Financial Aid

Foundation Scholarships

To encourage and assist students, NCC also offers scholarships from over 200 different scholarship funds for students who meet the awards' requirements. Funds for scholarship assistance are provided through the efforts of the Northampton Community College Foundation and the generosity of alumni, community leaders, local employers and friends of the College.

The NCC Foundation, established in 1969 as a private, non-profit corporation to support educational programs and activities that cannot be funded through the College's regular income sources, enables NCC to provide more private scholarship support than any other community college in Pennsylvania.

Students must complete the financial aid application process to be considered for scholarship support. More details about the foundation scholarships process and a link to the scholarship application can be found at: https://www.northampton.edu/scholarships

How to Apply for Financial Aid

To apply for financial aid at Northampton Community College a student must:

• Complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) via the Web at studentaid.gov. A student and parent can create an FSA ID to electronically sign the FAFSA.
• NCC's Federal Code for the FAFSA is 007191

New students should not wait to be admitted to NCC before applying for financial aid. Returning students must annually reapply for financial aid for each academic year a student wants to be considered for financial aid.

The Northampton Community College financial aid priority application date is May 15. Fall students who complete their financial aid application by the priority date will be notified of their eligibility for aid before tuition is due for the following Fall semester. The priority application date for the Spring semester is October 1st of the previous year. While financial aid applications are accepted throughout the year, it is important to meet the priority application dates if a student expects financial aid to help pay his/her semester tuition and fee charges by the tuition due date.

Eligibility

To receive aid, a student must meet the following eligibility requirements:

1. Be a United States citizen or eligible non-citizen with a valid social security number;
2. Be enrolled in an eligible academic program;
3. A high school graduate or have a recognized General Equivalency Diploma (GED);
4. Be an undergraduate student who has not previously earned a bachelor's degree (for most types of aid);
5. Not be in default on any previous student loan nor owe a repayment on an adjusted federal grant;
6. If male and age 18-25, be registered for Selective Service
7. Comply with Northampton Community College's Academic Progress Policy requirements.

Student Employment

NCC offers on and off-campus jobs to students who have financial need through the Federal Work Study Program. A student's earnings under this program are not credited to the student's account, but are paid to the student every two weeks. Students are responsible for securing their job by interviewing with the job's supervisor. A list of available positions can be found on the Work Study link on the Financial Aid page of the NCC Web site. Students who are interested in community service positions should contact the Work Study Coordinator in the Financial Aid Office.

Veteran's Benefits

We are proud to be a Veterans Administration (VA) approved Institution of Higher Learning (IHL).Our Student Veterans Services Office offers assistance as a resource for VA, military funding for education, EAP, FTA, MYCAA and handles certification of enrollment to the VA for Montgomery GI Bill®, Post 9/11 GI Bill®, and other VA education benefit programs. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the Student Veterans Services of enrollment, changes in enrollment, termination of student status or changes of address and phone number. Failure to do this could delay or jeopardize current or future benefits. A Military Veterans and Service Members Student Checklist and Veteran’s Benefits Request Form (VBRF) are available online at www.northampton.edu/veterans. Questions may be directed to the Student Veterans Services Office at 610.861.5508.
 

PA Act 11 – Discounts for Veterans, Military Personnel and their Dependents

 
As required by PA Act 11 of 2015, Veterans and Military Personnel, their spouses and/or dependent children may be eligible for reduced tuition and fees rates as outlined below.

1. Veterans, their spouses and/or dependent children, who reside in the Commonwealth of PA will be granted a tuition rate equivalent to local sponsorship rate.  For purposes of this policy, a veteran student is defined as an individual who:  (a) Served in the United States Armed Forces, including a reserve component or National Guard and was discharged/released from service under conditions other than dishonorable; or one who is an active duty service member; and (b) Resides in Pennsylvania while enrolled at Northampton Community College.
2. Active military personnel, their spouses and/or dependent children, who are enrolled in online (distance) classes, and who reside outside of the Commonwealth, will be granted a tuition rate equivalent to our Commonwealth of PA rate.
3. Any individual who receives VA education benefits under chapters 30,31,33,35,or 1606, and who resides outside of the Commonwealth, will be granted a tuition rate equivalent to our Commonwealth of PA rate.
4. Civilian personnel who work at a Department of Defense facility in the Commonwealth of PA, their spouses and or dependent children, will be grated a tuition rate equivalent to the local sponsorship rate.

Those who qualify for reduced rates, as outlined above, are exempt from the 90 day residency waiting period, but must provide both proof of service and proof of residency prior to the start of the semester for which reduced rates are to be granted.

Proof of Service must be documented with a DD214, current military ID, and/or VA Certificate of Eligibility. Spouses and dependents must also provide either military ID, VA certificate of Eligibility, or other proof of connection to the veteran or military personnel with a Birth Certificate or recent IRS 1040.

Once the current semester has ended, the reduction cannot be applied for an adjustment.  Future terms only will benefit from the reduction to student accounts.

Federal Financial Aid

Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements For Financial Aid Eligibility

This policy applies to any student entering or returning to NCC.  A student’s entire academic record is reviewed even when a student was not a financial aid recipient during prior enrollment. College approved academic restarts are not considered when computing financial aid satisfactory academic progress.  The following requirements must be met for eligibility for federal financial aid (grants, loans, and work-study).

Only courses required for your current major are eligible for financial aid consideration.

I. Completion Rate

A student must successfully complete sixty-seven percent (67%) of all credits attempted at NCC plus any credits accepted as transfer credits and credits by exam.

Financial aid can be applied only once to repeat any course where the student received a passing grade, including a “D”.  Although students may receive financial aid for repeated courses, credit for a course is given only once.

II. Grade Point Average

A student must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average based on the total number of credits attempted including transfer credits. Total credits attempted include all courses plus transfer credits and credits by exam. 

Total Credits Attempted Including Transfer Credits	Minimum Cumulative GPA Required
9-25	1.50
26-40	1.75
41+	2.00

III. Maximum Time Frame

For federal financial aid eligibility students must complete their program within a maximum time frame not to exceed 150% of the length of the current educational program.  This includes all semesters of enrollment even if no aid was received.  Once a student attempts more than 150% of the credits that it normally takes to complete his/her program of study, he/she is no longer eligible for financial aid. Exceptions may be made for students who have changed their major.   

Example:	Length of Program	Maximum Time Frame
	60-credit program	90 credits attempted
	30-credit program	45 credits attempted

 

Appeal Process
Students who do not meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements have the right to appeal.  All appeals must be in writing and must be submitted within 45 days of the date of the notice of denial.  Appeal forms should be submitted to the Financial Aid Office at Northampton Community College, 3835 Green Pond Road, Bethlehem, PA 18020. 
 
An appeal should include an explanation of the extenuating circumstances which resulted in the student’s inability to meet the requirements along with third party documentation to support the appeal.  Information about the student’s plan to make up any deficiencies should also be included. 

Note: State grant eligibility is based on standards set by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA).  Institutional appeals do not cover State grants.  Loss of State grant eligibility may be appealed directly to PHEAA in cases of illness or death in the family. 

 

Evaluation

An evaluation of academic progress will be done after the end of the spring semester or when students reapply for financial aid.  Students who do not meet the requirements will be notified within ten days of the completion of the evaluation. 

 

Note: An evaluation will be done at the halfway point of the program for students enrolled in one-year programs.

Appeal Process

Students who do not meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements have the right to appeal. All appeals must be in writing and must be submitted within 45 days of the date of the notice of denial. Appeal forms should be submitted to the Financial Aid Office at Northampton Community College, 3835 Green Pond Road, Bethlehem, PA 18020.

An appeal should include an explanation of the extenuating circumstances which resulted in the student’s inability to meet the requirements along with third party documentation to support the appeal. Information about the student’s plan to make up any deficiencies should also be included.

Note: State grant eligibility is based on standards set by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA). Institutional appeals do not cover State grants. Loss of State grant eligibility may be appealed directly to PHEAA in cases of illness or death in the family.

Evaluation

An evaluation of academic progress will be done after the end of the Spring semester or when students reapply for financial aid. Students who do not meet the requirements will be notified within ten days of the completion of the evaluation.

Note: An evaluation will be done at the halfway point of the program for students enrolled in one-year programs.

PHEAA State Grant Academic Progress Policy

A student is required to successfully complete a minimum of 6 credits per semester for each part-time State grant received and a minimum of 12 credits per semester for each full-time State grant received. Credits earned for repeat courses which were previously counted when State grant progress was verified cannot be counted again. Failures to meet the minimum credit requirements means that a student is not eligible for further State grant aid until that student has successfully completed the required number of credits

Example:

• Part-time Grant - minimum of 6 credits required per semester
• Full-time Grant - minimum of 12 credits required per semester

A student is eligible for 4 semesters of full-time grants (or the equivalent) at a two-year institution.
Full-time students progressing at the rate of only 24 credits per year (or the equivalent), while meeting the minimum State grant progress standard, will utilize all of their State grant eligibility before completing their program.

Note: PHEAA (PA State Grant) - Students taking more than 50% of their semester credits on-line may not qualify or may be eligible for a reduced PA state grant award.  PHEAA also has a Remedial Course Exception Policy which limits the number of developmental courses considered for State grant eligibility.  For further information please check the NCC Web site under Financial Aid / Types of Aid / Grants and Scholarships / Grants / Pennsylvania State Grants.  You can also contact PHEAA at 1-800-692-7392 or www.pheaa.org.
Questions should be directed to the Financial Aid Office at 610.861.5510.

Federal Financial Aid Recipients Who Withdraw

The 1998 Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act requires the College to calculate a return of federal student aid funds for students who withdraw (officially or unofficially) from all classes on or before the 60 percent attendance point of the semester. Using the Federal formula, the percentage of the semester attended is used to calculate the amount of the student's earned versus unearned federal student aid funds. The number of calendar days spent attending classes is divided by the number of calendar days in the semester. The unearned portion of federal student aid funds will be returned to the appropriate aid program. Funds are returned in the following order:

• Unsubsidized Direct Loan
• Subsidized Direct Loan
• Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS)
• Pell Grant Program
• Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)

Students receiving financial aid who withdraw from all of their classes may not receive further financial aid disbursements, may lose some or all of the aid that has already been disbursed to their account and are responsible for payment of any balance due after the required return of unearned federal student aid funds. Students who stop attending all classes without officially withdrawing will be subject to the return of federal funds at the end of the semester based on the 50 percent point of the semester.

Notification of Award

Students who have their financial aid applications completed by the priority application deadline will be notified of their eligibility for aid by the tuition due date. They will receive a financial aid offer. Included with the offer are instructions, conditions governing the offers and disbursement information about how and when students will receive financial aid funds.

Financial Aid Information

Financial aid forms and information are available on the web at https://www.northampton.edu/financialaid. You can call the NCC Financial Aid Office at 610.861.5510 or e-mail us at financialaid@northampton.edu.