There are three main types of financial aid: grants, scholarships, and loans

Grants – Federal and State grants are provided to help you achieve your college degree. Both the Federal and Nevada State governments provide funds to help you graduate. Grants are based on income and in most cases do not need to be paid back. The Office of Student Financial Services and Scholarships at NSC participates in a number of grant programs. For more information about the following grant programs, click on the lings below. Eligibility for all grant programs is determined through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (www.fafsa.ed.gov)

• Federal Pell Grant
• Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant

Scholarships – Scholarships at NSC are generously provided by the Nevada State College Foundation. More information on NSC Foundation scholarships can be found on our scholarships page.

Loans – All students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by using “FAFSA on the Web” at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. Once the FAFSA has been completed and NSC has the results, the student loan application process consists of four basic steps:

Step 1. Locate or apply for your Federal PIN. You should have received a Federal PIN from the U.S. Dept. of Education shortly after the first time that you completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The PIN serves as your electronic signature and holds the same legal status as your written signature. You should keep your PIN in a safe place and not share it with anyone.
If you do not have a PIN, go to http://www.pin.ed.gov and choose either “Apply for a PIN” if you have never had one or “Request for a Duplicate PIN” if you had one but do not know it. You will need to submit your name, social security number, date of birth, and email or mailing address. A PIN will be generated and sent to you. You will have the option of receiving your PIN either through your email account (2-3 days) or your PIN can be mailed to you (7-10 days).

Step 2. Complete your Online Entrance Counseling
Every first time Federal Direct Loan borrower must complete student loan entrance counseling. Borrowing a student loan is a serious financial obligation, and the entrance counseling will provide you with the important information you need to know to be able to make an informed decision about student loan borrowing. The entrance counseling must be completed before the Financial Aid Office will accept and process your loan application.
Complete your online entrance counseling on the Federal Direct Loan Servicing website at http://dlenote.ed.gov. This tutorial reviews basic facts about Federal Direct Loans, and your rights and responsibilities as a borrower. After you complete the tutorial, you will be required to take and pass a quiz. To pass the quiz, you must answer 12 out of 15 questions correctly. The tutorial and quiz will take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete. Once you have passed the quiz, the system will display your quiz results and ask you to choose a school. You should type in Nevada State College and find Nevada State College in the drop down box. You may print your passing entrance counseling quiz results along with a copy of your rights and responsibilities by clicking “Retrieve Quiz Results” from the main page.

Step 3. Complete and Sign your Electronic Master Promissory Note (MPN)
First time Direct Loan borrowers need to sign a Federal Direct Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN). If you have already signed a Federal Direct MPN previously for SCCC or another Direct Loan college (online or paper), you do not have to complete a new MPN.
Students now are able to sign their MPN electronically on the web at http://dlenote.ed.gov. Go to: “Complete New MPN for Student Loans”. To complete an electronic MPN, students will need to use their U.S. Dept. of Education issued PIN. Students who do not have a computer or the appropriate software may use computers available on campus to complete the process.
Completing an electronic MPN is very simple and easy. You must complete the entire process in a single session so be prepared and give yourself plenty of time. If you exit the site before signing your electronic MPN, you will be required to start over from the beginning.

IMPORTANT: Before beginning your electronic MPN session:
Have your federal PIN ready. If you misplaced your PIN, see the instructions on how to obtain a new PIN.

Be ready to provide two references (name, address, and telephone number). These should be people who have known you for at least one year (preferably relatives) who live at different addresses.

Remember to always use your full legal name as it appears on your social security card.
Paper Option: If you do not wish to sign your MPN with your PIN, you may request that the Financial Aid Office print a copy of your MPN. The printed copy will be mailed to your home address for your signature, but this will delay the processing of your loan application.

Step 4. Complete the Request for Federal Direct Student Loan Form
This form is in an Adobe Acrobat .pdf format. If you are unable to view .pdf files please download Adobe's free Acrobat Reader by clicking on this link: Free Adobe Acrobat Reader
You should submit it to the Financial Aid Office as soon as possible. 

Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for a Federal Direct Loan a student must:
1. be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien;
2. be taking at least six credit hours and be matriculated in a degree or certificate program;
3. not owe any refunds on a Pell Grant or other awards received and not be in default on repayment on any type of student loan.
Each new student loan recipient will be required to complete entrance counseling before a loan application is processed and attend an exit interview when graduating or terminating from school.

Exit Counseling
Federal regulations require that all student loan borrowers must complete an exit interview/exit counseling during their final semester at the College. All borrowers should plan to attend exit counseling with the Financial Aid Office at this time. During the exit counseling, students are reminded of their rights and responsibilities as a student loan borrower. The Federal Direct Loan Exit Counseling Guide for Borrowers is the primary resource used. Topics include: when repayment starts, various repayment plans, deferments, loan consolidation, and consequences of default.

Students may access information about Exit Counseling at http://www.ed.gov/DirectLoan. This provides access to the Exit Counseling Guide as well as the Borrower's Information Form and the Borrower's Rights and Responsibilities Form which must be completed in the exit interview process.
Students who have a pin number have the option of using the online Exit Counseling at http://www.dlssonline.com/exitcounseling/ecec-main.asp. This will satisfy all requirements for exit counseling and give the borrower up to date information on their student loan balances. This is the quickest and easiest way to satisfy the exit counseling requirement.

Maximum Loan Amounts
Dependent Student - A first year Dependent student (parent information is required on the FAFSA), with less than 30 earned or transfer credits, may borrow up to $5,500 per year with a maximum of $3,500 of that amount being in a subsidized loan. Second year dependent students, with at least 30 earned or transfer credits, may borrow up to a maximum of $6,500 per year with a maximum of $4,500 of that amount in a subsidized loan. A dependent undergraduate student may only borrow up to an aggregate limit of $31,000.
Independent Student - Independent students (parent information is not required on the FAFSA) may have up to an additional $4,000 in unsubsidized loans per year. A first year independent student, with less than 30 earned or transfer credits, may be eligible to borrow up to $9,500 per year with a maximum of $3,500 of that amount being in a subsidized loan. Second year independent students, with at least 30 earned or transfer credits, may be eligible to borrow up to $10,500 per year with a maximum of $4,500 in a subsidized loan. An independent undergraduate student may only borrow up to an aggregate limit of $57,500.