Financial Aid literacy

Learn more about financial aid!

Understanding Aid

We are happy to provide some helpful information to make financing your education just a little bit easier. Above all, being informed about what is available to you and learning the difference between free aid and aid that will need paid back can help majorly in your journey.

Check out these helpful hints from our Financial Aid office below!

Tips to Navigate Financial Aid

Complete Our Financial Literacy Program: NPRC has designed a literacy program related to financial aid. This serves as a way to help learners and their loves ones understand the types of aid and how to navigate affording their education. Complete our program by heading here.
Building a Budget: It is important to learn how budget during your college career. Budgeting involves both short term expenses like books for your classes, rent, and paying for other daily activities. Long-term expenses involve how you plan to repay your loans and planning for your future. Learning to budget now can help make your future look even brighter. Check out budgeting advice and tools here.
Free Aid v. Loan Aid: When you take a loan as opposed to accepting free aid, this is outlined on your award letter from NPRC. In terms of loans, these are each students responsibility to pay off once schooling is complete. As for free aid, each student may have awards, grants, and scholarships, which do not need to pay that back. However, if in doubt, feel free to ask our Financial Aid office questions at any point to distinguish the difference between free aid and aid that needs paid back at financialaid@rrcnpa.org.
Monitoring Loans: Monitor your financial aid and loans while you are in college will help you stay on track. By logging onto your National Student Loan Data System record, you can view your federal aid. once you are logged in, click on My Aid. This website will allow you to monitor the types of aid and amounts of your federal loans and Pell grants. This is especially important since some financial aid funds are limited or capped.
Know Your Federal Servicer: If you borrow a federal loan, you will work directly with a Federal Servicer. Maintaining a record of who your servicer is and how to contact them will help you when it's time to begin repaying loans Your loans will be in deferment if you maintain six credits of classes each semester while you are enrolled in school. Repayment of these loans begins as early as six months after you graduate. However, If you plan to attend another school to complete a bachelor’s degree, these loans can remain in deferment as long as you are enrolled in at least six credits per term.
Loan Repayment Options: Understanding your loan repayment processes and options will ensure you pay off loans efficiently and effectively.. Researching the variety of repayment options you may have is a great first step. On the Federal Student Aid website, you can learn about forbearance, deferment, and other pertinent information about your loans. Log into studentaid.gov and click on the "loan repayment” tab for more information on this topic.
Staying Informed: The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) has tips and tools to make the transition to college easier. On their website under You Can Deal With It, they provide resources like information guides for borrowers and parents, tips on budgeting, and timelines for the financial aid process. The federal Financial Aid website is also a helpful tool. Visit studentaid.gov to access this helpful information and resources regarding your federal loans.
Consolidating Loans: Throughout your education, you may borrow loans from different loan servicers. Instead of having a separate payment for each individual servicer, you may have the option to consolidate your loan payments into one single payment. Use the link to view valuable information on this federal process once you complete your journey at NPRC.
Rehabilitation, Forgiveness, Cancellation, and Loan Discharge: If you find yourself in default on a student loan, you may use loan rehabilitation as a way to get assist you. There are certain situations where your loans may be forgiven, cancelled, or discharged including disability, type of employment, and other circumstances. In this case, you would no longer be expected to repay your loan. The Federal Student Aid website lists several qualifications for these conditions.

See What Our Students Have to Say

“It was a wonderful experience here at NPRC. I learned so much and my instructor was amazing. He was knowledgeable and made sure that everything we need is uploaded online and communicates well with us. He also held us accountable to make sure we were learning and ready. I enjoyed working alongside my amazing classmates and all the different experiences they brought to the course. Everyone in our class was eager to learn and was proactive about staying up to date on what is being asked of us.”

- Marie, NPRC EMT Graduate

“Attending NPRC was truly life-changing for me and provided a foundation to pursue my passion for early childhood education. I gained the knowledge and skills needed to excel in this field. But it was bigger than just academics; my professors taught me valuable life lessons and instilled important values that have shaped who I am today. Overall, my college journey has not only prepared me for a successful career but has also equipped me with the mindset and tools to make a positive impact on the lives of young children.”

- Brittany, Early Childhood Education Graduate

“I had a fear that this degree would be unobtainable due to being a full-time employee and mother. With the support of family, friends, coworkers, and NPRC, I’ve gained confidence and support to continue my education.”

- Brittney, NPRC Student

“From the first time I found out about
NPRC, I knew attending college was
something I wanted to pursue because
of how genuine the first interaction was.
I’m proof that finding the right path can
be done. It’s worth it to find ways out of
situations you do not want to be in for
better ones. I can’t say enough about how
NPRC’s employees have empowered and
advocated for me.”

- Amanda, NPRC Student

"NPRC’s faculty, staff, and professors do
everything they can to see the students
succeed and provide us with exactly what
we need to do our best both inside the
classroom and out. The early childhood
education program is phenomenal. It was
a school that aided me in balancing class,
schoolwork, and my career. From the start
and throughout my time, NPRC made me
feel like I was at the right place.”

- Savannah, Early Childhood Education Graduate

Frequently Asked Questions

Am I considered an independent or dependent student on the FAFSA? 

When will I receive my financial aid refund?

If I am a dependent student and my parents are divorced or separated, whose financial information should be used on my FAFSA? 

If your parents are divorced, separated, or never married, and don’t live together, the parent who provided more financial support during the last 12 months is the contributor. 

If your parents are divorced, separated, or never married; don’t live together; and provided an exact equal amount of financial support or if they don’t support you financially, the parent with the greater income and assets is the contributor.

Do I have to reapply for financial aid every year?

Yes. The FAFSA is available for the next academic year (Fall, Spring, Summer) beginning in October. To meet the Pennsylvania State Grant deadline, you must file your FAFSA every year by June/August 1 for the next academic year.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is required of all families applying for financial assistance. It is a standard form from the Department of Education that determines eligibility for all state and federal grants.

Family financial situations change significantly as siblings graduate from or enroll in college, education costs increase, or unexpected situations occur, so it is required that every family submit a FAFSA yearly. It is very important that the form be turned in on time—check out the FAFSA online or consult your guidance counselor and finaid.org for more information.

How do I apply for a Pennsylvania State Grant?

What is the difference between a subsidized and unsubsidized loan? 

How do I apply for student loans?

What is verification?

What step do I need to take to complete verification?

Do I have to be a full-time student to receive financial aid?

What is Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and what does it have to do with my aid?

What if I have an unusual circumstance?

You may have an unusual circumstance that prevents you from contacting your parents or obtaining their information. If this is the case, you will be eligible to skip any questions about your parents, submit your FAFSA form as an independent student, and receive a provisional SAI. Your provisional SAI is subject to a final review by NPRC and may change your eligibility for federal student aid. After submitting your FAFSA form, you must contact the financial aid office to receive information about next steps—including policies and timelines—to complete your application. 

Can my financial aid award change?

Yes. Your financial aid awards will change if you adjust your schedule prior to OR during the “schedule adjustment” period of a semester. Additionally, loans will be adjusted if you receive later awards from other sources. (think scholarships that arrive to NPRC a bit later). And let’s not forget if a student decides to withdraw from the school all together, this has other ramifications, and you should reach out to the Financial Aid office for more information on that topic.

Do parents receive a copy of their student's grades?

In accordance with Federal Privacy Laws, the College is not at liberty to release students’ grades to parents without consent on the part of the student. If you would like detailed information on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) you can reach out to the Registrar’s Office, or have your student find the form they will need to complete (FERPA) on the My NPRC site.

What is the difference between a high school and college environment?

The college environment requires students to function independently, be self-directed, and be mature enough to handle adult subject matter and a diverse population. College students are expected to contribute to the learning environment and behave in a manner that will not disrupt instruction, the classroom, events, or other campus settings. The college workload averages two hours of homework for every hour of class time.

Who do I talk to if I have financial aid questions?