FINANCIAL AID

The University of Nebraska at Kearney provides financial assistance in the form of scholarships, grants, loans and work study. The Financial Aid office assists students with financial aid from federal and state resources, the University and private organizations. Frequently students receiving assistance to pay for college are funded through a variety of sources. It is the responsibility of the Office of Financial Aid to coordinate the application and awarding process of multiple types of aid for students.

Federal and State of Nebraska assistance (grants, loans and work-study) is awarded on the basis of need. Need is determined per federal statute. The "expected family contribution" is determined and then subtracted from the cost of attendance for an academic year. Congress has created a formula called "Federal Methodology" that is used to calculate the expected family contribution based on the information submitted by the family on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Students can complete the FAFSA on the internet by going to www.fafsa.ed.gov. In order to complete the FAFSA entirely on-line, applicants and their parents will want to request a "PIN" number from the U.S. Department of Education. This can be done at www.pin.ed.gov. A student's "PIN" number is his/her electronic signature with the Department of Education and eliminates the need to sign any part of the FAFSA. The results from the FAFSA will be sent to UNK automatically when a student enters the Title IV School Code (002551) on the FAFSA. The FAFSA should be completed as soon as possible after January 1 for the following academic year.

In addition to the FAFSA, students may be required to submit a UNK Financial Aid Information Form and copies of federal tax returns. The UNK Financial Aid Information Form is available from the office or at www.unk.edu, click on Current or Prospective Students, then on Financial Aid, and then on "How to Apply." Once these documents are received in the Office of Financial Aid, the student's application is checked for correctness. Occasionally additional documentation is requested to confirm student's eligibility. Once verification is completed, the student will be notified via email with instructions for reviewing the financial aid award letter in MyBLUE. The award letter explains the types and amounts of financial aid for which he/she is eligible.

Some sources of financial aid are limited and therefore applicants are urged to complete the FAFSA as soon as possible to obtain the best financial aid packages.

For information on applying for merit based scholarships see Scholarships.

Questions regarding federal or state aid may be directed to:

Contact the office via e-mail at finaid1@unk.edu or via phone at (308)865-8520.