Your financial aid award helps fund your educational expenses, and with careful planning, will cover your direct and indirect college costs. How do the dollars and cents listed on the award translate into living and learning experiences on campus? You can find a detailed breakdown and definitions below.
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The cost of attendance is made up of both direct and indirect costs. It’s based upon your major, number of terms you will be enrolled, and your student status—full time or part time. To understand these costs, here is what makes up direct and indirect expenses.
Direct Costs
These will appear on your bill and are required to be paid to the College. These costs include tuition, fees, campus housing, and meal plans.
Indirect Costs
These expenses are not billed by the College. These include off-campus room and meals, books, transportation, and personal costs.
Below is the composition of each category of your cost of attendance:
Tuition and Fees
Based upon Board of Trustees-approved rates. These rates are re-evaluated each year.
Books and Supplies
This is an estimated amount based on the average cost of books for Northland students. Actual book costs may vary by program, major, and class year.
Miscellaneous
This is an estimated amount based on recommendation by the Department of Education.
Housing and Food
Northland assesses three variations of housing and food:
Transportation
Based upon the following possible expenses: gas, tolls, mileage; public transportation; and a limited number of trips home during the academic year.
Direct Loan Fees
Your cost of attendance may be updated to include required federal loan fees should you choose to borrow through any of the Direct Loan Programs.
The federal government requires educational institutions to reflect the cost of average loan fees for those students who have been awarded federal loans. This does not increase your out-of-pocket expense.
*This May Term fee schedule applies to current degree-seeking students and does not include special course fees, such as those assessed for travel courses. Registration fees for non-degree-seeking students enrolled in May Term courses may differ from the rates above.
Travel course fees require at least 50 percent to register (with instructor approval), and final payment is due February 15, 2025 (remaining balance).
*This May Term fee schedule applies to current degree-seeking students and does not include special course fees, such as those assessed for travel courses. Registration fees for non-degree-seeking students enrolled in May Term courses may differ from the rates above.
Travel course fees require at least 50 percent to register (with instructor approval), and final payment is due February 15, 2026 (remaining balance).
Consult your financial aid award for information on your award package for each school year. You must complete all required forms and submissions to receive financial aid disbursements.
If you are looking for Federal Student Loans, Alternative Student Loans, or Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) to help cover the costs of your bill, consult your financial aid award to review your options or visit our loans information page. You can also contact our financial services specialist at 715-682-1255.
The work-study portion of your financial aid is NOT included on the bill, as you have to earn this to receive it. If you would like a portion of your work earnings assigned from your paycheck directly to your account, you can complete a campus earnings form on the payroll portal. You will need to complete a Federal I-9 form before beginning any employment with Northland College. To complete this form you will need to bring a Social Security card, passport, birth certificate, or other acceptable documents. View the complete list of acceptable documents. You will need one document from list A or one each from lists B and C. Actual document(s) are required, not just a photo.
If you have excess financial aid (after tuition, fees, room, and board) you can apply for a return of those funds. Get your refund using the refund request form. Refunds are issued twice per month beginning after the add/drop period each term—see Refund Schedule (PDF). Timing of refunds may be subject to change based on extenuating circumstances. Students who have submitted a form for a scheduled refund day will be contacted if a refund date will be rescheduled.
Northland College recognizes that there are times when you or your family’s circumstances change unexpectedly. In cases where there has been an unforeseen change that creates a financial hardship, Northland College has an appeals process in place to offer you assistance and evaluate whether additional financial resources can be offered to you on an emergency basis.
In order to start the evaluation process, you will need to contact Northland College either by phone, email, or by visiting Office of Financial Aid in person. The representative you meet with will discuss your circumstances with you in order to determine the most appropriate action to take. In some instances, you may be asked to provide documentation of your situation.
Northland College may evaluate you for additional financial resources if you have had any of the following changes in circumstances:
Upon review of your circumstances, Northland may be able to offer you some additional financial assistance or advise on financing options you should consider. It is important that you review all other options available to you while this process is under review.
Verification Policy
As part of the financial aid process, the US Department of Education may randomly select students for verification. This ensures that the data reported on the FAFSA is accurate so that students can be awarded appropriately. Note that federal financial aid funds cannot be disbursed until all requested documents have been submitted and verified. Students should only submit documents if they are specifically requested.
The verification process can take several weeks to complete.
If selected for verification, Northland College will send the student an email with instructions on how to access their verification requirements. Once logged in, the student can view their outstanding requirements and upload the necessary documents to satisfy those requirements.
Unless otherwise directed, students are advised not to make changes to their FAFSA during verification. If corrections are necessary, Northland College will make the required adjustments and submit them electronically to the federal processor. The federal processor will then notify the student of the corrections made by the College. If there are changes to the financial aid award as a result, a notification email will be sent to the student.
It is important to note that deliberately falsifying information on the FAFSA form to obtain federal financial aid inappropriately is a federal crime. Any instances of deliberate tampering with FAFSA information will be referred to the Office of Inspector General as required by the institution’s Program Participation Agreement.
Examples of documents that may be requested from students include the Verification Webform, an official IRS Tax Return Transcript, and/or a signed copy of the IRS Form 1040. Additional documents may also be required, such as Federal W-2s and Schedules from the Tax Return Transcript. Students will be notified of the required documents via email.
It is crucial for students to complete verification as soon as possible. Federal aid will not be disbursed to their tuition account until their file is verified.
The Department of Education requires colleges to verify that some or all of the following information on the FAFSA is correct:
Students may also be asked to verify additional information if conflicting information is found in the categories above.
Some financial aid awards require you to maintain a certain per term enrollment. If you are planning to change your status from full time to part time, or you decide to enroll for less than full time for a single term, it is important you contact student financial services to determine if your financial aid will be affected. You may end up losing some types of financial aid if you change your status or enroll for less than full time.
Most of the scholarships offered by Northland College require you to maintain a specific cumulative grade point average (GPA). If you do not meet the minimum GPA threshold at the time GPAs are reviewed, you will lose your scholarship for the next academic year. To calculate your GPA, use the GPA projection tool.
If you do not meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards, you are not eligible to receive financial aid. To appeal your SAP status, you must complete and submit the SAP appeal form along with a personal statement and supporting documentation to substantiate your extenuating circumstance.
Regularly monitor your Northland email account for any request for additional information. During this time, you will be responsible for any tuition and fees, including late fees, charged to your account. Submitting an appeal does not guarantee approval to reinstate your eligibility to receive financial aid.
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