Available Assistance
Northwest awards and/or administers many types of financial assistance from federal, state, University and private sources. Financial aid can be divided into three general categories:
- Scholarships and Grants - financial gifts based on academic, performance, or other high achievement.
- Employment - either Federal Work-Study Program or institutional employment.
- Loans - from Federal Direct Loan Program, or from private non-federal sources.
Scholarships and grants are gifts that usually do not have to be repaid. Loans must be repaid with interest at a future date, which usually begins six months after the student ceases to be enrolled at least half-time. For information contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Assistance at (660) 562-1363.
Financial aid programs assume that the primary responsibility for educational and living expenses rests with the students. Most of Northwest’s assistance is designed to supplement student resources. In addition to student earnings and savings, other resources considered when determining federal aid eligibility include, but are not limited to, University fee waivers, and private scholarships.
Maximum Time Frame and Credit Hours
Master’s level students are eligible to apply for aid for up to 67 attempted semester credit hours and Specialist level students are eligible to apply for aid for up to 96 attempted semester credit hours.
Students who have attempted the maximum number of credit hours are ineligible for any type of federal financial aid. A change of major does not extend the number of credit hours that may be attempted. Program limitations may override this credit hour maximum.
Application Procedures
Students should contact the Northwest Office of Scholarships and Financial Assistance on or after October 1 for information and applications for federal student financial aid. Some of the information required on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be taken from the student’s federal income tax forms. Northwest holds all financial information in strictest confidence, and uses the information only to determine eligibility for federal aid. See the “Student Records ” section of this catalog for more information on records privacy.
Financial Assistance Programs Award Processing
The Office of Scholarships and Financial Assistance will attempt to meet students’ financial needs pending the availability of funds. Federal financial aid will continue to be awarded until all funds are committed or until the specified deadlines, whichever occurs first.
Applications and required documentation should be submitted at the earliest possible date after October 1 for the following academic year.
Students must be enrolled in at least three (3) credit hours per semester in order to be eligible for direct loans and for in-school deferments of previous loans.
Aid Offer Notification
The Office of Scholarships and Financial Assistance will notify students via their university assigned e-mail account, when their aid offer available and how it can be accessed on their CatPAWS account in the Secure Area. Students may accept all or part of their award. All first-time borrowers at Northwest must also complete a loan entrance counseling session and a master promissory note before loan funds can be credited to their account.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
To be eligible to receive federal student aid, students must maintain satisfactory academic progress toward a degree or certificate. The three standards utilized by the University to determine satisfactory academic progress are quantitative, qualitative, and maximum timeframe progress.
Quantitative progress requires students to complete a certain percentage of attempted courses. Qualitative progress requires students to earn a predetermined Northwest cumulative grade point average. Maximum timeframe progress requires students to earn their degree within a specified number of attempted hours. Students must be in compliance with the University’s written standards for all three standards to maintain eligibility for any type of federal financial aid.
The University will attempt to notify students by e-mail or mail when they have not maintained satisfactory academic progress. However, students are responsible for being aware of the satisfactory academic progress policies and will remain ineligible, even if the University’s notification is not received.
Qualitative Progress
Qualitative academic progress will be determined at the end of each semester. To be considered making satisfactory qualitative progress, graduate students must have the following minimum Northwest cumulative grade point averages:
| Master’s |
3.00 |
| Specialist |
3.25 |
Quantitative Progress
Quantitative progress requires students to successfully complete a certain percentage of attempted courses. Final quantitative progress will be determined at the end of each semester. To be considered making satisfactory academic progress, students must pass at least 67% of the cumulative credit hours which they have attempted.
A credit completion rate is the ratio of a student’s total credits successfully completed to the student’s total attempted credits. Attempted credits include successfully completed courses, courses dropped after the drop/add period, failed courses, repeated courses, course withdrawals and transfer credits that have been accepted by the University.
Course Audits
Students are not eligible to receive federal financial aid for courses audited. Courses audited will not be included when determining the number of credit hours a student has attempted or completed.
Incomplete Grades
Courses in which a student received incomplete grades will be counted as hours attempted but not counted as hours completed until the final passing grade is officially posted to the student’s permanent record.
Appeal Process
If a student has special circumstances he/she wishes to report, a written petition must be submitted to the Student Financial Review Committee. The appeal must be based on documented mitigating circumstances beyond the student’s control. Petition forms can be found on the Northwest website. The Committee will consider written comments, past academic records, documentation of medical or other serious situations, and whether deficiencies can be made up in a reasonable time.
Written appeals and all supporting documentation should be submitted to the Office of Scholarships and Financial Assistance as soon as possible after the end of the semester the deficiency occurred. The Student Financial Review Committee will review the written appeal and supporting documentation and notify the student in writing of the appeal decision within 14 days from the date received.
In the instance a student feels due process was not provided or believes the Financial Appeals Committee did not give appropriate and timely attention to the petition, the student may contact the Office of Financial Assistance to request a meeting to review the petition with the Director of Financial Assistance.
Withdrawal from the University
If a student withdraws from the University while receiving federal financial assistance, the hours of enrollment will be counted as attempted but not passed. The student must pass the required percentage of cumulative hours attempted to be considered meeting satisfactory academic progress requirements.
For a student who withdraws, the financial assistance award received will be prorated and the unused portion of the financial assistance award will be refunded to the programs involved. Depending on the proration of the aid, a balance may be owed on the student account.
Taxation of Financial Assistance
Scholarships and assistantships are tax exempt only if used for tuition and fees, books, supplies, and equipment required for the course of study. Students must be candidates for degrees.
Scholarships and assistantships are taxable if designated for purposes other than tuition and related expenses or if attributable to service performed.
Fee reductions for employee dependent graduate students must be reported as taxable income for the employee.
For specific information, contact a tax preparation professional.
Veterans’ Affairs
The Office of Financial Assistance assists veterans and eligible persons in all phases of enrollment certification and retention of educational benefits, tutorial assistance, and veterans’ work-study.
Northwest students receiving benefits from the Veterans’ Administration will meet most VA conditions for satisfactorily pursuing a program of study by meeting the University’s general catalog requirements. However, a few VA requirements are more stringent than the general catalog requirements.
In addition to their eligible benefits, the following non-Missouri resident students shall be awarded a tuition waiver to ensure they only pay the current in-state tuition rate:
- A participant using educational assistance under either chapter 30 (Montgomery G.I. Bill® - Active Duty Program), chapter 31 (Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment), chapter 33 (Post-9/11 G.I. Bill®), or chapter 35 (Dependents’ Educational Act), of title 38, United States Code, who lives in the State of Missouri while attending a school located in the State of Missouri (regardless of his/her formal State of residence) and enrolls in the school within three years of discharge from a period of active duty service of 90 days or more.
- Anyone using transferred Post-9/11 G.I. Bill® benefits (38 U.S.C. § 3319) who lives in the State of Missouri while attending a school located in the State of Missouri (regardless of his/her formal State of residence) and enrolls in the school within three years of the transferor’s discharge from a period of active duty service of 90 days or more.
- Anyone using transferred Post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits (38 U.S.C. § 3319) who lives in the State of Missouri while attending a school located in the State of Missouri (regardless of his/her formal state of residence) and the transferor is a member of the uniformed service who is serving on active duty.
- A spouse or child using benefits under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (38 U.S.C. § 3311(b)(9)) who lives in the State of Missouri while attending a school located in the State of Missouri (regardless of his/her formal State of residence) and enrolls in the school within three years of the Service member’s death in the line of duty following a period of active duty service of 90 days or more.
- Anyone described above while he or she remains continuously enrolled (other than during regularly scheduled breaks between courses, semesters, or terms) at the same school. The person so described must have enrolled in the school prior to the expiration of the three year period following discharge or death described above and must be using education benefits under either chapter 30, chapter 31, chapter 33, or chapter 35, of title 38, United States Code.
Regular Attendance
VA students must attend all classes according to each instructor’s attendance policies. VA benefits will be terminated as of the last date of attendance reported by the instructor for students with unsatisfactory attendance. All VA students using Chapter 30, 33, 1606, and 1607 must verify their attendance monthly on or after the last day of each month. Students using Chapter 30, 1606, and 1607 can verify attendance by using the Web Automated Verification of Enrollment (WAVE) system or by calling 877.823.2378. Students using Chapter 33 must verify their attendance by using the VA’s text message or email process.
Unsatisfactory Progress
The University is required to notify the Veterans’ Administration that a student did not make satisfactory progress if the student:
- receives a non-punitive grade in any course;
- fails or withdraws from all classes; or
- is suspended by the University.
Education benefits will be terminated for students who fail to make VA satisfactory progress.
Classes Not Completed
The Veterans’ Administration may require students to repay benefits received for classes dropped. All VA students must report changes in enrollment status, including drop/add/withdrawals to the school certifying official. The VA will only pay for courses that lead to a standard degree or certificate. VA benefits will not be paid for courses in which students have already earned a satisfactory grade, unless the university state that a higher grade is necessary for the completion of the curriculum. VA benefits will not be paid for courses that a student elects to audit.
Delayed/Incomplete Grades
Graduate students have one year to remove an incomplete grade or they will be changed to grades of “F”.
VA students should contact the Office of Veterans’ Affairs before deciding to repeat a course, withdraw from the University, drop a class, take a delayed grade or interrupt class attendance to assure compliance with VA regulations.
Veterans’ Benefits Tuition and Fee Payments
In the event a Chapter 31 or Chapter 33 payment or disbursement of tuition funds is delayed by the US Department of Veteran’s Affairs, the University will ensure students are not penalized, including any assessment of late fees, denial of access to courses, libraries or other institutional facilities, or require the recipient to borrow additional funds to cover any financial obligation to the University that will be covered by the benefit payment.
Contact Information
For information and assistance in completing and maintaining the proper documents to receive VA benefits, a student should contact the Office of Financial Assistance by calling 660.562.1363 or by e-mailing finaid@nwmissouri.edu.
Vocational Rehabilitation
All students receiving vocational funding from the State Department of Rehabilitation or Veterans’ Administration should contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Assistance for certification and counseling assistance.
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