Applying for Aid and Student Eligibility
Apply for Financial Aid Today
Financial Aid can make earning your college degree a reality. There are many types of aid you can receive, and it can help pay for tuition and fees, books, and other personal costs. We have outlined the eligibility requirements and the application process below, and we are here to help if you have any questions – contact us!
You can complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at any time after October 1 to receive funds for the following academic year, but apply as early as possible since some grant funds are distributed on a first-come, first- basis. The priority deadline for the state of Massachusetts is May 1. Although applications are accepted throughout the year, some state funds are awarded only to those who meet this deadline.
You must complete a FAFSA each academic year.
- Beware of scams targeting students, as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a free service and never requires payment or personal information from unofficial sources.
FASFA Application Process
Create a FSA ID
STEP 1 Create an FSA ID
The Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID, made up of a username and password, is used to access certain U.S. Department of Education websites. Your FSA ID is used to authenticate your identity when accessing your financial aid information. If you are a dependent student your parent must also create an FSA ID.
Complete the FAFSA
STEP 2 Complete the FAFSA
Complete the FAFSA for the current academic year. If you completed a FAFSA for the previous academic year, you can complete a Renewal FAFSA.
When completing the FAFSA or Renewal FAFSA, you will be asked a series of questions that determine if you are dependent or independent for financial aid purposes. If you are a dependent student, you are required to report parental income and other information. If independent and married, you are required to report all information regarding your spouse.
Important: Be sure to list NECC’s school code 002174 in the “Schools to Receive Information” section of the FAFSA.
In addition to completing the FAFSA, you must also meet the following requirements:
- Demonstrate financial need (for most programs)
- Be accepted to and enrolled in a degree or certificate program at NECC
- Have a valid Social Security number
- Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen
- Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
- Not owe a refund on Title IV money, or be in default on any previous student loan
- Have a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) certificate or graduate from an approved home school in program
- Be enrolled at least half-time to be eligible for Direct Loan Program funds
Review Your Student Aid Report (SAR)
Review Your Student Aid Report (SAR)
Review your Student Aid Report (SAR) after your FAFSA has been processed. If you provided a valid e-mail address on your FAFSA, you will receive an e-mail with instructions on how to access an online copy of your SAR. Otherwise, you will receive a paper SAR via postal mail. Make sure to review and make any changes or corrections to your SAR.
If you listed NECC on the FAFSA, the school will receive an electronic version of your SAR.
Provide Additional Documentation
STEP 4: Provide Additional Documentation to NECC
It is important that you check with NECC to see what additional information/documentation you may be required to submit. If your FAFSA was selected for the federal verification process, you and your spouse/parent, if applicable, will be required to submit certain documents to verify income and other data reported on your FAFSA. Your financial aid will be delayed if you have any missing information or documents! Once your application for financial aid is complete, a detailed award letter will be sent to your NECC email account and your financial aid package will be viewable through the myNECC portal.
Changes to the 2024-2025 FAFSA
The FAFSA Simplification Act was passed by Congress in 2020 and represents a significant overhaul of the processes and systems used to award federal student aid. This includes the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, the need analysis that determines federal aid eligibility, changes in terminology, and many policies and procedures for schools that participate in federal student aid programs.
The FAFSA will be shorter and more user-friendly
The FAFSA will be shorter and more user-friendly
The FAFSA will reduce the maximum number of questions from 108 to under 50. Since the FAFSA on the Web has built in logic, some students will not be required to answer all the questions. This streamlined format will simplify the application process.
Students may list up to 20 colleges
Students may list up to 20 colleges
This new change allows students to list up to 20 colleges and universities as opposed to only 10 on the previous FAFSA application.
The FAFSA will be available in more languages
The FAFSA will be available in more languages
The new FAFSA application will expand to include 11 most common languages as opposed to only English and Spanish.
Applicants will be required to use the IRS Direct Data Exchange
Applicants will be required to use the IRS Direct Data Exchange
Previously, users had the option to enter their tax information manually or use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. Beginning with 2024-2025, all persons on the FAFSA will be required to use the IRS Direct Data Exchange to share tax information or confirm non-filing status. In a very small number of cases, students and families will have to enter their tax data manually.
All 'contributors' must provide financial information
All “contributors” must provide financial information
Per the Department of Education, a new term “contributor” refers to anyone who is required to provide information on a student’s form (such as parent/stepparent or spouse). A student’s or parent’s answers on the FAFSA will determine which contributors (if any) will be required to provide information. Contributors will receive an email informing them that they’ve been identified as such and will need to log in using their own FSA ID (if they don’t already have one) to provide the required information on the student’s FAFSA. Being a contributor does not mean they are financially responsible for the student’s education costs, but it does mean the contributor must provide information on the FAFSA or the application will be incomplete, and the student will not be eligible for federal or state student aid.
The Student Aid Index (SAI) is replacing Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
The Student Aid Index (SAI) is replacing Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
Beginning 2024-2025, the term Expected Family Contribution will be replaced with the new term Student Aid Index (SAI). This name more accurately describes the number used to determine aid eligibility and, unlike the EFC, the SAI may be a negative number down to -1500.
The number in college will not be used to calculate SAI
The number in college will not be used to calculate SAI
Previously, the FAFSA calculated the number of household members attending college into the EFC, dividing it proportionately to determine federal aid eligibility. Beginning with the 2024-2025 FAFSA, the application will still ask how many household members are in college, but the answer will not be calculated into the SAI.
Some students will automatically be awarded a Pell Grant
Some students will automatically be awarded a Pell Grant
Families making less than 175% and single parents making less than 225% of the federal poverty level will see their students receive a maximum Federal Pell Grant award. Minimum Pell Grants will be guaranteed to students from households below 275%, 325%, 350%, or 400% of the poverty level, depending on household structure. Pell awards between the maximum and minimum amounts will be determined by SAI.
Enrollment categories will change for calculating Pell Grant
Enrollment categories will change for calculating Pell Grant
Previously, Pell Grant was awarded based on full-time (12 or more hours), three-quarter-time (9-11 credit hours), half-time (6-8 credit hours) or less-than-half-time (1-5 credit hours) enrollment statuses. For 2024-2025, the enrollment statuses will be replaced with a new term called “enrollment intensity.” Enrollment intensity is the percentage of full-time enrollment at which a student is enrolled, rounded to the nearest whole percent. For example, if full-time enrollment is 12 or more credit hours and the student is enrolled in 7 credit hours, the enrollment intensity would be (7 / 12) x 100% = 58%.
Changes to Year-Round Pell Grant
Changes to Year-Round Pell Grant
Previously, a Pell Grant-eligible student must have been enrolled at least half-time in a payment period during which they received more than 100% of their scheduled award. Beginning in 2024-2025, the half-time enrollment requirement has been removed.
The parent responsible for submitting the FAFSA in cases of divorce or separation has changed
The parent responsible for submitting the FAFSA in cases of divorce or separation has changed
For dependent students, financial information was previously needed from the parent(s) the student had lived with the most in the last 12 months. With the new FAFSA, financial information will be required from the parent(s) who provided the most financial support to the student.
Family farms and small businesses must be reported as assets
Family farms and small businesses must be reported as assets
Families must now report the value of their small business or family farm if asked to report assets on the FAFSA.
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