The Financial Aid Office at Nazareth University realizes that students and their families experience unforeseen circumstances and/or expenses during an academic year. A financial aid appeal is a way for a student and their family to communicate with the Financial Aid Office about changes and circumstances that could not be reflected or explained on the FAFSA.

Special Circumstances are defined as changes in a student and/or parent’s financial circumstances. 

Unusual Circumstances are defined as changes in a student’s dependency status.

Students who have questions regarding a Special or Unusual Circumstance are encouraged to call the Financial Aid Office at 585-389-2310, to speak with a member of our staff about possible appeal options based on their situation.

Examples of Special Circumstances:

• Significant/unexpected changes in family income (student and/or parent) due to loss of job, child support loss/reduction
• Change in martial status (separated, divorced, widowed) after the FAFSA was filed
• Unreimbursed medical expenses
• Additional private educational expenses
• Other special circumstances outside of the student’s control
• Cost of attendance budget increases (*This appeal is intended to increase a student’s overall cost of attendance so that the student may obtain additional loan funding, this appeal does not result in non-loan funding*)
• Additional required fees and/or educational expenses during the enrollment period
• Additional transportation expenses
• Additional meals/housing expenses (only medical related food expenses will be considered)
• Additional personal/family care expenses
• Additional or unexpected medical expenses
• Other reasonable, education-related expenses reviewed and approved by the Financial Aid Office

Unusual Circumstances and Dependency Status:

All applicants for federal financial aid are considered either “dependent” or “independent” based on criteria set by the Department of Education . However, dependent students could be considered independent by the Financial Aid Office if there are unusual circumstances.

Unusual circumstances exist when there is an involuntary dissolution of a relationship between the student and their parent(s).

Examples of Unusual Circumstances can include:

• Parental abuse or abandonment where the parent(s) cannot be located or shouldn’t be contacted.

Examples that are NOT considered Unusual Circumstances include:

• The student is self-supporting and/or reside separately from parent(s)
• The student and parent(s) are not on speaking terms
• The parent(s) does not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes
• Parent(s) refusal to contribute to students’ education

If unusual circumstances have occurred since filing your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), please complete a Special Condition Form, available upon request. 

Newly Accepted Freshmen or Transfer Students:

Contact the Financial Aid Office by either calling 585-389-2310 or sending an email to finaid@naz.edu and you will be provided further information.

Returning Undergraduate Students:

Email the Financial Aid Office detailing the change of circumstances. Our office will then evaluate your situation and instruct you on the next steps in the process.

Your request will be reviewed by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee and you will be sent a written response detailing the committee's decision.

All decisions regarding appeal requests are at the discretion of Nazareth University financial aid staff and cannot be appealed.

Nazareth Fair Lending Practices

Code of Conduct

Nazareth is committed to the highest standards of professional conduct and ethical behavior. We recognize that ensuring the integrity of the student financial aid and student accounts processes are critical to providing fair and affordable access to higher education. With the Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965, Congress has required that all colleges and universities post a Code of Conduct relating to financial aid, private lending, and student choice. Accordingly, the staff in Financial Aid and Student Accounts confirm that we adhere to the following sound practices.

Nazareth employees do not receive any personal benefits from Lending Institutions. No member of the financial aid office staff and/or the student accounts office staff will accept anything of more than nominal value on his or her behalf or on behalf of another person or entity from any Lending Institution.  This includes, for example, cash, stocks, gifts, entertainment, or travel reimbursement for conferences or training.

Nazareth does not provide any advantage to a Lending Institution. The staff in Financial Aid and Student Accounts do not accept anything of value from any Lending Institution in exchange for any advantage or consideration provided to the Lending Institution related to student loan activities. This includes but is not limited to revenue sharing, printing costs, etc. In addition, Nazareth does not operate a financial aid call center staffed by a Lending Institution.

Nazareth does not maintain a Preferred Lender List. For private/alternative loans, staff in the Financial Aid Office and Student Accounts Office do not recommend any lending institutions. Students and parents are free to select the lending institution of their choice.

Nazareth employees do not serve on lender advisory boards for remuneration. No officer, trustee, or employee of Nazareth who makes financial aid or student accounts decisions or who is employed in, supervises, or otherwise has responsibility over the Financial Aid Office or Student Accounts Office will receive any remuneration for serving as a member or participant on a student loan advisory board of a Lending Institution, or receive any reimbursement of expenses for such service.

Online Exit Counseling

Federal regulations require all Federal Direct Stafford and Grad PLUS borrowers participate in Exit Loan Counseling Interviews. When you leave Nazareth, the mandatory Exit Loan Counseling requirement can be accomplished by going to the websites listed below. Please have available the following information:

• Social security number
• Driver's license number
• Name, address, telephone number of three references
• Name, address, telephone number of expected employer, if available.

Please note that a separate Exit Counseling must be done for each loan program from which you borrowed.

FEDERAL DIRECT LOANS (including Stafford Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and Grad PLUS):

You are entitled to see your applications, grade transcripts, notice of awards and terms, and yearly reports. Colleges are not required to show parents and students notes and records kept solely for aid office use in reaching an aid decision, or to show students parental tax forms unless authorized by parents. Aid officers may discuss family finances with a student, unless specifically requested by a parent not to do so.

Verification is a federal review process required by the U.S. Department of Education by which we compare information from your FAFSA with your federal income tax information and other related documents. The U.S. Department of Education determines which student FAFSAs are selected for verification.

If your FAFSA is selected for verification, your taxable income must be verified by using the FAFSA's IRS Data Retrieval Tool or by comparing it to an IRS Tax Return Transcript. The IRS Data Retrieval Tool allows you and your parent(s) to pull in data from your filed federal tax returns into your FAFSA. You are strongly encouraged to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. If you are unable to use IRS Data Retrieval, you may order an IRS Tax Return Transcript online at www.irs.gov or by calling 1-800-908-9946.

In addition, you must complete a Federal Verification Worksheet to verify household and untaxed income information. The Federal Verification Worksheet (one for dependent students, one for independent students) is available here: Financial Aid Forms. Students will be contacted via their Nazareth University email if they are selected for federal verification. The required information must be provided within 30 days of request in order to receive any federal financial aid. For returning students, financial aid offers will not be determined until verification requirements are satisfactorily completed.

Nazareth offers the following five-year academic programs to entering freshmen:

• Joint BS/MS degree in Occupational Therapy
• BS/MS.ED dual degree in Art Education
• BS/MS in Speech Language Pathology

Under these programs, students are considered undergraduate for the first four years of the program and apply for financial aid as undergraduate students. Undergraduate students may receive Nazareth University scholarships/grants for full-time enrollment and are billed for tuition at full-time undergraduate flat rates. 

See Renewal Requirements for Graduate Federal Aid.

The Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law designed to protect the privacy of education records. By granting proxy rights, you can choose to release selected student accounts, financial aid or 1098T tax information to your designee via the online account; this permission also authorizes follow-up communications as needed via phone, email, or in person. In addition, students can choose to allow proxy access to GRADE history of completed coursework, but does not authorize university officials to discuss any information about the academic record with the proxy. For detailed information regarding FERPA, visit https://www2.naz.edu/registrar/ferpa/.

A student wishing to grant access to a proxy for their financial aid information will need to elect the 'Financial Aid' option under the ‘Access’ section of the proxy form for each proxy that is being granted this permission.

To add a proxy for financial aid access, allowing them to communicate with the University regarding your financial aid information:

1. Log in to your NazNet Self-Service Account :   https://mynaznetss.naz.edu/Student/Account/Login
2. Click 'Student Finance'
3. Click on your Naz User Name (at top right) and select ‘View/Add Proxy Access’ to add a new user or edit an existing proxy.
4. From the 'Select a Proxy' drop down menu, you will choose either add another user, to create a new proxy, or select the edit button next to the existing proxy’s name to amend access.
5. Under access within the proxy’s profile, Select 'Financial Aid'. You must select financial aid to consent to the disclosure of your financial aid information.
6. Read the Disclosure Agreement and complete the authorization by checking the box
7. Click ‘Save’ for amending an existing proxy, and ‘Submit’ for a new proxy

• Nazareth Room Grants are not available for off-campus housing and will be removed from the financial aid offer upon notification of a change in housing status.
• The figures used to determine Housing and Food costs remain the same regardless of whether you live on campus, in an apartment/house alone, or in an apartment/house with roommates. The budget does not change.
• The budget and financial aid eligibility is reduced if you decide to commute from home as there will be no college room charges or rent to be paid.
• When living off campus, room charges no longer appear on your college bill. Food charges will also be removed unless you decide to enroll in a commuter meal plan option.
• If your financial aid exceeds the charges on your student account, you are entitled to a refund once classes begin. Student Accounts will automatically send the refund check to your address on file. You may use that refund to help pay for your off-campus expenses.

If you have questions about the impact that moving off campus or living at home will have on your financial aid, please make an appointment to meet with your financial aid counselor as soon as possible.

When considering a study abroad program, ask your financial aid counselor about the impact on your financial aid offer. Nazareth grants/scholarships are only available for Nazareth study abroad programs (residential programs, exchange programs, or short-term programs) for which Nazareth tuition is charged.

If you are a financial aid recipient and plan to attend a Nazareth study abroad program and pay tuition directly to Nazareth, you remain eligible to receive all financial aid as offered. However, a Nazareth room grant is not awarded for terms off campus.

Study Abroad Scholarship and Grant Opportunities >

At Nazareth, the summer term starts a new academic year, meaning that you must file the FAFSA form for the upcoming year to receive financial aid in the summer (i.e. Summer 2024 enrollment requires the 2024-2025 FAFSA to be on file). If the FAFSA is chosen for federal verification, the verification must be complete before federal financial aid can be disbursed.

The summer semester is comprised of two separate terms, Summer A and Summer B. Students may enroll in either term or both terms. Regardless, financial aid is processed with both terms combined to form one summer semester (i.e. 3 credits in Summer A plus 3 credits in Summer B equates to half-time summer enrollment at 6 credit hours for financial aid purposes).

For many students, taking classes in the summer may be beneficial or even required. Limited financial aid is available for summer enrollment at Nazareth.

• Federal Direct Stafford Loans (subsidized/unsubsidized): Available for students enrolled in at least 6 credits during Summer A and/or Summer B combined terms. Please be aware that your summer loan eligibility may be impacted if you choose to drop or withdrawal from a class in which you were previously registered. Please contact the Financial Aid Office if you have any questions regarding your continued summer loan eligibility. Note: Use of a portion of your annual Federal Direct Loan eligibility for the summer semester reduces the remaining fall and spring semester loan amounts as your annual loan eligibility is being spread over three semesters rather than two.
• Federal Pell Grants: Awarded to eligible undergraduate students for degree completion coursework. The Pell grant amount is prorated based on the number of enrolled credits during the Summer A and/or Summer B combined terms.
• Summer internships: A limited number of undergraduate scholarships are available by contacting Emily Carpenter, Director of the Professional Internship Program, ecarpen1@naz.edu, Golisano Academic Center Room 112.
• Summer study abroad scholarships: Opportunities for undergraduate scholarships may be viewed under Study Abroad in Financial Aid Policies.
• TEACH Grant: Available for undergraduate and graduate students in specific teaching degree programs. The TEACH Grant amount is prorated based on the number of enrolled credits during Summer A and/or Summer B combined terms. Information regarding the TEACH Grant may be viewed in Scholarships & Grants.
• Graduate Assistantships: Information regarding assistantships may be viewed at Graduate Assistantships.

Important notes:

• Nazareth students may not apply for federal student aid (student loans and/or Pell grants) to pay for summer school courses at another institution.

Students who have been convicted of, or who have pled guilty (nolo contendere) to a crime involving fraud in obtaining Title IV federal financial aid are not eligible for additional aid until they have repaid the fraudulently obtained funds.

The Financial Aid Office reserves the right to revise your federal and/or institutional financial aid based on the receipt of any outside financial assistance.  This includes but is not limited to outside scholarships, tuition remission, vocational rehabilitation and veterans’ benefits.  Nazareth merit scholarships may be used toward tuition charges only.  Nazareth makes every effort not to reduce its merit scholarships because of outside financial assistance.  However, some outside assistance may be restricted to tuition only, requiring the reduction of our merit-based scholarship.  

Generally, outside financial assistance will be treated as follows:

Reduce unmet need.

If required, reduce need-based federal assistance i.e. Federal Work-Study, SEOG, Direct Loans

If required, reduce Nazareth need based aid i.e. Purple & Gold grant

Self-Certification Form: Student borrowers are now required to complete a Self Certification Form for each private loan they borrow. This form must be returned to your private loan lender as part of the loan process. Your lender will provide you with a copy of this form. All Self-Certification Forms for Private Loans should be sent to your specific lender and NOT your Financial Aid Office.

How to complete the Self-Certification Form: Section 2 of the Self-Certification form requires you to report your cost of attendance and estimated financial assistance:

• A. Student's Cost of Attendance for the period of enrollment covered by the loan.

Cost of Attendance refers to tuition/fees, food and housing, books, travel to school and miscellaneous expenses. Undergraduate students: See Nazareth's Cost of Attendance webpage. Graduate students should use the amounts provided on Naznet in the financial aid section. Estimates are acceptable.

• B. Estimated Financial Assistance

This should reflect the amount of financial aid you will receive during the period of enrollment (this includes loans, work-study, federal and state grants, scholarship, tuition remission, non-Nazareth scholarships, etc. DO NOT include the private/institutional loan you are currently self-certifying). You can obtain this information by viewing your financial aid offer on NazNet.

• C. Difference between amounts A and B

Please remember to SIGN and DATE your form. If you do not, then your private loan will not be disbursed, even if all other documentation and approvals are in place.

Section 3 of the Self-Certification Form requires you to indicate the loan's period of enrollment: "Period of Enrollment Covered by the Loan From to ."  Typically this is the academic year - the beginning of the fall semester to the end of the spring semester. If you are only applying for a single semester, or for the summer only, enter the dates for the beginning of the semester/term and the end of the semester/term. Approximate dates will suffice, or you can refer to the Academic Calendar if you're uncertain.

To receive federal aid, you must be a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen.

Generally, you are an eligible noncitizen if you are;

1. a permanent U.S. resident with a Permanent Resident Card (I-551)
2. a conditional permanent resident (I-551C)
3. the holder of an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from the Department of Homeland Security showing any one of the following designations: Refugee, Asylum Granted, Parolee (I-94 confirms that you were paroled for a minimum of one year and status has not expired), Victim of human trafficking, T-Visa holder (T-1, T-2, T-3, etc.), Battered immigrants-qualified aliens, Conditional entrants, or Cuban-Haitian Entrant.

If the government cannot confirm your citizenship status, you will be asked to provide documentation of your eligibility. The Student Aid Summary you receive after filing the FAFSA will have a notation if your citizenship status requires you to provide further documentation to the Financial Aid office.

See Renewal Requirements for Undergraduate Federal Aid

Withdrawal & Refund Policy

Federal regulations require that Nazareth have a fair and equitable refund policy for students who withdraw on or after the first day of classes for a period of enrollment for which the student was charged.

If you withdraw or go on a leave of absence during the semester, your institutional charges will be reduced according to the Student Accounts Policy on the Reduction of Charges. All Nazareth grants/scholarships are reduced in accordance with this same policy.

Students who withdraw or go on a leave of absence within the first 60% of the semester and who receive Federal financial aid (such a Pell Grant, SEOG Grant, TEACH Grant, Federal Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans, Federal PLUS Loans), are subject to the Federal Title IV Refund Policy which determines the amount of federal aid earned based on the actual date of withdraw/leave of absence. Based on this calculation, all unearned Federal aid is refunded back to the federal programs.

Note: If you received a portion of the offer in a refund check from the Student Accounts office to cover non-institutional expenses, a partial repayment may be required to the applicable federal program.

Once all required adjustments are made to the financial aid offer, any remaining credit balance will be refunded to the student and any remaining balance due will be invoiced to the student. Before taking a leave of absence or withdrawal from the University, it is recommended that students contact the financial aid office to discuss the potential implications to their financial aid.

Federal Direct Stafford Loan recipients who withdraw or take a leave of absence for one or more semesters must have an exit interview. Federal Direct Stafford or PLUS borrowers are required to notify their servicing agent as well as the Financial Aid Office when they withdraw.

Students Receiving Military Tuition Assistance: 

Any unearned Military Tuition Assistance funds will be returned on a proportional basis through the 60% portion of the semester for which the funds were provided. Any funds returned will be returned to the students’ respective branch of service which provided the funds. When a student is unable to attend as a result of their military service obligation, arrangements will be made on a case by case basis, relative to each individual’s specific circumstances, to prevent the student from incurring a student debt for the returned portion of their Military Tuition Assistance.

Nazareth uses the same model required for calculating the return of Title IV funds to determine the return of Tuition Assistance. The Federal Title IV Refund Policy determines the amount of federal aid returned based on the actual date of withdraw/leave of absence. Returned Military Tuition Assistance will be calculated in the same manner up to the 60% portion of the semester.  Military Tuition Assistance will not be included in the Federal Title IV calculations but the same percentage will be applied in determining the amount of Military Tuition Assistance to return.

Based on valid FAFSA data, Nazareth will award the maximum federal aid eligible to each student, including Direct Subsidized and Direct Unsubsidized Loans. Students have a right to cancel all or part of these Federal loans by notifying the Financial Aid Office. Students may also cancel all or part of a TEACH Grant or a Direct PLUS Loan for which they have applied by notifying the Financial Aid Office. Notification to cancel all or part of a TEACH Grant or Federal loan disbursement must be made to the Financial Aid Office within 30 days of receiving the Disbursement Notification of the federal aid.