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Welcome to the Dollar$ and $ense Newsletter

Dollar$ and $ense aims to keep you informed about news that may impact your student account, financial aid, expenses, and sources of income. This newsletter is published quarterly by Enrollment and Student Services, Nova Southeastern University's central administrative unit, which includes the offices of financial aid, bursar, student health insurance, registrar, transfer evaluation services, SharkCard services, and the Health Professions Division admissions office. 

 
Fall 2020 Issue
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◼ Important Deadlines

◼ 2021-22 FAFSA Available as of October 1

◼ Federal Loan Payments Remain Suspended

◼ VA Chapter 33 Benefit Level Changes

◼ Virtual Commencements

◼ SharkLink Gets a Facelift

◼ 2020-21 Scholarship Profile

◼ FAQs

 

Important Dates

Late Fee Deadlines
If a student has a balance at 30 days after the start of the semester, a hold and a $100 late fee will be placed on the account. The hold stops all student services including but not limited to future registrations. It will remain on the student account until the balance has been paid in full.

September 12
Deadline to submit 2019-2020 FAFSA corrections or updates

September 14
Fall 2020- Session II payment plan options open in NSU eBill with close date of October 12.

September 16
Last day to pay outstanding charges to avoid a late fee for students whose program started on August 17 

October 1
2020-2021 FAFSA becomes available at studentaid.gov.

October 26
Winter 2021 priority registration opens for undergraduate students (honors, online, veterans, active duty military, marine biology, and student-athletes).

October 28
Early monthly winter 2021 payment plan options open in NSU eBill with close date of December 4.

November 2
Winter 2021 registration opens for new and continuing undergraduate students.

November 25
Additional winter 2021 payment plan options open in NSU eBill with close date January 6.

November 26 & 27
Thanksgiving Break

 

2021-2022 FAFSA Becomes Available October 1

File Early for Maximum Eligibility

Even though the 2020-21 academic year has just begun, it is not too early to plan for the 2021-22 financial aid year! The 2021-22 Free Application for Federal Student Aid becomes available October 1, 2020, at studentaid.govComplete the FAFSA as soon as possible each year for maximum eligibility! 

 

Changes to the 2021-22 FAFSA include:

  • You will use your (your parents') 2019 federal tax return information.

  • Enhanced abilities of the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) to verify if a Schedule 1 was filed 

The financial aid office recommends that all eligible filers use the IRS DRT, as it automatically imports information from the federal tax returns into your FAFSA. That makes filing not only faster, but also more accurate.

FAFSA
Government Extends Loan Relief through 12/31

Federal Loan Payments Remain Suspended

department of educationStudent loan relief initiated by the federal government in response to the Coronavirus pandemic in March has been extended through December 31, 2020. During this extended time, borrowers with federally held student loans will have their payments automatically suspended until 2021 without penalty. In addition, the interest rate on all federally held student loans will be set to 0% through the end of the calendar year. Borrowers will continue to have the option to make payments if they choose. Doing so will allow them to pay off their loans more quickly and at a lower cost.  

Department of Education Press Release
Increased Benefits for Some Veterans

Changes to Chapter 33 Benefit Levels

va-benefitsPost-9/11 GI Bill® recipients (Chapter 33) may be eligible for increased benefits effective August 1, 2020. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pays Post-9/11 GI Bill®  benefits at different rates (known as benefit levels) based on length of service. Effective August 1, 2020, rates have changed as follows:

  • The 40% benefit level has been eliminated.
  • Students who were previously eligible for 40% are now eligible for 50%.
  • Students who were previously eligible for 50% are now eligible for 60%.

Veterans may use the GI Bill® Comparison Tool to determine the entitlement they can receive for their education, training, and housing.

For more information, please view the VA’s Consolidation of Benefit Level Postcard

NSU's Veterans Benefits Website
Congratulations, 2020 Graduates!

Virtual Commencements October 2

commencement 2020We were extremely hopeful that the university would be able to offer a ground-based graduation ceremony during the 2020 commencement season. Unfortunately, this is no longer a viable option due to remaining national, state, and local prohibitions of large group gatherings. In addition, the university’s commencement venue recently announced it will not be accepting reservations for events scheduled to take place in 2020.  However, the university is pleased to offer our graduates the opportunity to participate in NSU’s October 2nd virtual commencement ceremony. 

  • 10:00 AM Ceremonies:
    Ceremony 1—Shepard Broad College of Law
    Ceremony 2—Health Professions Division (HPD)
    • College of Dental Medicine
    • College of Optometry
    • College of Pharmacy
    • Ron and Kathy Assaf College of Nursing (graduate programs)

  • 12:30 PM Ceremonies:
    Ceremony 3—Abraham S. Fischler College of Education & School of Criminal Justice (graduate programs)
    Ceremony 4—HPD—Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences (graduate programs)

    3:00 PM Ceremonies:
    Ceremony 5—All undergraduate programs
    Ceremony 6—FCE graduate programs
    • Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship
    • College of Computing and Engineering
    • College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography—now Halmos College of Arts and Sciences
NSU Commencement Website
Think SharkLink for Easy Information Access

SharkLink Receives a Facelift

SharkLink, the university's secure portal for student information, received a facelift on September 1. Upon login, students can now access financial aid, registration, and student account information from the homepage, instead of having to click through different pages. The new home page features 5 new tabs for easy access of information: Home, Academics, Finances, Grades & Transcripts, and My Profile. The application slider bar was replaced with an app portlet in the lower right corner. 

Besides accessing NSU applications, you can do many other things in SharkLink, such as:

  • view your financial aid, student account, and course schedule information
  • view holds and pay your bill
  • view course descriptions and register/drop classes
  • access Degree Works (online degree evaluation tool)
  • update your mailing address and phone numbers
  • obtain enrollment verification
  • view grades and request official transcripts
  • complete the Student Enrollment Agreement 
  • and more

Let us know how you like the new SharkLink portal by sending an email to dollarsandsense@nova.edu

The Buzz on Scholarships

Complete the Scholarship Profile Every Year

It is never too late to search and apply for scholarships. NSU’s scholarship website is a great place to start. If you are pressed for time, make it a priority to complete the NSU Scholarship Profile every year! By completing the profile, you are automatically considered for thousands of dollars in institutional awards. Once you have the documentation listed below at hand, it will take a mere three minutes for you to complete:

  • Test scores
  • Unofficial transcript
  • GPA (for transfer/continuing students)
  • Volunteer or community service experience
  • Two letters of recommendation
2020-21 Scholarship Profile
FAQs

Why do I have a hold on my account?

If a student has a balance at 30 days after the start of the semester, a hold and a $100 late fee will be placed on the account. The hold stops all student services, including but not limited to future registrations. It will remain on the student account until the balance has been paid in full. For more information on holds, log into SharkLink or visit the bursar website.

What's the best time to apply for financial aid?

The best time to apply for financial aid is as soon as possible after October 1 of each year, when the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) becomes available at studentaid.gov. Some aid is awarded on a first come, first served basis, so the early bird catches the worm. NSU's priority deadline is March 15. Financial aid will still be awarded after the priority deadline, however, some funding will no longer be available. 

Do I need to complete any other applications beside the FAFSA for financial aid? 

All students are encouraged to complete the General Scholarship Profile each year for automatic consideration for institutional scholarships. If you are a Florida resident, you should also complete the NSU State Aid Application to apply for Florida state aid. The NSU State Aid Application only has to be completed once.  

faqs For answers to more FAQ, visit:

 

NSU Florida | Nova Southeastern University

Financial Aid and Academic Records
 Horvitz Administration Building
3300 S. University Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 33328-2004

(954) 262-3380  •   800-806-3680

dollarsandsense@nova.edu