Frequently Asked Questions
Students should submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on October 1 but no later than February 15. Late FAFSA submissions can affect eligibility for some financial aid programs.
For most students, only a completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is necessary to receive an award offer. Students are notified via e-mail if Student Financial Aid Services (SFAS) needs additional documentation to process financial aid.
We recommend submitting outstanding financial aid requirements as soon as possible or within 14 days of the request. There will be a delay in award processing if documents are received late. Processing can take up to 30 days after submission.
New/transfer students who submitted a FAFSA and all required documentation will begin to receive award offer notifications around the middle of January/February each year. Students with outstanding documentation requests may receive an unofficial estimated award offer that is subject to change until all requirements are satisfied. For all major deadlines, please visit the deadlines to watch page.
If a student or family member recently lost a job or experienced financial hardship due to death, divorce, or unexpected medical expenses, they may submit an Appeal for Income Reduction. Requests do not guarantee an increase in aid. You can download the application here.
Students apply for federal student loans by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each academic year. Once we receive your FAFSA, we will offer the federal student loans. You will need to accept the loans at http://my.njit.edu.
Students can accept/decline/reduce any federal loan offered to them through the online award offer. Students can access the award offer through their Highlander Pipeline at http://my.njit.edu.
Students can submit a Financial Aid Adjustment form to submit loan adjustment requests.
The deadline for accepting federal loans in any given semester is generally about two weeks before the end of that semester. Tuition and fee billing due dates are prior to the due dates to accept loans.
The difference between Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans is the accrual of interest. Subsidized loans will NOT accrue interest while the student remains enrolled in school at least half-time (6 or more credit hours for undergraduate students). Interest on Unsubsidized loans will accrue from the date of disbursement. More detailed information about both Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans can be found here.
Financial aid disburses about 14 days into the semester as long as Verification of Presence is received from your professor. If you are selected for verification, you may need to provide additional documentation before your aid can be disbursed. Disbursement can be delayed depending on when SFAS receives the requested documents. Disbursement dates and other important dates and deadlines can be found on the deadlines to watch section of our website. After the initial disbursement of financial aid, additional disbursements occur regularly throughout the semester.
Pell Grant is adjusted if students enroll part-time. Loans, work-study and NJIT aid may be adjusted if the reduced enrollment also reduces a student’s financial need. Students must enroll at least half time to receive federal student loans and Tuition Aid Grant (TAG) requires students to be enrolled full time.
Yes. Please review Scholarship Policies for awarding and adjustment of scholarships.