General
The granting of any federal aid (Pell, SEOG, Direct Loans, & Work-Study) is contingent upon:
- The authorization and appropriation of funds for each program by the federal government;
- The receipt by UNH of anticipated funding levels in each program;
- Any changes in federal regulations that affect eligibility status;
- Final approval of the university budget at projected funding levels.
You will be notified only if it is necessary to revise your aid.
Your financial aid award is based on information you and your family submitted on the application materials. It is your responsibility to notify the Financial Aid Office of any change in your or your family's circumstances. This includes the receipt of any additional financial aid or other resources not indicated on your award letter. If such a change does take place, we reserve the privilege of reviewing and possibly revising your aid.
Use of Aid
Unless you have received a specific, written statement to the contrary, this financial aid may only be used if you are enrolled in a degree program at the University of New Hampshire Durham, Manchester campus or School of Law.
Academic Credit Requirement
Unless noted otherwise on your award letter, your award is based upon full-time enrollment for both semesters of the academic year (12 credits per semester for an undergraduate student and 9 credits per semester for a graduate student). If you are enrolled less than full-time, your aid will be adjusted accordingly (including possible cancellation). It is your responsibility to notify the Financial Aid Office of any change in enrollment status.
Repeated Coursework
A Student may qualify for financial aid when repeating a previously passed course (higher than an “F”) only the first time. A student may repeatedly receive financial aid when repeating the same failed course (SAP policy applies to such cases). However, if a student passed a class once and then retakes it and fails the second time, that failure counts as their retake and the student may not receive financial aid for that class a third time.
Graduate Students
If you will be receiving a tuition scholarship, assistantship or any other aid from your department or the Graduate School, or if you will be enrolled less than 9 credits you should inform the Financial Aid Office in writing immediately. An adjustment in your loan or work-study may be necessary.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
All students receiving federal aid must meet satisfactory academic progress standards in order to be eligible to receive aid through those programs. The current standards for satisfactory academic progress are available here on our website, or upon request from the Financial Aid Office.
Return of Funds
Students receiving federal aid should be aware that U.S. Department of Education regulations govern the refund and repayment of aid when a student withdraws before completion of the semester for which aid has been received.
Duration and Renewal of Aid
Recipients are required to reapply each year since most aid is awarded for one year only. A Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is required each year and must be filed between October 1 and March 1 for the following academic year.
Deadline
The priority FAFSA deadline is March 1 for the upcoming academic year. Your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) should be received at the Federal Processing Center by this date to receive your award notification in a timely manner.
Student applicants are accountable for the accurate and timely submission of the FAFSA Application.
NOTE: There is a reference on the FAFSA application to "State Aid Deadlines." Do not be misled by these dates. These dates are when the FAFSA must be filed to be considered for aid from your home state. It is not UNH’s financial aid application deadline, or that of most other colleges.
NOTE: To be reviewed for Federal Financial Aid, UNH must have your correct, complete FAFSA by your last day of enrollment for the academic year.
Adjustments to Aid
The Financial Aid Office reserves the privilege of reviewing and possibly revising awards. Applicants should notify the office immediately of any change in either their or their families' financial situation. This includes notifying Student Accounts of the receipt of non-university scholarships.
Most financial aid awards are based originally upon the assumption that students will enroll full time (12 or more credits per semester for undergraduates; nine for graduate students) unless they have notified our office to the contrary. Thus, if students change their status from full- to part-time enrollment, an aid adjustment may result.
If a student withdraws from UNH, an aid adjustment may result.
Divorced/Separated Parents
If your parents are divorced or separated, answer the questions on the FAFSA about the parent you lived with the longest during the past 12 months. If this parent has remarried as of the day you are completing the FAFSA, answer the questions about that parent and the person whom your parent married (your stepparent), if applicable. UNH does not require a non-custodial parent statement.
Eligibility
To be eligible for Financial Aid, you must be admitted to a degree program, enrolled at least half-time (six credits each semester for undergraduates; five credits each semester for graduate students), and be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen. Check the Free Application for Federal Student Aid for a complete list of requirements.
Merit-Based Scholarships and Renewal, Reduction and Revocation Associated with Academic Performance and Conduct
Scholarships awarded through the Office of Admissions aim to provide incentive to highly qualified students to enroll and excel at the University of New Hampshire. A decision to revoke a scholarship is not taken lightly, nor is it intended to be a purely mechanical process.
At the time scholarships are awarded, students are advised that renewal criteria exists related to both academic achievement and citizenship as a member of the UNH community. Students are expected to achieve a 3.2 cumulative GPA by the end of the fourth semester.
Four semesters allow sufficient time for most students to make necessary adjustments to college in order to succeed and the 3.2 requirement reflects, effectively, the median GPA for all UNH enrolled students.
A student with a cumulative GPA below 3.2 at the end of the fourth semester, no matter how close to that threshold, warrants notification that the scholarship will be withdrawn. Students have the right to appeal this decision through the Process of Appeal ASAC (Academic Standards and Advising Committee). This ensures consistency across academic units and provides a common forum for students to have their cases presented.
Arguments for appeal should entail "compelling, non-academic circumstances" that have bearing on the student's performance. Precedent establishes a cumulative GPA threshold of 2.85 coupled with a most recent semester GPA of 3.2 or better as basic expectation for ASAC to consider an appeal.
Taken together, the recent semester performance ensures the student is moving in the right direction while the cumulative GPA ensures overall performance is not overshadowed by a single (albeit, recent) semester. However, meeting these criteria does not offer any assurance of a successful appeal.
When a scholarship appeal is granted, it is for one semester with the expectation of review at the end of that term. A student who achieves at least a 3.2 in that semester will be permitted to retain the scholarship through the following semester if the initial approval was for the fall term. If the initial appeal affected the spring semester, the student will be required to submit an appeal for the following year. In all cases, the Dean's Office will review performance each semester and retains the prerogative to withdraw the scholarship if the student's performance is not sustained at an appropriate level.
In instances in which a scholarship appeal is denied, a student should be advised that we will consider a subsequent appeal at the conclusion of the following semester; however, the onus is on the student to make that appeal. It will not occur automatically.
Scholarship renewals are not retroactive and will not be applied beyond the first 30 days of each semester unless there are date-specific extenuating circumstances (e.g. resolution of an incomplete grade that could not be completed prior to the 30th day of the semester and for which the student had previously been approved for late completion); however, nothing in this policy precludes such extraordinary actions if the committee determines, solely within its discretion, that such action is appropriate.
Students also are held accountable for their behavior on campus and in the Durham community. As a matter of course, police activity reports--public records--are regularly distributed to the school and college deans. Likewise, the deans receive reports regarding significant matters of on-campus conduct so they are aware of behaviors that, if proven, would reflect violations of the expectation of good citizenship required with each scholarship.
With serious instances (e.g., those involving alcohol and other drugs, violence, or damage or theft of public, personal, or institutional property), even a first offense, a student will see some impact ranging from a temporary (one semester) reduction to a complete revocation of scholarship.
The appropriate dean's office makes the initial determination regarding reduction or revocation. Reductions are set at $500 for one semester for most first offenses; however, a dean's office may, in consultation with the Vice President for Student & Academic Services, recommend a more substantial reduction or complete revocation for more serious first or multiple offenses.
The appeal procedure for scholarship reductions and revocations through Academic Standards are similar to those for academic revocations; however, such appeals are rare as it will be outside of ASAC's purview to rehear cases to determine guilt or responsibility that have already been adjudicated through the Durham District Court or the university's judicial processes.
Questions should be directed to the Office of the Vice President for Student and Academic Services, (603) 862-2053.
Outside Scholarships
If you receive a scholarship from your high school or an outside organization, you must submit a copy of your award letter and/or check to UNH Student Accounts as soon as you receive it. They will, in turn, notify the Financial Aid Office.
If you are receiving federal aid, regulations state that a student's resources cannot exceed a student's need. If you already have an aid package and your need is fully being met, your scholarship may require a reduction to your need-based award. In many cases, this will reduce the amount of the loans or federal work-study that you were awarded. Check with our office for specific information.
Special Circumstances
Contact our office if you have special circumstances not addressed on the FAFSA. Or, you can download and complete a Special Circumstances Form and submit it to our office for review.
Submitting Your FAFSA
The date your FAFSA is recorded by a federal processor determines whether your application is considered on time (no later than March 1).
After filing your FAFSA, print a copy of each page for your record, including the confirmation page you receive after submission. If there is a problem with the electronic submission, you have proof of on time filing.
Verification and Tax Transcripts
For the 2022-2023 FAFSA, you will be asked to report income and tax information from the previous completed tax year (2020 information). This change allows you to avoid estimating your tax information and having to go back and update it later on. Instead, you will be able to easily use the IRS DRT (IRS Data Retrieval Tool) to import your tax information.
If your FAFSA has been chosen for Verification and you are unable to use the DRT you will be required to provide either official 2020 IRS Tax Return Transcripts or a signed copy of your 2020 Tax Return(s). The IRS forms can be requested online and a copy will be mailed directly to you within 5-10 days of the request. Please be sure to add your name and UNH ID to the top of documents. In addition, our office requires that you print and send the appropriate Verification Worksheet Form to our office.
