Accelerated Online FAQ

There are several reasons Northern Kentucky University may not yet have your FAFSA on file. If you have questions about your specific situation, please contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance for assistance.

Common reasons include:

• Your FAFSA was recently submitted and has not yet been received or processed.
  
• NKU was not listed as a school recipient on your FAFSA.
  
• Information on your FAFSA does not match our records (such as your Social Security number or ZIP code).
  

To be eligible for most federal financial aid programs, you must be enrolled at least half-time:

• Undergraduate students: 6 credit hours per semester
• Graduate students: 3 credit hours per semester

If you are enrolled in an Accelerated Online program, you may take multiple 5- or 7-week terms within a single fall, spring, or summer semester. Financial aid eligibility is based on your total enrolled credit hours across all terms within that semester, not each individual term.

Depending on the type of aid you receive, your award may be prorated if you are enrolled less than full-time. Students receiving the Federal Pell Grant may qualify for a prorated award at any level of enrollment.

Before your federal loans can appear on your billing statement, you must complete the following requirements (if not already on file):

• Master Promissory Note (MPN)
• Loan Entrance Counseling

You do not need to wait for your FAFSA to finish processing to complete these steps. We encourage you to complete them as soon as possible to avoid delays in your loan disbursement.

• Complete your Master Promissory Note: https://studentaid.gov/mpn/
• Complete Loan Entrance Counseling: https://studentaid.gov/entrance-counseling

If you are accepting a Direct Grad PLUS loan, understand that these loan offers require the student to pass a credit check and fill out specific PLUS MPN. More information about PLUS loan requirements can be found here: https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/plus/grad

While most students can qualify for federal financial aid by completing the FAFSA, certain eligibility requirements must be met. These include, but are not limited to:

• Being a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
• Meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards
• Remaining within your lifetime federal aid limits
• Being enrolled in a degree seeking program

After your FAFSA is received, you may also be selected for a process called verification, which requires additional documentation before aid can be finalized.

If you have questions or concerns about your eligibility, please contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance for personalized assistance.

We strongly encourage you to register for all of your planned courses at the beginning of the semester.

If you are enrolled in 7-week sessions, this means registering for both your first and second session courses at the same time.

There are important benefits to doing so:

• One consolidated bill: You will receive a single bill for the entire semester, allowing you to know upfront what you owe and whether you can expect a refund (if applicable).
• Federal Pell Grant considerations: Under federal regulations, Northern Kentucky University cannot increase a Federal Pell Grant award after the initial disbursement for the semester.

If you add courses after your Pell Grant has been disbursed, you will not be eligible for an increase in Pell funding to cover those additional charges.

To avoid unexpected out-of-pocket costs, please enroll in all intended courses before the semester begins whenever possible.

Yes. Northern Kentucky University’s Office of Student Financial Assistance is committed to providing timely updates regarding newly enacted federal policies and guidance.

Although the anticipated changes are not scheduled to take effect until July 1, 2026, and final federal guidance has not yet been released, we have created a dedicated webpage outlining currently available information and expected updates.

We encourage you to review that page regularly, as it will be updated as additional details become available.

• Undergraduate student changes
• Graduate student changes

Yes. State financial aid eligibility for Accelerated Online students is generally comparable to students enrolled in traditional programs.

If you meet the program requirements, undergraduate students may qualify for several Kentucky state aid programs, including:

• The Kentucky College Access Program (CAP) Grant
• Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES) funds
• The Foster and Adopted Children Tuition Waiver

Eligibility requirements vary by program. We encourage you to review each program’s criteria or contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance for assistance determining your eligibility.

The Path to Success Scholarship is the most common award for Accelerated Online students. It is available to first-time NKU OnlineA undergraduate students, including those who transition from a traditional in-person program. For details on eligible degree programs, please visit: https://onlinedegrees.nku.edu/programs/undergraduate/

Currently, this scholarship is not available for graduate programs. Please note that the RN to BSN program is also not eligible.

Path to Success awards will autopopulate to student accounts within two business days of enrolling in eligible courses. To confirm which courses qualify, please work closely with your assigned academic advisor prior to enrolling.

Yes. If you do not plan to complete the FAFSA, other payment options may be available.

Please visit the Student Account Services website to learn more about alternative ways to pay your bill. At this time, the installment plan is not available for those in AOL programs. The bill must be paid in full to avoid being dropped when a subsession begins.

Additionally, this webpage can give you an overview of the refund process and important dates to consider.