Financial Aid Process

In the School of Education, there are two forms of financial aid: scholarships from the University and loans.

1. You will be considered for scholarships by the Admission Office. Additional documentation may be required to qualify for scholarships. The Financial Aid Office will receive notification of your award, and make sure that it is credited to your account.
2. If you are interested in obtaining federal Stafford Loans to help fund your education, please complete the FAFSA. In order to sign your FAFSA electronically, you, and your parent if you are a dependent student, must obtain a PIN. North Park's school code is 001735. The Financial Aid Office uses the information that you provide on the FAFSA to provide you with the best possible financial aid package. The FAFSA website will prove you with detailed instructions on how to complete the form. Please be sure to indicate on the FAFSA that you want North Park to receive your information. Our school code is 001735.
3. Once you have completed the FAFSA, the government will send you a Student Aid Report (SAR) electronically. Review the SAR and make sure that the information is correct. If you need to make any corrections to your information, please do so online.
4. Approximately 30% of our students are selected for a process called verification. If you are selected for verification, you will receive a letter from the Financial Aid Office requesting additional documents, such as federal tax forms, from you (and your spouse/parent(s), if applicable). A financial aid package will not be created for you until you have completed verification.
5. Once you are admitted to a program, and we have received a valid FAFSA, we will send you a financial aid package that details the maximum amount that you may borrow for the academic year in Stafford Loans. Included with your package will be information about how to access your loan funds. You may apply for Stafford Loans at any point in the academic term.
6. In addition to federal Stafford Loans, you may also pursue private educational loans through lenders of your choice. Private loans are not regulated by the federal government or North Park, often carry high, variable interest rates, and are based on creditworthiness.  If you are a dependent student, your parent also has the option to borrow federal loan funds on your behalf.

Maintaining Your Eligibility for Financial Aid

In order to receive federal Stafford Loans, you must be enrolled at least half time in a degree- or certificate-seeking program.  Half time enrollment is six credit hours/term for undergraduate teacher's certification students.  Four credit hours is half-time enrollment for graduate students.

You must also maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Students who are in default on student loans are NOT eligible for additional Stafford Loans. If you have a loan in default, contact your lender to make payment arrangements. Once we receive confirmation that your loan is in good standing, you will be eligible for additional Stafford Loan funds.