. In these instances, students may need to pay out of pocket for these expenses and then reimburse themselves with their refund.

Your offer of financial assistance is based on the expectation that you will be a full-time student (at least 12 credit hours). A reduction to your course load may result in a reduction or cancellation of your financial aid. If there is a change in your financial aid eligibility as a result of a reduce in enrollment, you will be notified via email with a revised offer of assistance.

If you change your planned enrollment your financial aid may need to be adjusted. For example, a change from an in-school term to a co-op term would require a re-disbursement of aid. If there is a change in your financial aid eligibility as a result, you will be notified via email with a revised offer of assistance.

If you are an Undergraduate Day student interested in receiving need-based aid in future academic years, you will need to file a FAFSA each academic year by the priority filing deadline of April 1 for returning students. Over the summer we will package your aid for the next year and notify you via email at your Northeastern email address.

If you receive need-based Northeastern University Grant and continue to make satisfactory academic progress, this will be renewable each year as part of our unique Northeastern Promise. Any merit scholarship will also be renewed, provided you maintain the required GPA and meet the other terms and conditions as outlined in your scholarship guidelines. Eligibility for federal and state aid, including grants, loans and Federal Work-Study, is determined each academic year based on the FAFSA.

Costs per year will depend on your academic program, the structure of your pattern of attendance, and housing and meal plan selections. If you go on co-op, you will not pay tuition for that experience, and therefore will not receive your Northeastern University Grant or merit scholarship. Those funds are applied only when tuition is assessed. Additionally, those funds will be applied in proportion to your tuition charges. If you take an overload or are approved for a petition to reduce course load and are subsequently charged less than the full-time rate, your grant or scholarship will be prorated.

Fall billing statements for incoming first-year students are available in July and will be posted to the Student Hub. Once the bill is posted, an email notification will be sent to the student’s Northeastern email address. The billing due date is located on the upper right-hand corner of the e-bill. E-bills are static documents that will not update in real-time. To view your current account activity:

• Login to the Student Hub
• Choose “Resources”
• Click ‘Financial Services’
• Select “Student Account, Payment, and E-bill Information”
• Scroll down to the “Account Summary” section

Students may request a Family Portal for a parent or guardian to gain access to billing information. However, please note that while the Family Portal may be created, all communications from Student Financial Services will be sent directly to the student at their Northeastern email due to privacy and financial security reasons. Students should monitor their Northeastern email address for important updates, announcements, and communications and utilize this email address when communicating with Student Financial Services.

Students enrolled in The N.U.in Program will receive their fall billing statement in June. Once the bill is available, it will be posted to the Student Hub and an email notification will be sent to the student at their Northeastern email address.

Students enrolled in The N.U.in Program will be billed a comprehensive program fee for the fall term. Details of what this fee includes can be found on The N.U.in Program website. Billing statements for students in The N.U.in Program will also include the following:

• Your enrollment deposit(s)
• Anticipated financial aid, included awarded need-based Northeastern University grant or merit scholarship

Please note that federal aid, including Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loans, may be used beginning with the spring term, following the fall N.U.in semester.

Additional information about financing The N.U.in Program, is available here.

Electronic billing statements are generated each term and reflect the billing transactions as of the date the bill was generated. Payments or adjustments applied following the bill due date will be reflected on the next monthly billing statement.

However, students may view their account live at any time through the Student Hub.

Direct payments, or approved payment arrangements through one of our accepted financing options, such as the monthly payment plan or supplemental loan, are due in full prior to the start of the term as specified on your original billing statement.

Should your family require additional time to submit payment, a two-week grace period will be granted for up to two weeks beyond the initial due date. However, students enrolled in The N.U.in Program must pay or be enrolled in a payment plan prior to their program departure. Payments provided beyond the original due date or grace period may be subject to a late fee and/or financial hold. If you have a supplemental loan or payment plan that is due to provide payment after the billing due date, that is a form of acceptable payment and no further action is required.

Students or families who plan to use 529 plans to cover educational costs should reach out to their 529 provider to initiate the process of withdrawing funds. Many providers require a copy of the billing statement to determine eligible expenses or specific line-item costs. Once a billing statement becomes available, please submit this documentation to your provider. If you are seeking a preliminary estimate of tuition and fees, or room and board costs, please visit our website.

Should additional information be necessary beyond that statement, please contact us for further assistance.

Financial institutions are required to be transparent about their policies and procedures, and requirements. The Student Financial Responsibility Agreement (SFRA) informs students of their financial responsibilities associated with enrolling for classes and explains the potential consequences that may result if a student fails to meet those obligations.

Our goal is to help students understand the cost of their education and financial policies associated with their enrollment at Northeastern. The SFRA is one vehicle to help explain the university’s expectations and payment policies. Agreement to the terms and conditions of this agreement is required prior to completing “I Am Here” in the fall. The completion of “I Am Here” confirms and secures a student’s course schedule and registration for the term.

Students maintain the responsibility to ensure their account is in good financial standing during their Northeastern education. If payment or approved payment arrangements are not provided by the indicated due date, late fees may be assessed and/or a financial hold may be applied.

F2 Financial Hold: applied to prior term balances. This level of hold restricts registration and may impact the ability to complete “I Am Here.”

If a financial hold has been applied but a student has a documented payment pending that will resolve the balance due, account protection may be provided. Please contact us for assistance.

If financial aid, or provided payments exceed billed costs, a credit balance will appear on the student account. This is represented by a negative value. Should a credit exist, a refund will be automatically processed unless an opt-out request is on file. Please note that refunds will not be provided if the credit is due to any anticipated payments through the monthly payment plan, outside scholarships, federal or state grants, etc.

Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with our refund policy, and set up direct deposit. Having direct deposit on file will streamline and expedite any future refund process.

Refunds are processed after the start of term when funding is officially disbursed and credit is then available on an account.

Massachusetts institutions of higher learning are required by Commonwealth Law to enroll all qualified students in a health insurance plan that meets or exceeds state minimum requirements. NUSHP is the university’s student health plan which is administered by Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Massachusetts.

Eligible students may waive this plan annually, and its cost, if they can provide information that they are enrolled in a comparable domestic health plan. This waiver is completed by the student via their Student Hub and must be completed by the deadline. Students may request to waive enrollment in NUSHP after they have received their billing statement. Please note that the NUSHP waiver is not available on the Family Portal.

For additional information regarding NUSHP, or the waiver process, visit the NUSHP website or contact NUSHP at [email protected].

As students continue at Northeastern, additional payments may be needed in advance of enrollment or participation in certain academic programs or experiences. Unlike certain experiences where students may incur an additional charge in the form of a fee, certain programs or services require payment of a deposit to secure a seat or guarantee a spot. Some examples of experiences that may require a deposit include:

• Dialogue of Civilizations: students may be required to pay a deposit indicating their intent to enroll, prior to the billing cycle. Please visit the Global Experience Office website for more information.
• Housing Deposit: the Office of Housing and Residence Life requires students to pay a deposit to indicate their intention to reside in on campus housing for a future term. For additional information about housing deposits, visit the Housing and Residential Life website.

Any deposits paid for these purposes will be applied to offset your future term’s charges on your bill. Please note that while SFS bills and applies these deposits on behalf of the department, all deposits are subject to the policies and requirements of the department. If there is an experience of future interest, we recommend that you contact the department directly to understand the financial responsibilities associated with participation.

Administered through Flywire, the monthly payment plan allows students and families to spread education costs for a semester out into monthly payments. There’s an enrollment fee of $45, but no interest is charged. Families can log into the payment plan at any time after enrollment to adjust the amount due for any changes in meal plans, housing, or NUSHP fees.

The Federal Parent PLUS loan is a federal loan with a fixed interest rate in the name of the parent only. Parents can apply starting in July through studentaid.gov.

Learn more about the Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan, including the application process and additional requirements.

When considering supplemental education loans from outside lenders, students and families are encouraged to compare the benefits, and terms and conditions of several lenders before applying. Although loan parameters will vary depending on the loan program, most supplemental loans are in the student’s name with an approved co-signer. While we cannot recommend private lenders, we encourage you to review the information on our website, which includes a list of lenders commonly utilized by students at Northeastern, as well as additional information to assist you researching private loans.

Please note that if you have applied for and been approved for a supplemental education loan, the loan will be sent directly to Northeastern from the lender and applied towards billed costs.