Financial Aid for Current Undergraduate Students
Did you know that approximately 70% of all UNC students receive some form of financial aid assistance? Understanding the financial aid process is an important step toward fulfilling your educational goals. Take the first step to receiving financial aid by filing your FAFSA. Learn more about all your options and completing your next steps by reviewing the below information.
Important Dates
- October 1 – FAFSA becomes available (December for the 2024-25 FAFSA aid cycle)
- November 1 – UNC Scholarship Application available to complete through your Ursa account
- February 1 - UNC Scholarship Application deadline
- June 1 – FAFSA Deadline: File by the June1 deadline to be fully considered for all
types of aid
- Students whose applications were received by the U.S. Department of Education after March 1 last year missed out on state grants and work study due to a shortage of funds
- June 15 – Accept or decline financial aid award amounts through Ursa
- Remember, you will only have 20 days to make a decision or all aid may be forfeited
- September 4 – Fall tuition payments are due
- File Your FAFSA
Your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will have to be updated and resubmitted for the upcoming academic year to receive aid. Tax information and any dependent/independent status changes will be needed to determine the maximum amount of aid you are eligible for. Remember the FAFSA is a free application. Stay away from sites requesting payment for completing the application.
To complete the FAFSA:
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Have your Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) ready
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Use UNC’s School Code 001349
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IRS Data Retrieval Consent is now required for 2024-25.
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Apply at studentaid.gov
Submit the FAFSA by the June1 priority deadline to maximize your amount of aid you receive. You should use your 2022 tax information for the 2024-25 academic year. If you you have not filed your taxes for 2022 you should contact the Office of Financial Aid.
You will receive a confirmation email from the U.S. Department of Education with your Student Aid Report (SAR). Make sure to verify that all of your information is correct. If you need to make corrections, you may do this online at studentaid.gov. Be sure to check your spam folder for your FAFSA confirmation if you did not receive it within a week.
Students may submit documentation of any unusual or extenuating circumstances not reflected on the FAFSA. Contact the Office of Financial Aid for more information on this process.
Helpful Links for Applying
As you begin the process of applying for financial aid for the academic year, the UNC Office of Financial Aid offers these tips.
Details on completing the FAFSA.
FAFSA VERIFICATION STEPS
If you have been selected for FAFSA verification, you'll need to complete these steps before UNC can process your aid.Online resources from the Department of Education.
- UNC Scholarship Application
The UNC Scholarship Application can also be found under the Financial tab in Ursa. Use this quick and easy application to apply for scholarships through the UNC Foundation.
- Checking your Ursa and BearMail Accounts
- Accepting or Declining your Aid on Ursa
If you have completed all required paperwork, after the first week of March, you should be able to accept or decline your award letter.
To accept your award letter please follow these steps:
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Accepting, Reviewing or Declining Your Aid:
1. Log in to Ursa at ursa.unco.edu.
2. Select "Financial" tab and click "View/Accept Award Offer."
a. Select "Select Award Year" drop-down menu at the top right of the page to select year.
3. Your financial aid offer is available below the "Cost of Attendance on the Award Offer."
4. Click on the "Take Action" column and pick from the "Select" drop-down menu to accept, decline or modify.
5. If you choose to modify, you may have the option to accept both or one of the terms, as well as change the amount to a lesser value.
6. Once you have accepted, declined or modified your aid, confirm your selection by clicking either the "Submit" or "Confirm" button at the bottom.
a. Click the "I acknowledge these terms and conditions" button at the very bottom of the Terms and Conditions. This will turn the "Accept Award" button to blue, and you will be able to click to complete.
7. Click the "Home" tab. Any outstanding requirements will be listed on this tab. Outstanding requirements will need to be completed prior to aid paying out. - If you mistakenly accept or decline certain loans on your account and you want to
change your award letter, please email the office at ofa@unco.edu with your name, bear
number and what loan and amount you want to accept or decline. Your request will be
processed within 3-5 business days.
NOTE: If you have NEVER borrowed Federal Direct Stafford loans with UNC before, you will need to complete some additional steps at studentaid.gov such as; the Federal Direct Stafford Loan Entrance Counseling and the Master Promissory Note (MPN).
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- Viewing your Bill
Your student bill can be viewed on Ursa under the “Financial” tab. Located on the top left, the account balances for your terms at UNC can be seen; at the bottom will be your account balance. Click on each term to see a detailed list of term credits and payments.
- Students Studying Abroad
If you have been accepted into an UNC approved study abroad program you may use any federal, state or institutional aid you would normally be awarded except for work-study and some scholarships. Use of private scholarships for study abroad must be approved by the donor.
Depending on a student’s particular financial status, the financial aid award may not cover all study abroad costs. There are federal loan limits based on a student’s academic level that prevent UNC from funding an unlimited amount in Federal Direct Stafford loans to students. Private loans may be an option for those who qualify.
Study abroad students should have personal funds available to cover the cost of travel and to sustain them for a few weeks, as financial aid funds will not be available until actual full-time academic enrollment verification is completed. Students will also need extra funds for vacation travel as federal regulations prevent the use of funds for such costs.
Contact the Office of Financial Aid after meeting with the Study Abroad Office.
- Summer Aid
Processing will begin in April for all students registered for summer classes that have a current year FAFSA on file. The deadline for summer aid is July 20. Summer aid will be accepted through Ursa under the View/Accept Award Offer tab.
- Work Study and Student Employment
UNC offers many places to work on campus. Find an on-campus employer. Aside from offering hourly paid jobs, UNC offers work-study employment. Work-study is awarded to students based on their financial need. It is only accepted at locations on-campus that have work-study positions.
For more information visit our Student Employment page.
- Determining Your Costs
For the purposes of determining financial aid, our office follows the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) and federal guidelines to develop an estimated, average cost of attendance (budget) for different student classifications (commuter/non-commuter, undergraduate/graduate, resident/nonresident, etc.).
Budgets include estimated figures for tuition and mandatory fees, as well as estimated averages for room and board, books and supplies, transportation, and personal (miscellaneous) expenses.
The tuition cost for an undergraduate Colorado resident includes only the student share of tuition. The College Opportunity Fund (COF) pays a portion of your tuition. Be sure to apply for COF.
- Maintaining Your Aid
Federal regulations require that the University of Northern Colorado establish a policy to monitor the academic progress of students who apply for financial aid. Students must be making satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward their academic program in order to maintain their eligibility for financial aid.
Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress
The Standards for SAP and the associated policies may have changed for the next academic year. All students need to read this material carefully, and direct any questions to the Office of Financial Aid at 970-351-4862.
Please note: Academic Suspension appeals policy expectations differ from the Financial Aid Ineligibility Appeal Policy and have a separate application process. View instructions for Academic Appeal.
Ineligible for Aid
If you receive notification that you are Ineligible for Aid, you cannot to receive financial aid through UNC. Being Ineligible for Aid does not prohibit your enrollment at UNC, but you will be responsible for all charges incurred. Ineligibility remains in effect unless overturned by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee. If you are academically suspended and then are readmitted to the university, you must still appeal your financial aid Ineligibility. If financial assistance is received and you were not eligible for it, repayment of that aid is required immediately. The entire financial aid Refund/Repayment Policy may be obtained upon request from the Office of Financial Aid.
