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General Information
Niagara University is committed to helping students and their families afford an exceptional college education. NU's financial aid program is one of the most comprehensive in the nation. Currently, more than 98% of all NU students who apply for financial aid receive it. Our philosophy of awarding financial aid is in keeping with our Vincentian tradition of helping others from all walks of life. In short, our goal is to provide students with a positive, caring environment so they can grow to their full potential as well-educated and well-balanced individuals, regardless of their economic or social backgrounds.
While NU cannot fund the entire cost of an education for everyone, in most cases our Financial Aid Office can find innovative ways to make a NU education surprisingly affordable. Throughout the years, we have helped thousands of students make the dream of a NU education a reality. We probably can help you, too.
The Financial Aid Office can be reached via electronic mail at finaid@niagara.edu.
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Scholarships... regardless of your financial need!
All of Niagara University's merit scholarships, achievement awards, and grants for incoming first year students are based on your cumulative high school average and standardized test scores. Best of all, these awards are for each of your four years at NU, providing you are either a citizen of the United States or are an eligible non-citizen, maintain full-time matriculated status, and possess the required quality point average. And, because our merit scholarships, awards, and grants are based on a sliding scale, there are many variations to the examples below. In addition you may be eligible for other assistance based on your financial need.
Competitive Full-Tuition NU Honors Scholarships: (four years)
Selected number of incoming freshmen who possess a 97 percent average and a score of 1280 (critical reading and math) on the SAT or a composite score of 29 on the ACT are considered for this competitive award.
Niagara Trustees Scholarships: $12,000 per year for four years
Awarded to students who have high school records similar to these: 95 percent average with an 1150 SAT (critical reading and math) score (26 ACT); or 91 percent average, 1210 SAT (critical reading and math) score (27 ACT).
NU Presidential Scholarships: $10,000 per year for four years
Recipients of these scholarships usually have high school records of either 90 percent average with a 1050 SAT (critical reading and math) score (23 ACT); or an 85 percent average, 1120 SAT (critical reading and math) score (24 ACT).
NU Achievement Awards: $9,000 per year for four years
Typically, students receiving these awards have high school records in the mid - to upper 80s with SAT (critical reading and math) score ranging between 950 and 1050 or ACT composites between 20 and 22..
NU Grants: $5,500 per year for four years
Recipients of these grants usually have high school averages in the mid 80s and SAT (critical reading and math) score above 950 or ACT composites above 20.
Transfer Scholarships: (renewable)
Entering transfer students whose full-time (or equivalent) cumulative grade point averages are:
3.4 - 4.0 = $8,500 Transfer Scholarship
3.0 - 3.3 = $7,500 Transfer Scholarship
2.50 - 2.99 = $5,000 Transfer Award
In addition to these merit awards and scholarships, NU also offers athletic, community-service, and ROTC scholarships. NU students who qualify may receive additional funds in the form of state and federal grant programs, student employment, and loans. For a complete listing of these programs, contact the Admissions Office.
Applying For Financial Aid At NU Is Easy
All students who are considering NU should apply for financial aid. NU has streamlined the process to make it as easy as possible for you. Here's what to do:
1.Submit the FAFSA to the federal processing agency after January 1 (priority filing date February 15) by filing online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Make sure you put NU's federal code of 002788 on the FAFSA. Upon filing the FAFSA link to the New York Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) website at www.hesc.org. Be sure to put NU's New York TAP code of 0560 on the Tap Application. If you need a paper FAFSA, contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center toll free at 1-800-433-3243.
2. If you would like assistance completing these forms, NU's Financial Aid Office will help. Call them at 716-286-8686 for more information, or toll-free at 1-800-778-3450.
3. After you have been accepted for admission to NU and your FAFSA has been processed, NU will provide you with a confidential financial aid award letter which will detail specific scholarships, grants, loans, and other aid programs that you'll receive.
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Other Financing Options
NU's Financial Aid Office offers you and your family special financial assistance that can help make NU affordable. This assistance includes special payment options, alternative loan programs, and government-supported loans. NU's Financial Aid Office has a staff of knowledgeable, helpful professionals who will be happy to work with you on an individual basis to provide you with step-by-step details about affordable options. Contact NU's Financial Aid Office(telephone: 716-286-8686) for further information.
There are many innovative funding programs that are available, including the following:
Level Tuition
Plan(LTP)
The Level Tuition Plan gives new,
full-time freshmen the option of locking in on one tuition rate
for all four years. Under this plan, a slightly higher rate
of tuition is paid the first year. However, this rate will
remain stable in the years ahead when the cost of tuition increases.
NU's Monthly
Payment Option
In an effort to accommodate every
family’s educational financial needs, Niagara University
offers an interest-free payment plan that allows each semester’s
cost to be paid in five installments (ten payments per academic
year). There is a nominal charge for this service. Please look
for additional information from the Office of Student Accounts,
including the required application and all scheduled due dates,
for the upcoming academic year. Information, including downloadable
applications, may also be found under the heading of payment plans
at our
Web address: www.niagara.edu/accounts.
Federal
PLUS Loan Program
The Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) is available
to parents of dependent undergraduate students. Parents may borrow
an amount up to the cost of attendance per student less other aid
received. Repayment of principal and interest begins in 60 days,
with up to 10 years to repay the loan. The interest rate is fixed at 8.5%.
PLUS loans are not
need based and have no income restrictions. To be eligible, parents
shall have no adverse credit history.
There is an origination
fee of up to 4 percent deducted each time a loan payment is made.
Payment is made through electronic fund transfer (EFT).
Applications are
available from your lender (bank, credit union, etc.) or Niagara’s
financial aid office. Completed applications must be submitted
to the financial aid office at Niagara University. Please allow
six to eight weeks for processing.
Privately
Sponsored Alternative Loan Programs
A number of lenders, credit unions and agencies sponsor alternative
loans, home equity loans and lines of credit to help families finance
the cost of a college education.
Questions you may want to ask prospective lenders about their alternative loans include:
- What is the interest rate?
- What is the cap on the interest rate and how often does the interest rate change?
- When and how often is the interest capitalized (added to the principal)?
- When does the repayment begin?
- What are the penalties for missing monthly payments?
- Can you postpone payments after graduation; under what circumstances?
- Is there in-school deferment for graduate school; and is there a maximum time for an in-school deferment?
For additional information
about financing a college education, visit the College Savings
Program's web site (www.nysaves.org)
and the Higher Education Services Corporation's web site
(www.hesc.org). They can
provide important information for students and their families. Also,
visit www.fastweb.com to
search for scholarships.
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Scholarships For Canadian Citizens
All of NU's merit scholarships, achievement awards and grants for incoming first year students are based on your cumulative high school average and standardized test scores. Best of all, these awards are for each of your four years at NU, providing you maintain full-time matriculated status and the required quality point average. And, because these awards are based on a sliding scale, there are many variations to the examples below. All you need to do is make application and submit results from either the SAT or ACT. NU will do the rest, converting your cumulative high school average to the U.S. equivalent, then letting you know which scholarship and how much you are eligible to receive. If you have not taken the SAT or ACT, NU will continue to accept these scores until the first day of classes. Keep in mind that all the dollar amounts listed are in U.S. funds.
Students in the Ontario Teacher Education – Bachelor Degree Program are not eligible for these scholarships.
Competitive Full-Tuition NU Honors Scholarships:
Incoming freshmen who possess an 88 percent Canadian average and a cumulative score of 1280 on the SAT or a composite of 29 on the ACT are considered for this competitive award.
Niagara Trustees Scholarships: $12,000 per year for four years
Awarded to students who have Canadian high school records similar to these: 86 percent average with an 1150 SAT (critical reading and math) score (26 ACT); or a 78 percent average, 1210 SAT (critical reading and math) score (27 ACT).
NU Presidential Scholarship: $10,000 per year for four years
Recipients of these scholarships usually have Canadian high school averages of either 77 percent with a 1050 SAT(critical reading and math) score (23 ACT); or a 70 percent average with 1120 SAT (critical reading and math) score (24 ACT).
NU Achievement Awards: $9,000 per year for four years
Typically, students receiving these awards have Canadian high school records in the upper 60's with SAT (critical reading and math) score ranging between 950 and 1050 or ACT composites between 20 and 22.
NU Grants: $5,500 per year for four years
Recipients of these grants usually have Canadian high school averages in the mid-60's and SAT (critical reading and math) score of 950 or ACT composites above 20.
NU Transfer Scholarships and Grants:
Entering students whose full-time (or equivalent) cumulative grade point averages are:
3.4 - 4.0 = $8,500 Transfer Scholarship
3.0 - 3.3 = $7,500 Transfer Scholarship
2.5 - 2.9 = $5,000 Transfer Award
Contact Niagara University's Office of Admissions for more information about eligibility requirements for the Canadian grants and scholarships.
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Meet The Financial Aid Office
The Office of Financial Aid can be reached by telephone at 716-286-8686, fax at 716-286-8678, or by e-mail at finaid@niagara.edu.
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