Northwestern Health Sciences University is a private, non‐profit institution that derives its financial resources from alumni gifts, private foundation grants, clinic fees, student tuition and the benevolence of the University’s alumni and friends. All tuition and fees are due and payable by the last day of the first month of the term. If tuition has not been paid or arrangements for payment have not been made with the Accounting Office by this date, a financial hold will be placed on the student’s account, a late fee may be assessed and registration for that trimester may be canceled. All university tuition and fees are listed in US dollars and must be paid in US dollars. Payments received for students from International Lenders will be accepted in international funds and the foreign exchange rate on the date of deposit will be applied to the student’s account. Tuition and fees are subject to change at any time. Generally, costs will be adjusted once a year to be in effect for fall, winter and summer terms of the entire academic year. New tuition and fee rates are announced in the summer prior to the beginning of the upcoming academic year. To find out current tuition and fees for all programs at NWHSU, go to www.nwhealth.edu or contact Student Billing at (952) 491‐9375.
Financial Aid and Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
As defined in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 34, for purposes of determining student eligibility for assistance under a title IV, Higher Education Act program, the university must establish, publish, and apply reasonable standards for measuring whether an otherwise eligible student is maintaining satisfactory academic progress in their educational program.
Northwestern Health Sciences University's policy of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requires a student to meet both a Scholastic Standard (qualitative-grade requirement) and a Program Standard (quantitative-work completed). Supportive Services are available through the Office of Student Affairs to help ensure scholastic success. A student who does not meet the SAP requirements may lose eligibility to receive student financial aid from federal, state, and institutional sources.
SAP is used to establish a student's eligibility to continue to receive financial aid. SAP will be monitored at the end of each financial aid payment term, defined as the fall, winter, and summer trimesters.
A student may continue to receive financial aid by meeting all the following criteria which have been established as the minimum standards for meeting SAP requirements at Northwestern Health Sciences University. This policy replaces all previous SAP policies.
- Minimum Trimester and Cumulative Grade Point Average Requirement: A student must maintain a minimum trimester and cumulative grade point average (GPA) to retain financial aid eligibility. A minimum GPA of 2.0 must be earned.
- Minimum Trimester and Cumulative Completion Rate Requirement: A student must maintain a minimum trimester and cumulative completion rate. A student must successfully complete at least 67% of trimester and cumulative attempted credit hours by the end of each trimester. The completed percentage is determined by dividing credit hours earned by the number of credit hours attempted. Note: While grades of W, WP, and WF have no impact in GPA calculations, these grades are included as attempted credit hours as required by federal regulation.
- Maximum Time Frame Requirement: The maximum number of credit hours allowed for receipt of federal student aid to complete a program of study is 150% of the scheduled credit hours required to complete the program of study.
Financial Aid Warning Status
A student who does not meet the SAP requirements at Northwestern Health Sciences University may be placed in Financial Aid Warning status. Financial Aid Warning lasts for one trimester and does not require action, such as an appeal, by the student. This option is permitted at Northwestern Health Sciences University as SAP is reviewed at the end of each payment period. The payment period is equal to one trimester.
- A student placed in Financial Aid Warning status is notified of the status at the beginning of the subsequent trimester.
- There is no limit to the number of times a student may be placed in Financial Aid Warning status. It is possible for a student to be placed in Financial Aid Warning status for a subsequent payment period, but not in consecutive trimesters.
- For example, if a student is not meeting SAP requirements after the fall trimester, the student may be placed in Financial Aid Warning. The student could meet SAP requirements during the following summer trimester and subsequently not meet SAP requirements during the fall trimester. The student could again be placed in Financial Aid Warning status at the conclusion of the subsequent fall trimester. The student cannot have successive trimesters in Financial Aid Warning status.
Financial Aid Suspension Status
- A student in Financial Aid Warning status who continues to not meet SAP requirements in the next trimester of enrollment will be placed in Financial Aid Suspension status. A student in Financial Aid Suspension status may not receive financial aid until the suspension status is successfully appealed or the student meets the required SAP measures. The student may submit an appeal, and if the appeal is approved, the student will be placed in Financial Aid Probation status and may continue to receive financial aid.
Financial Aid Probation Status
- A student in Financial Aid Suspension status who submits an appeal which is approved will be placed in Financial Aid Probation status. A student in Financial Aid Probation status will be permitted to receive financial aid during the trimester of the approved appeal. At the end of one trimester of Financial Aid Probation status, the student must:
- Meet SAP standards; or,
- Meet the requirements of the academic plan set out in the approval of the SAP suspension appeal.
- If the student does not meet these requirements, the student will again be placed in Financial Aid Suspension status.
SAP Appeal
When a student becomes ineligible for financial aid due to failure to meet SAP standards, the student may submit a SAP Appeal to the Office of Financial Aid for consideration. Mitigating circumstances to present in an appeal may include:
- Death of a relative
- Personal injury or illness
- Other special circumstances such as difficult transition to NWHSU, family issues, legal troubles, work or budget problems, etc.
Submitted SAP Appeals will be reviewed within fifteen business days. The student will be notified by campus email if the appeal is approved or denied.
Additional SAP Information
Dual Degree Programs/Changed Majors
Students who are enrolled in a dual degree program or who have changed majors may file a SAP Appeal to request an extension of the maximum time frame provision of the SAP policy. Appeals will be evaluated on an individual basis.
Second Degrees
Students seeking a second degree may file a SAP Appeal to request an extension of the maximum time frame provision of the SAP policy. Appeals will be evaluated on an individual basis.
Transfer and Audit Credit Hours
Transfer and Financial Aid Consortium Agreement credit hours accepted by the university will be included when calculating a student’s credit completion ratio and maximum time frame, but not the student’s GPA. This includes credit hours earned from non-Northwestern Health Sciences University programs. Audit credit hours are not considered either attempted or earned. Credit hours earned at a foreign institution are included in the SAP evaluation if the university accepts the credit hours.
Repeated Coursework
Repeated courses will count toward enrollment status, attempted credit hours and maximum time frame.
Summer Sessions Courses
All hours attempted and completed in the summer sessions are treated as any other trimester credit hours in determining SAP.
Financial Aid Enrollment Status Definitions Policy
Purpose
To define full-time, three-quarter-time, half-time or less than half-time enrollment for students at each academic level in which they are enrolled. Enrollment status for a term is required to determine financial aid eligibility and for reporting enrollment status to the National Student Clearinghouse and National Student Loan Data System.
Scope
The scope of this policy applies to all students in all programs including degree, certificate, and non-degree.
Policy
Enrollment status at Northwestern Health Sciences University is defined as either full-time, three quarter-time, half-time or less than half-time. A student’s enrollment status is based on the number of credit hours in which the student is enrolled for a term, excluding all courses dropped without penalty grades.
Effective: September 4, 2024
Procedure
Definitions:
Financial Aid enrollment status
Financial aid definitions require classification of Undergraduate students as full-time at 12 credits but allow school-specific definitions for Graduate level students. Those definitions determine financial aid eligibility.
Graduate certificate-seeking and non-degree student enrollment status
Full-time Greater than or equal to 6 credits
Three-quarter time 4.50 to 5.99 credits
Half-time 3.00 to 4.49 credits
Less than half-time Fewer than 3.00 credits
Graduate degree-seeking student enrollment status
Full-time Greater than or equal to 9 credits
Three-quarter time 6.75 to 8.99 credits
Half-time 4.50 to 6.74 credits
Less than half-time Fewer than 4.50 credits
Undergraduate student including degree, certificate, and non-degree student enrollment status
Full-time Greater than or equal to 12 credits
Three-quarter time 9.00 to 11.99 credits
Half-time 6.00 to 8.99 credits
Less than half-time Fewer than 6.00 credits
IPEDS enrollment reporting exception
Federal IPEDS and related state enrollment reporting follow IPEDS definitions in which Undergraduate level students are full-time at 12 credits and Graduate level students are full-time at 9 credits. That determination of enrollment status is not addressed in this policy.
Financial Aid Refund Policies
Return of Title IV Refund Policy
If the student withdraws from Northwestern Health Sciences University during a trimester, a calculation of "earned" versus "unearned" federal aid must be determined. This federal policy assumes the student earned aid based on how much time has elapsed in the term. If the student received federal financial aid, that aid may be reduced as a result of the withdrawal.
There are three steps that Northwestern Health Sciences University must complete to comply with the federal policy:
- Determine the official or unofficial withdrawal date.
- Determine the amount of earned federal aid.
- Return unearned federal funds to the appropriate program(s).
The student must withdraw officially by contacting the Registrar's Office. The withdrawal date is the date the student began the withdrawal process. If the student failed to withdraw officially, the withdrawal date will become the midpoint of the term, unless the University can document a later date. In certain circumstances, if an earlier date of last academic activity is determined, this date may be used in the calculation of "earned" federal aid.
If the student withdrew or last attended before completing 60 percent of the term, s/he "earned" federal funds in direct proportion to the length of time s/he was enrolled. The percentage of earned aid is determined by dividing the total number of calendar days in the term enrolled by the total number of calendar days in the term. If the student completed 60 percent of the term, s/he earned all their federal financial aid for the term.
The responsibility to repay unearned aid is shared by the institution and the student. The institution's share is the lesser of unearned aid or unearned institutional charges. The institution's share must be repaid to the federal aid programs in the following order, before the student's share is considered:
- Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan
- Federal Direct Subsidized Loan
- Federal Direct PLUS Loan (parent or graduate)
- Federal Pell Grant
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
- Other Title IV Aid
If a student is required to repay a portion of the loan through the student's share calculation, the student is not expected to return those funds immediately, but rather begin repayment according to the terms and conditions of the promissory note. If a portion of the unearned Federal Loan funds must be returned by the school, the student is responsible for repaying the money back to Northwestern Health Sciences University. If this causes undue hardship, a satisfactory payment arrangement can be made with the Accounting Office.
Return of MN State Financial Aid Program Policy
Recipients of MN State Financial Aid program funds may also have their awards recalculated upon withdrawal. MN State Financial Aid Program funds may need to be returned based on the result of the MN State Programs Refund Calculation.
Tuition Refund Policy
Purpose
To comply with the relevant legislation under which the University is bound and to ensure the University delivers a transparent, effective, and efficient Tuition and Fee refund process.
Scope
The scope of this policy applies to all students in all programs.
Policy
Students are responsible for all tuition and fees incurred by registration in a course. Failing to attend a course does not constitute a withdrawal from the course. During the Add/Drop Period at the beginning of, or before each trimester, students are allowed to add and/or drop courses without any financial consequences.
If a student officially withdraws from a class or the university after this period, the following schedule reflects the amount of tuition and fees that will be refunded. The amount of the refund is determined by the official date of the withdrawal. The date of official withdrawal is the date the Registrar receives written notification from the student of their intent to withdraw or upon receipt of the Official Withdrawal or add/drop form.
Effective January 1, 2024
Procedure
Student completes steps below to withdraw from a course or from the University. A student who wishes to withdraw from all courses in a term or from the University must follow the steps below.
To drop a course or courses
- Complete the online add/drop/withdraw request form using the following link to drop a course or courses: Add/Drop/Withdraw Request Form. Please note the course number and title are needed to complete the form.
To withdraw from the University
The Registrar’s Office will process the Add/Drop/Withdraw Request Form or the Official Withdrawal Request Form upon receipt. The amount of tuition refunded is based on the chart below using the date the request form is submitted.
Tuition Refund Charts
Full Term Classes
|
If the date of official drop/withdrawal is by:
|
Tuition and Lab Fees
Refund
|
Institutional Fees
Refund*
|
|
The 10th business day of the official start date of the class
|
100%
|
100%*
|
|
The 15th business day of the official start date of the class
|
50%
|
0%*
|
|
The 20th business day of the official start date of the class
|
25%
|
0%
|
No refund of tuition and fees will be given after the 20th business day of the start of classes.
*Refunds vary by program and course-specific fees
Half Term Classes**
|
If the date of official drop/withdrawal is by:
|
Tuition and Lab Fees
Refund
|
Institutional Fees
Refund*
|
|
The 5th business day of the official start date of the class
|
100%
|
100%**
|
|
The 10th business day of the official start date of the class
|
50%
|
0%
|
*Refunds vary by program and course-specific fees
**Courses that are less than half term must be dropped by the first day of the class and courses less than 7 days must be dropped before the start of the course for a full refund.
Courses that meet for only one day must be dropped prior to the start of the class for a full refund.
Financial Aid Recipients
Financial aid recipients who withdraw from Northwestern Health Sciences University should be aware that they may need to return part or all of the funds they were awarded.
Before officially withdrawing from classes, we recommend that you contact the Financial Aid Office.
Students are also encouraged to view and be aware of the Financial Aid and Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.
Students must complete at least 67% of all attempted credits in order to remain eligible for financial aid.
Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress is evaluated at the end of each trimester.
Return of Federal Title IV Funds
When a student is entitled to a tuition refund, the funds will be given to the student unless the institution has been required to return an unearned portion of Federal Title IV funds to the Federal Government. Return of Title IV funds calculations will be done first before Northwestern’s refund policy for tuition.
If the tuition refund is more than that which is to be returned to the Federal Government, then the student will be given the remaining portion. If the refund is less than that which is to be returned, then the student will be billed for the difference.
Review the Federal Title IV Return Policy.