Minot State University makes every effort to provide financial assistance to eligible applicants through loans, grants, scholarships, student employment, or a combination of these and other student aid programs. It is expected students will meet part of their need from earnings, and parents will contribute in proportion to their financial ability. A student applying for financial aid at Minot State is considered for a variety of federal, state, and institutional programs. Applications are evaluated to determine the individual need of the students and awards are made with careful adherence to federal, state, and institutional guidelines. The primary responsibility for financing a college education rests with the student and their family. Financial aid should be used as a supplement to family support. The Financial Aid Office reserves the right to the final determination regarding the type(s) and amount of aid offered to students. Offers are based upon an evaluation of the student’s eligibility as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form and the availability of funds. Financial assistance from Minot State is redetermined annually.

Who May Apply

Students applying for federal financial aid must:

1. Be a U.S. Citizen or an eligible non-citizen.
2. Be enrolled and fully accepted for enrollment in a degree granting program.
3. Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress toward completion of a course of study.
4. Not be in default on any Federal Student Loan Program.
5. Not owe a repayment of any grant funds previously received.

How to Apply

Students applying for financial aid must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). When completing the FAFSA, applicants must list Minot State University as a university they plan to attend. The Minot State school code is 002994.All students (including first-year students, returning, and transfer students) are encouraged to complete the FAFSA online at StudentAid.gov.

Students enrolling Summer Semester will be offered financial aid once the student has registered for classes. Financial aid will depend on the student's eligibility and credits enrolled. https://www.minotstateu.edu/finaid/eligibility/summer-financial-aid.shtml

When to Apply

To receive priority consideration for financial aid for the upcoming academic year, Minot State must receive the results of the student’s FAFSA and the student’s application for admission by April 15. Students should file the FAFSA online by April 8 to meet the priority deadline. Students who meet the priority deadline will receive consideration for the campus-based aid programs (Federal Supplement Educational Opportunity Grants and Federal Work Study) as well as the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Direct Loan Programs and the North Dakota State Grant. Applications for financial aid will be accepted after April 15, but funding may be limited to the Federal Pell Grant and Federal Direct loan programs.

Students completing the FAFSA incorrectly or omitting necessary information may be required to correct their FAFSA before financial aid will be awarded. Corrections may cause a delay in determining a student’s eligibility and may cause students to miss the priority funding date.

Verification

If selected for verification by the Department of Education or Minot State, students must provide documentation to prove the accuracy of the information provided on the FAFSA. As a part of this process, students and/or parents may need to provide a Tax Return Transcript or a signed copy of their Federal Tax Return and other requested documentation. Tax Return Transcripts can be obtained at IRS.gov. Financial aid will not be offered until Verification is complete. If you purposely give false or misleading information, you may be fined up to $20,000, sent to prison, or both. Verification forms and additional information is available online at MinotStateU.edu/finaid/verification.shtml.

How Financial Aid is Offered

Financial aid offers are based on need and the availability of funds. Need is defined as the difference between the estimated cost of education as determined by the university, and the student aid index (SAI) as determined by the FAFSA. A need exists if the student aid index is less than the estimated cost of education.

The estimated cost of education includes costs recognized by the federal government as necessary for a student to pursue an education. The estimated cost of education includes: tuition, fees, books/supplies, food, housing, transportation, and other miscellaneous personal expenses. The student aid index formula considers:

1. Income of the student, spouse, and/or parent.
2. Assets of the student, spouse, and/or parent.
3. Family size.
4. Age of the student, spouse, or parents.

Every effort is made to provide adequate funding to meet the student’s educational costs. To view our actual cost of attendance, visit our website at MinotStateU.edu/finaid/cost.shtml.

How Financial Aid is Disbursed

Students must meet admissions, attendance, and satisfactory academic progress requirements prior to receiving financial aid. All loans, grants, scholarships and work study offers are subject to change, depending on enrollment status, other resources, participation criteria and availability of funds. If attending the academic year, grants, scholarships, and loans will be disbursed in two allotments during the period of time for which the student is enrolled. Aid is disbursed each semester on the date tuition and fees are due. Fee payment date information can be obtained at the Financial Aid Office or Business Office. The students' accounts will be credited, and any excess aid will be disbursed by the Business Office during this time.

Students whose charges are less than the financial aid received are encouraged to have the excess financial aid direct deposited into their bank account. If a student does not complete a direct deposit request, an excess aid check will be issued by the Business Office and mailed to the student's mailing address listed in Campus Connection.

Financial Aid Satisfactory Progress Policy

Federal regulations require institutions participating in federal financial aid programs to measure a student’s progress toward earning a degree. To be eligible to receive financial aid, students must meet all of the institution requirements, be admitted into a degree granting program, and must meet the following minimum standards:

1. Grade Point Average (GPA). Students are required to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 at the conclusion of each semester based on all Minot State and transfer undergraduate credits.
2. Attempted/Completed Credits. Students must successfully complete a minimum of 66.667% of the cumulative attempted credits.
3. Maximum Time Limit.  Students must successfully complete their degree within 150% of the published number of credits needed to complete their program of study. The maximum number of credits includes all credits attempted while attending Minot State and any credits attempted at other colleges or universities whether or not federal financial aid was received while completing those credits. Students who are approaching the maximum attempted credit hour limit will receive a Financial Aid Information Service Indicator on Campus Connection to warn them that they are close to reaching this limit.

A detailed copy of Minot State University’s satisfactory progress policy for financial aid eligibility may be obtained from the Financial Aid Office or online at MinotStateU.edu/finaid/Policies-and-Consumer-Information.shtml.

Appeal Process

A student with special circumstances may appeal their financial aid status by submitting documentation explaining and verifying the special circumstance to the Financial Aid Office. Documentation received will be reviewed and students will receive notification by email of the outcome of their appeal.

Cancelation Of Registration / Withdrawing To Zero Credits

Students who find it necessary to completely withdraw to zero credits must complete the Cancellation/Withdraw to Zero Credits Form in Campus Connection. Student Homepage > eForms > Registrar's Office > Cancel/Withdraw to Zero. Students who withdraw from all courses after the start of a semester will be subject to the Return of Title IV Funds Policy and the University's refund policy.

Return of Title IV Funds Policy

Students who withdraw from school and who have received federal funds may have to repay a portion of those funds back to the federal aid programs. The portion of funds that must be returned is calculated by dividing the number of calendar days attended by the number of calendar days in the term. The return of funds will be calculated through 60% of the term, which is approximately the first 70 calendar days of a fall or spring semester.

Example: The term is 116 calendar days in length and the student decides to withdraw on the 21st calendar day of the term. The student has earned 18.1% of the funds received and must repay 81.9% of the funds. If the student received $2,600 the student would have to repay $2,129.40.

The impact this federal regulation will have on students who withdraw from school is that they will have to repay, at the time of withdrawal, a portion of the funds they received for the term of attendance. Students who owe a repayment of funds: (1) will not be entitled to enroll in subsequent terms, (2) will not be eligible to receive additional federal funds, and (3) will have a hold put on their grade transcripts until their account is paid in full. In addition, these students may have their account reported to the U.S. Department of Education for further action.

Students who receive institutional scholarships may have to repay a portion of those funds based upon the return of funds formula.  The full Return of Title IV Funds Policy is available online at MinotStateU.edu/finaid/Policies-and-Consumer-Information.shtml.

Unofficial Withdrawal

Students who stop participating in all classes in the midst of a semester without formally withdrawing are considered to have unofficially withdrawn.

If a student earns a passing grade in one or more classes in a semester (fall, spring, or summer term), Minot State will presume the student completed the course and thus completed the period of enrollment. If a student who began attendance and has not officially withdrawn fails to earn a passing grade in at least one course offered over an entire semester, Minot State will assume the student has unofficially withdrawn and will seek documentation of the student's last date of academic participation in their courses.  The determination of unofficial withdrawals will occur after grades are posted at the end of each semester by creating a list of all students who received all F's, I's, or U's for the payment period (semester). For unofficial withdrawals, the withdrawal date used for calculating Return of Title IV funds is the later date of either the midpoint of the period of enrollment or the last date of academic participation in any course as reported by the student's faculty members.

Based on the determined unofficial withdrawal date, a Return of Title IV funds calculation will be completed to determine the amounts and types of federal financial aid to be returned and Minot State will return the unearned Title IV funds to the Federal Aid programs. All unearned financial aid funds to be returned will be the responsibility of the student to repay to Minot State. A letter will be mailed to the student at the time of calculation notifying the student of their obligation to repay Minot State for the unearned portion of the federal financial aid they received for the semester and a point of contact from the Minot State Business Office will be identified in the letter. Students who unofficially withdraw will be placed on Financial Aid Warning following a term in which they received all F, I, or U grades unless they were already on Financial Aid Warning at the start of that semester. In that case, they will be placed on Financial Aid Disqualification.

Access to Records

Files containing information regarding individual students are not open to the general public under the provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974.

Student Consumer Information

The Higher Education Opportunity Act requires that all United States academic institutions provide certain consumer information about the University to future and current students, including financial aid information. For your convenience, Minot State has consolidated that information on the Student Consumer Information website:  MnotStateU.edu/finaid/Policies-and-Consumer-Information.shtml.

Types of Financial Aid

Minot State University offers four types of financial aid:

1. Grants
2. Loans
3. Work Study
4. Scholarships and Award Programs

Grants are gifts of money that generally do not have to be repaid. Loans must be repaid. Work Study allows a student to work and earn money to offset educational expenses. Scholarships are gifts offered to students on the basis of academic achievement, need, or other criteria. The financial aid programs listed below represent the major programs offered at Minot State University. Many students qualify each year for scholarships offered by private and public agencies, groups, and organizations. Students are encouraged to research other possible scholarship sources with their high school counselors, principals, library, and department/division chairs.

Grants

Federal Pell Grant

The Federal Pell Grant may be offered to an undergraduate student pursuing their first bachelor’s degree for up to 12 full-time semesters or its equivalent. Students must meet the eligibility requirements. The amount of the grant is based on the student aid index (determined by the FAFSA), the estimated cost of attendance, the student’s enrollment status, and the funding appropriated by the Federal Government. A student may apply for the Federal Pell Grant by completing the FAFSA.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

FSEOG may be offered to undergraduate students who are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant. The deadline for priority funding is April 15. The FSEOG is a campus-based program and is administered by the Financial Aid Office. A student may apply for the FSEOG by completing the FAFSA.

Federal TEACH Grant

The Federal Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program provides up to $4,000 a year in grant assistance to undergraduate and graduate students who are completing coursework needed to begin working in a high-need teaching field. Students must be admitted into a Teacher Education Program, score above the 75th percentile on one part of an admissions test (such as the SAT, ACT, GRE, etc.) or achieve and maintain at least a 3.25 cumulative GPA for each semester in order to be eligible to receive a TEACH grant. Students receiving a TEACH Grant must sign an Agreement to Serve or Repay each year that explains that each recipient must teach for four years within eight years of completing or ceasing enrollment in a TEACH Grant eligible program as a full-time highly-qualified teacher in a low-income elementary or secondary school in a high-need field such as Math, Science, Special Education, Reading Specialists or other high-need fields listed on the US Department of Education’s Nationwide Listing of Teacher Shortage Areas. A TEACH Grant recipient who fails to complete the required teaching service requirement must repay the grant as an Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan with interest accruing from the date of the first disbursement.

North Dakota State Grant Program

The North Dakota State Grant Program may be offered by the North Dakota University System to undergraduate students who are United States citizens, residents of North Dakota, graduates of a North Dakota high school or who have completed a program of home education or received a general education development high school diploma, and have not previously received a State Grant for more than eight semesters. The grants are need-based and are dependent upon the availability of funds and pro-rated based on enrollment status. The offers may be adjusted based on unmet need and to reflect the appropriate enrollment status. Students apply by submitting the FAFSA as soon as possible after Oct.1st. For more information, visit ndus.edu/paying-for-college/paying-for-college-ndopportunities/.

ND Academic Scholarship, ND Career and Technical Scholarship, AND ND Scholarship

North Dakota resident students may apply for the Academic Scholarship, the Career and Technical Education Scholarship, or the ND Scholarship. Applicants must graduate from a ND high school and apply during their senior year before the application deadline. Applications may be submitted online or through the mail. Students must also request an official transcript be sent to the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction. The total value of the scholarship is $6,000 with a payment of $750 per semester for a total annual payment of $1,500. The scholarship will only be paid during the six years following high school graduation. Scholarships are renewable provided the student maintains a 2.75 GPA, reviewed each semester. For more information on the scholarships, visit https://ndus.edu/paying-for-college/nd-scholarship/.

ND Dual-Credit Tuition Scholarship

This scholarship rewards college students for taking dual-credit coursework as a high school student.  To qualify, students must meet the eligibility criteria, complete an application with the ND University System (NDUS), and provide all supporting documentation. For more information on the scholarship, visit https://ndus.edu/paying-for-college/dual-credit-tuition-scholarship/.

Loans

Federal Direct Loans

Federal Direct Loan borrowers must be enrolled at least half-time. The Federal Direct Loan interest rate for loans borrowed during an upcoming school year is set on July 1 each year. Prior to the release of the first Federal Direct Loan disbursement, students must accept the loan in Campus Connection, complete Entrance Loan Counseling and a Master Promissory Note (MPN) at StudentAid.gov. Forbearance, Deferment and Cancellation of Loan information can be found on the Master Promissory Note.  The aggregate Direct Loan limit for dependent students is $31,000; the aggregate Direct Loan limit for independent students is $57,500. Exit Loan Counseling is required at the time a student graduates, drops below half-time status or terminates enrollment at Minot State.

The Federal Direct Subsidized Loan may be offered to students who are enrolled at least half-time and have need. Students may apply for a Federal Direct Subsidized loan by completing the FAFSA. If eligible, a freshman may borrow up to $3,500, a sophomore (or a student in a two-year program) may borrow up to $4,500, and a junior or senior may borrow up to $5,500. The maximum amount that can be borrowed is $23,000. Repayment begins six months after graduation or if the student ceases to be enrolled at least half-time.

The Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan is a non-need based program for those ineligible for (any or all of) the Direct Subsidized Loan. The student is responsible for the interest payment while enrolled. The additional annual loan limit for dependent undergraduate students is $2,000. The additional annual loan limit for independent undergraduate students (or students whose parents are unable to obtain Direct Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students) is $6,000 a year for the first and second years of study and $7,000 for the third and fourth years of study. Repayment begins six months after graduation or if the student ceases to be enrolled at least half-time.

Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS)

Federal PLUS loans enable parents to borrow money to help pay for their child's education. Parents may borrow on behalf of a dependent student. The maximum amount of the loan is the difference between the cost of education less other financial assistance received. Repayment begins 60 days after final disbursement. To apply, go to StudentAid.gov; complete the PLUS Application for Parents and a Master Promissory Note.

Nursing Student Loan (NSL)

The Federal Nursing Student Loan is a 5% interest loan program administered by the Financial Aid Office and is available to students enrolled and accepted into the nursing program. Students may apply for NSL by completing the FAFSA. The deadline for priority consideration is April 15. The federal government pays the interest on the loan during periods of enrollment of half-time or greater. Repayment of the loan begins nine months after the student graduates, drops to less than half-time status, or withdraws from school. Students receiving an NSL are required to complete NSL loan entrance counseling and a master promissory note prior to the initial disbursement and each year annually as further disbursements are made. An exit interview is required at the time a student graduates or terminates enrollment at Minot State.

Work Study

Federal Work Study Program (FWS)

The Federal Work Study Program provides eligible students an opportunity to earn money which helps pay their educational costs. Minot State University offers FWS as part of a student’s total financial aid package. Students apply for FWS by completing the FAFSA and by meeting the priority funding deadline of April 15. Offers are based on the availability of funds. Federal Work Study must be earned by securing a job and working to receive it. Funds are not applied to student's accounts. 

Scholarships and Award Programs

To apply for undergraduate scholarships available through Minot State, complete the Minot State Undergraduate Scholarship and Awards Program Application by the Feb. 15 deadline. Application information is available at MinotStateU.edu/finaid/scholarships/.  

Students interested in scholarships based on performance, such as music, theater or athletics are encouraged to contact the individual departments. Individual departments may request additional information.

Other Sources of Funding

Native American Assistance

Individual Native American tribes offer Higher Education Scholarship Programs. Native American students should apply directly to the Tribal Higher Education Office on the respective tribal agency. Early application is recommended as funds are limited and deadlines apply. Additional resources are available at MinotStateU.edu/finaid/other_resources/index.shtml.

Vocational Rehabilitation

Students with disabilities may be entitled to assistance for tuition, fees, and books. Students who wish to apply would contact the local Vocational Rehabilitation Office for eligibility information and applications.

Veterans, National Guard, and Veteran Tuition Waiver

Students serving in either the Army National Guard or Air National Guard may be eligible for tuition assistance. For information or eligibility requirements, contact your local National Guard unit or visit ndguard.nd.gov/education-services. 

Students planning to use Veterans Affairs benefits should contact Minot State University Military Resource Center at 701-858-4003 or visit the Military Resource Center website at MinotStateU.edu/veterans.

ND Law Enforcement Officer Tuition and Fee Waiver

Full-time North Dakota law enforcement officers with at least two years of service that are maintaining satisfactory job performance may apply for a tuition waiver that provides a 25% reduction in tuition and fees, after subtracting other grants and scholarships.  The waiver is available for up to five years after the initial award.  Students must complete the appropriate application supplied by the ND Attorney General and receive supervisor approval at least one month in advance of the start of the semester.  The application form is available at attorneygeneral.nd.gov and should be submitted to the Minot State Business Office.