The Office of Financial Planning and Scholarships at Northwest Florida State College strives to remove financial barriers; to promote the success of a diverse student body; and to increase opportunities for access in higher education. We seek to contribute to a premier experience for students, faculty, and staff by providing timely communication and by delivering courteous and efficient financial services while complying with all federal, state, and college policies.
Financial assistance administered by NWF State College does not discriminate on the basis of color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, pregnancy, or marital status. Specific criteria and academic standing information may be required for particular assistance and/or scholarships.
Federal Aid: Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Work Study Program (FWS), Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant (IASG), and Student Loans
State Aid: Bright Futures, Florida Student Assistance Grant (FSAG), First Generation Match Grant, and Scholarships for Children and Spouses of Deceased or Disabled Veterans
Information regarding
Institutional Scholarships: Awarded by NWF State College, a list can be found on the college website at https://www.nwfsc.edu/students/financialaid/scholarships/
A Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be completed for each academic year and one FAFSA serves throughout that entire academic year (Fall through Summer). The FAFSA becomes available each October for the following academic year (Fall term), and you should apply as early as possible because many financial aid programs have limited funding that will go only to early applicants.
Financial Aid Priority Deadline
To have your financial aid processed in time for your registration fees to be paid by financial aid, you must complete all steps in the application process by the Financial Aid Priority Deadline:
- July 1 for Fall Term
- October 1 for Spring Term
- March 1 for Summer Term
Late Applicants
If you miss the Financial Aid Priority Deadline for the term in which you wish to enroll, you still are strongly encouraged to apply for financial aid. Your application will be accepted and processed; however, it may not be processed in time for you to use your financial aid to pay for your fees and books. If this is the case, you will need to pay your tuition and purchase your books; then, if you qualify for financial aid, a refund will be issued to you later in the term. You can seek help with paying your tuition through the NelNet Tuition Payment Plan. Further information about this plan can be found on RaiderNet under the “Pay Fees” tab or by contacting the Business Office at 850-729-5385.
Applications for federal financial aid should be made well in advance of registration by submitting the FAFSA.
You must apply for financial aid each academic year.
- Be a degree-seeking student at NWF State College or be a certificate-seeking student in an eligible program and take courses that are required for that degree or certificate. (Some certificates, due to required program length, are not eligible for Federal Financial Aid. Please see a Student Success Navigator if you have questions regarding your program)
- Provide the Admissions/Records Office with an official final copy of your high school transcript or GED score report, or, if you are a college transfer student, provide an official copy of your transcript from each institution you have attended. Transfer course work must be evaluated before an award can be made.
- Complete the FAFSA. NWF State College’s school code number is “001510.”
- World Wide Web address fafsa.ed.gov (Allow at least two weeks for processing.)
- Research. Check the Scholarship link on our website at https://www.nwfsc.edu/students/financialaid/scholarships/
Federal Programs
For a student to be eligible for federal financial aid at NWF State College, a student must:
- Be accepted for enrollment in an approved program of study, have a high school diploma or GED
- Be a U.S. citizen, or an eligible non-citizen
- Not owe a refund or repayment on a federal grant at any institution
- Not be in default on a federally-funded or insured student loan
- Enrollment must be in courses required for your degree or certificate
- Not have been convicted for sale or possession of illegal drugs while receiving Title IV funds
- If a college transfer student, have an official transcript from each previously attended institution submitted to, and evaluated by, NWF State College.
- Must maintain satisfactory academic progress standards
State of Florida Programs
For a student to be eligible for State of Florida financial aid (i.e. FSAG, FSAG-CE) at the college, a student must:
- Have demonstrated a financial need (complete the FAFSA application)
- Have met the advertised deadline
- Have been a resident of Florida for one year or be classified as a Florida resident by the Registrar’s Office
- Be degree-seeking in an approved program of study
- Have a 2.0 or higher grade point average (GPA) on all previous college work
- A student must have earned credit hours equivalent to his/her enrollment status during each term of the prior academic year in which state aid was received, (12 credit hours or 360 vocational hours for each term of full-time enrollment, 9 credit hours or 270 vocational hours for each term of three-quarter-time enrollment and 6 credit hours or 180 vocational hours for each term of half-time enrollment), and
- A student who is not enrolled full-time will be offered a part-time award. Part-time awards will be prorated according to enrollment status. Funds will be offered until the limited funds are exhausted.
Verification
The federal government requires that some applications be reviewed for accuracy through a process called “verification.” If you are selected for this process, you will be required to provide additional documentation to our office for review. You will be notified through your student e-mail account, or by checking your RaiderNet account, which documents you will need to provide to complete your financial aid file. All documentation must be submitted to the Financial Aid Office within 30 days of notification. If you do not submit the requested information you may lose funds otherwise available to you.
Federal Eligibility Matches
The federal processor matches your name and social security number with a variety of federal agencies. Agency matches are performed against the files of the Social Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security, Selective Service and the National Student Loan Data System. If any discrepancies or questions about your information occur, you will be asked to provide additional documents or take additional action to confirm your eligibility for federal assistance.
Transfer Students
If you previously applied for federal financial aid at another institution and now want to apply for financial aid at NWF State College, you must update your current year FAFSA to include our federal school code (001510).
If you are a college transfer student seeking a degree or technical certificate, you must submit a complete official transcript from each college and university you have attended. Your financial aid eligibility cannot be determined until NWF has received and evaluated all of the transcripts for transfer credit.
Transient Students
If you are enrolled as a transient student, you are not eligible for financial aid through NWF State College.
The amount of federal financial aid a student is eligible to receive is dependent on the student’s enrollment status each term based on the following table. Credit hours are computed using all developmental and college credits in which the student is enrolled.
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Full-Time Enrollment
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Three-Quarter Time Enrollment
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Half-Time Enrollment
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Less Than Half-Time Enrollment
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12 or more credit hours
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9-11 credit hours
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6-8 credit hours
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1-5 credit hours
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450 clock hours
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Clock hours/program length*
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Clock hours/program length*
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Clock hours/program length*
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*To determine enrollment status other than full-time, as established by federal regulation, the number of clock hours the student is enrolled in is divided by the program length.
- Enrollment status (Full-time, Half-time, etc.) is based upon number of credit hours enrolled at the end of Drop/Add for Session 1 courses (census date). New student admission and FAFSA’s received after the enrollment status date will be updated at the time of completion.
- The amount of the award will not increase if students add a class after the advertised census date.
- To retain enrollment status, student must attend all of their classes. Attendance for distance learning courses is defined as attending an orientation; participating in the course, as defined by the instructor; submitting course assignments, as required, to the instructor; or initiating contact with the instructor.
- Failure to attend any enrolled course may lower the enrollment status and award amount once hours are reduced to account for non-attendance.
Repeated Courses
Federal regulations limit the number of times a student may repeat a course and receive financial aid for that course.
- A student may receive aid when repeating a course that was previously failed (received a failing or unsatisfactory grade); regardless of the number of times the course was attempted and failed.
- A student may receive aid to repeat a previously passed course (grade of ‘D’ or higher) one additional time.
- Once a student has completed any course twice with a passing grade (grade of ‘D’ or higher), he/she is no longer eligible to receive aid for that course.
- This rule applies whether or not the student received aid for earlier enrollments in the course.
- Students will receive notification if they are aid applicants and attempt to repeat coursework beyond the limits.
Developmental Courses
NWF State College approves developmental courses for the use of financial aid and includes developmental courses where necessary when determining a student’s enrollment status. Admission placement testing requirements will determine if developmental courses are needed in a student’s degree program. Financial aid will pay for no more than 30 credit hours of developmental coursework.
Clock Hour Programs
Clock hour programs (Dental, Welding, Law Enforcement, and Fire Science/EMT) are not paid in semester hours like other programs offered at NWF State College. Financial aid pays for the entire program, by payment periods and based upon the length of the program and completion of program hours. Program instructors are responsible for documenting the number of hours of participation, excused and unexcused hours of absence, and the student’s satisfactory academic progress during their weeks of attendance. Aid disbursements are based on this reported information. Prior to the second and all subsequent payments, the student’s hours completed and satisfactory academic progress will be verified.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements
To be eligible for financial aid, all students, including students transferring to NWF State College from another institution, must meet NWF State College’s standards of satisfactory academic progress for financial aid. Student academic progress is reviewed at the end of each term. A transferring student’s satisfactory progress will initially be determined from the student’s academic history at all previously attended institutions. Students who attended NWF State College in the past will be reviewed based on all previously attempted courses, regardless of how long ago they attended NWF State College, in accordance with federal guidelines.
Failure to meet one or more of the established standards of satisfactory progress will make a student ineligible for financial aid. Students who become ineligible for financial aid due to the failure to meet the SAP for financial aid will remain ineligible for financial aid until they meet the standards or are placed on an Academic Plan as a condition of their approved appeal. Satisfactory progress includes all previous academic history, even if the student did not receive financial aid.
Below are the standards of satisfactory progress for financial aid. These standards apply to all students:
SAP for Financial Aid Eligibility Federal regulations (34 CFR 668.34) require a student to move toward the completion of a degree or certificate within an eligible program when receiving financial aid. Specific requirements for academic progress for financial aid recipients may be applied differently than college Academic Standards, Warning, Probation, and Suspension. Federal regulations state that SAP must include a review of all periods of enrollment, regardless of whether or not aid was received. The student must meet all the minimum standards in order to receive financial aid.
There are three parts to the SAP rules:
1. You must maintain a 2.0 cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA). This is includes all course work you have taken at NWF State College or any college or university (this includes college level classes taken during high school), regardless of whether or not you received financial aid for those classes.
2. You must successfully complete at least 67% of all of the classes in which you have enrolled. This includes all the course work you have taken at NWF State College or any college or university (this includes dual enrollment classes), regardless of whether or not you received financial aid for those classes.
3. You must not attempt more than 150% of credits needed for the level of degree in which you are seeking. All coursework attempted is included in these totals.
Financial Aid Warning Status
The first semester a student fails to meet the satisfactory progress standards for financial aid, he/she will be placed on Warning Status. While the student will continue to receive financial aid during this period, it is the student’s responsibility to restore his/her academic standing for financial aid by the end of the warning status term.
Students who exceed the 150% Rule are not eligible for a Financial Aid Warning Status.
Failure to restore academic standing by the end of the Warning Status term will result in the student being ineligible for financial aid. Students can appeal their failure to meet standards of Academic Progress.
Appealing Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements
Before submitting an appeal for financial aid, students must meet with a Student Success Navigator and obtain an approved program of study. The program of study may be the basis for the student’s academic plan. Students should file a financial aid appeal as soon as they receive notification of their failure to meet the standards of academic progress, or no later than 30 days after the semester ends. Appeal forms and procedures are available on the Financial Aid web page at https://www.nwfsc.edu/students/financialaid/forms/
Transfer students must meet the established satisfactory progress requirements or submit a financial aid appeal. Students can appeal their failure to meet the standards of academic progress for financial aid if unusual circumstances exist. Unusual and mitigating circumstances include, but are not limited to, a death in the student’s family, medical condition, hospitalization, documented emotional distress, or other situations beyond the student’s control.
All situations must be fully documented.
A Program Objective Enrollment Compliance (POEC) review is required for every student seeking federal student aid. In accordance with federal law, federal student aid funds can only be applied to classes that are recognized as being truly necessary for completion of a student’s declared degree. To that end, we must verify (on a term-by-term basis) whether all classes for which a student is enrolled are required or not. Those classes that are confirmed to be required, i.e. POEC compliant, will be counted in enrollment status for federal student aid (as long as all other relevant eligibility criteria has been met). Classes that are identified as not required for degree completion will be flagged as such, and these non-compliant courses will be excluded from enrollment status.
To be clear, any coursework that is not required will not be included when calculating enrollment status for Title IV funds (Pell Grant, Direct Subsidized Loans, Direct Unsubsidized Loans, etc.). Students who qualify for aid that exceeds the actual cost of their compliant coursework may be able to apply that difference to non-compliant classes. If excess aid does not exist, the student who wishes to keep such classes on their schedule will need to pay for those classes out of pocket.
If you receive Title IV federal financial aid (Pell, Federal Loans, SEOG) and completely withdraw from all of your classes within the first 60% of the term, stop attending all classes without notification or have a break in attendance during the semester, a pro-rated portion of your financial aid may need to be repaid. In this case, you will be billed for aid that must be repaid, and holds will be placed on your record until the bill is settled.
This policy is derived from provisions of federal law. Students receiving Title IV aid should consult with the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from any or all classes.
As a student financial aid consumer,
You have the right to:
- Be informed about financial aid application procedures, cost of attendance, aid available and renewal requirements.
- Have confidential protection of your financial aid records. The contents of your financial aid file are maintained in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
- Request a review of decisions made by the NWF State College financial aid staff. A letter explaining your situation in detail should be submitted to the Executive Director of Financial Planning and Scholarships.
You have the responsibility to:
- Complete applications correctly and on time.
- Read and understand all materials sent to you from Financial Aid and other financial aid agencies by e-mail and/or letter; keep copies of all forms and materials submitted.
- Know and comply with the rules governing your aid program(s).
- Comply with the provisions of any promissory note and all other agreements you sign.
- Register for the appropriate number of credits and maintain satisfactory academic progress.
- Request personal assistance if you have questions or do not understand the information provided to you.
- Register for courses that count toward your degree or certificate.
All new student veterans and eligible family members are encouraged to visit the Veteran Success Center at the Niceville campus for assistance with starting a VA file/record. NWF State College is approved for training by the State Approving Agency under the various Veterans’ training laws. Student veterans and eligible family members planning to enroll and use their VA Educational Benefits should consult with the Veterans Success Center staff well in advance of their first semester of enrollment. All new student veterans and eligible family members are encouraged to follow the application procedures found at https://www.nwfsc.edu/students/veterans/ when establishing their VA file with the Veterans Success Center.
Student veterans and eligible family members are also required to be familiar with the NWF State College VA Student Information Packet, which explains our processes and the rules imposed, by U.S. Code Title 38 and Title 10. The VA Student Information Packet can be found at https://www.nwfsc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/2021-VA-Student-Briefing-Packet-Oct-2021-fillable.pdf.
In accordance with U.S. Code Title 38 and Title 10, the law requires that educational assistance benefits to student veterans and eligible family members be discontinued when the student ceases to make satisfactory progress toward completion of their training objective.
Student veterans and eligible family members are ineligible for VA Education Benefits beyond two consecutive terms of not meeting Academic Standards per the current NWF State College catalog. VA Education Benefits will be terminated following the second subsequent term of enrollment where their Academic Standing remains below the established requirements. If a student veteran or eligible family member is placed on Academic Suspension per the current college catalog, VA Education Benefits will be terminated immediately. Students may be re-certified for VA Education Benefits ONLY after achieving the minimum required cumulative grade point average and submitting a VA Form 22-1995 or 22-5495 (Chapter 35).
Training time for all programs, except Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill®, is computed at full time, three quarter time and half time; please refer to your specific chapter payment chart at the GI Bill® website (https://www.va.gov/gi-bill-comparison-tool).
Training time for the summer term and any accelerated sessions in a term are computed differently. Student veterans and eligible family members are advised to contact the Veterans Success Center before registering for summer term and accelerated term classes to determine training time status.
Rate of Pursuit (RoP) applies specifically to Chapter 33 beneficiaries, as it differs from training time which is used for all other chapters. RoP is used to determine a student’s Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA). RoP is computed by dividing the student’s credit hours by the full time rate, rounding to the nearest tenth and multiplying by the E-5 with dependent Basic Allowance for Housing rate.
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Full-Time Enrollment
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Three-Quarter Time Enrollment
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Half-Time Enrollment
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12 or more credit hours
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9-11 credit hours
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6-8 credit hours
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Chapter 33:
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Chapter 33:
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Chapter 33:
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12 or more = 100%
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11 = 90% 9 or 10 = 80%
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8 = 70% 7 = 60%
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The above enrollment information is based on 16 week terms (Fall and Spring). The Summer term is 12 weeks and enrollment hours are adjusted accordingly. Please reference the VA Student Information Packet for specific requirements.
The Monthly Housing Allowance is paid if the student’s RoP is more than 50%. The VA Regional Processing Office reviews the student’s RoP to determine whether MHA can be awarded: If a student’s RoP is more than 50% the student receives MHA; if the student’s RoP is 50% or less, then the student doesn’t receive MHA (Active Duty personnel receiving Chapter 33 benefits or spouses of Active Duty personnel receiving Transfer of Entitlement benefits are not eligible for MHA under VA due to receiving comparable compensation of Basic Housing Allowance).
It is advised that student’s use the GI Bill® Comparison Tool at https://www.va.gov/gi-bill-comparison-tool to determine their Monthly Housing Allowance Rate. This tool provides MHA rates for main, branch campuses and extension campuses. Follow the steps below to receive an estimate of your MHA.
- Search and select your school’s main campus from the list.
- Scroll down to “Where will you take the majority of your classes?”
- Select “Other Location” or “An Extension Campus.”
- Enter the zip code of the other location or select the location from the drop down.
Chapter 33 beneficiaries who schedule all distance learning classes, (online, independent study, and video conferencing), are only eligible to receive half the national average in MHA. Rates are multiplied by the RoP rounded to the nearest multiple of 10.
All chapter 33 beneficiaries eligible for MHA must verify their enrollment status each month. Students enrolled in a program which begins on or after August 1, 2021 will either receive an option to opt into the text messaging process to verify their attendance monthly OR they will be required to contact the 1-888-442-4551 toll free number monthly to verify.
Northwest Florida State College cannot verify for students. The student must verify they continue to be enrolled by stating “yes” or if not enrolled as stated, should respond as “no” and the VA will contact the schools to determine when the change in enrollment occurred if not already reported.
This monthly verification process is ONLY for chapter 33 beneficiaries. This differs from the monthly certification process for non-chapter 33 students who use the W.A.V.E.S system to verify enrollment to release their monthly stipend.
Chapter 33 beneficiaries must respond monthly to verify their enrollment. However, their MHA payments will continue to be released until two consecutive months have elapsed without any verification from the student.
Northwest Florida State College also has clock hour programs that the VA calculates training time on a weekly basis. To maintain full time status a student must have 22 clock hours per week for Applied Welding Technologies, 18 clock hours per week for Corrections Officer, Law Enforcement Basic, Fire Fighter, and Dental Assisting. Chapter 33 beneficiaries in clock hour programs who are full time are also eligible to receive books and supplies up to $1,000.00 each academic year paid proportionately based on enrollment.
Training time for the Summer Term and any accelerated session of any term is computed differently. Student veterans and eligible family members are advised to contact the Veteran’s Success Center before registering for Summer Term and accelerated term classes to determine training status.
All student veterans and eligible family members who wish to be certified for their VA Education Benefits must submit a VA Certification Request form each term online at https://nwfstatecollege.formstack.com/forms/va_enrollment_certification_request_form_copy to initiate the certification process.
Student veterans and eligible family members are required to submit an updated VA Certification Request form for all schedule changes, to include: drop, withdrawal, never attended, and reinstatement or termination due to excessive absences.
Note: Student’s attendance is reported to the VA and may impact benefit payments.
Any eligible student veteran or eligible family member who wishes to pursue an approved program of study shall be granted upon request, a deferment for full payment of fees for a period determined by the Business Office, once per academic year (August through July).
- The VA pays a chapter 33 beneficiary’s tuition directly to Northwest Florida State College.
- Upon initial application for VA education benefits, chapter 33 students whose Certificate of Eligibility has not been received (based on application confirmation page) may be eligible to use a VA deferment of fees once in lieu of their Certificate of Eligibility from the VA.
- Chapter 35, 30, 1606, and 1607 students are responsible for paying Northwest Florida State College their tuition by the established and published payment deadlines.
- These students may be eligible to use a VA deferment of fees once per academic year.
Under no circumstances shall any person be allowed to enroll or re-enroll at NWF State College who has an unpaid fee deferment. A student who defaults on a VA deferment will lose the right to receive future deferments.
In accordance with Title 38 US Code 3679 subsection (e), this school adopts the following additional provisions for any students using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post 9/11 G.I. Bill® (Ch. 33) or Veterans Readiness & Employment (Ch. 31) benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from the VA. This school will not:
This school will not:
- Prevent the student’s enrollment;
- Assess a late penalty fee to the student;
- Require the student to secure alternative or additional funding;
- Deny the student access to any resources (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution.
However, to qualify for this provision, such students may be required to:
- Produce the VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE) by the first day of class;
- Provide a written request to be certified;
- Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in other institutional policies
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