UNO believes you should have as much information as possible to make the best decisions about your finances. The information here is available to help you figure out how much your education will cost and how financial aid may help offset those costs.
Do I Need Financial Aid?
Net Price Calculator
Use the Net Price Calculator to get an approximate idea of what your total UNO costs will be including tuition, books, housing and food, and more.
Cost of Attendance
The cost of attendance is the estimated full and reasonable cost of completing an academic year as a full-time student and includes tuition and fees, housing and food, books and supplies and other expenses including personal expenses and transportation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Applying for Aid
You've got questions, we've got answers. Here are some of our most frequently asked questions. Learn more
Helpful Definitions
Academic Year: A period of time schools use to measure a quantity of study. At UNO, the academic year is defined as the fall and spring semesters combined, during which a full-time student must complete 24 credit hours. The summer semester is considered a trailer to the academic year.
Student Aid Index (SAI): The SAI is a number used to calculate how much financial aid the student is eligible to receive. It is calculated using information you provide on your FAFSA form. This number is not a dollar amount of aid eligibility or what your family is expected to provide. The SAI will replace the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) starting in the 2024–2025 award year. A student’s SAI can be a negative number down to –1,500. Your SAI will be listed on your FAFSA Submission Summary. Learn how the SAI is calculated.
Financial Need: Financial need is determined by subtracting the Student Aid Index (SAI) from the Cost of Attendance (COA). The remaining value is used to determine what kinds of financial aid can be awarded.
FAFSA Submission Summary: Summarizes the information included in the FAFSA and contains your SAI. When you receive your FAFSA Submission Summary, check it for any mistakes. If you review your FAFSA Submission Summary and find a mistake, you’ll need to correct or update your FAFSA form. Learn how to review your FAFSA Submission Summary.
Programs and Support
Financial Literacy
The Office of Financial Support and Scholarships is committed to educating UNO students on managing their personal finances. We offer multiple tools and resources that will help aid in our student’s financial success, including one on one counseling, workshops, and more. Learn more
Nebraska Promise
Nebraska Promise is the university's expanded financial aid program. It provides free tuition for students who meet academic and family income qualifications. Learn more
Federal Student Aid Ombudsman Group
If you think there might be an issue with your federal student loans, first collect and review all of your loan paperwork, then identify and document what you think the problem is. Call your loan servicer to discuss the issue. If you don't know your servicer, visit the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) website.
The FSA Student Loan Ombudsman's Group is a final resource after working with your loan servicer, and works with federal student loan borrowers to resolve disputes or issues from an impartial, independent viewpoint. Learn more
Consumer Information
UNO is required by the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) to disclose information to enrolled and prospective students, parents, employees, and the public. This includes information about services UNO offers to students as well as various disclosures.
Verification
About the Verification Process
Verification is a process in which information on a student’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is reviewed by a school for accuracy and completeness. Each year, the Federal U.S. Department of Education selects certain applicants for verification. Verification selection can be targeted, where the federal processor uses a risk model to identify FAFSA data elements that are prone to error, or verification selection can be driven by incomplete, estimated or inconsistent data that is reported on the FAFSA. UNO also selects a certain group of students based on conflicting information or eligibility requirements. UNO has the authority to contact you for documentation that supports the information you reported. If you’re selected for verification, don’t assume you’re being accused of doing anything wrong. If your FAFSA is selected for verification, immediately submit all requested documentation to our office for review. Failure to provide required documentation by stated deadlines may negatively impact your financial aid award package.
How will I know if I am selected for verification?
You might see a note on your FAFSA Submission Summary saying you’ve been selected for verification. If you are selected for verification, there will be an asterisk* next to your Student Aid Index (SAI) figure on your FAFSA Submission Summary. You will also receive an email notification from UNO’s Office of Financial Support and Scholarships. For first-year students, we will communicate to you via your personal email address. If you are a currently enrolled student, we will communicate to you via your UNO email address.
If I am selected for verification, what do I need to do?
Participation in the verification process is mandatory. Financial aid will not be awarded or disbursed to your account until verification is complete. You will be asked to sign into MavLINK to view ‘To Do List’ items that have been requested. The items may have a PDF document attached, a web address or a description of information needed. Complete all information and return to the Office of Financial Support and Scholarships.
Please note that during the process of verification, new or additional information may be required in order to clarify inconsistencies. The Office of Financial Support and Scholarships will contact you via email if additional clarification is needed, and the ‘To Do List’ in MavLINK will be updated accordingly.
Documents requested will vary and may include, but are not limited to, an institutional verification form, W-2 forms, official IRS Tax Return transcript, a written statement declaring any untaxed income received, proof of high school completion status and verification of identity and a statement of educational purpose. Tax return transcripts can be ordered or retrieved online for immediate printing through the IRS website.
Institutional documents are available on your MavLINK ‘To Do List’ or by request from the Office of Financial Support and Scholarships.
Not all students are selected for verification. If you have not been contacted by the UNO Office of Financial Support and Scholarships, it is likely that your application hasn't been selected and there is no further action for you to take. Please do not submit additional information unless requested.
You can expect the processing of your verification paperwork to take up to three weeks from the date you turn in your complete documentation packet to the Office of Financial Support and Scholarships. The process might take longer if we receive incomplete documents or require additional information. Note: all requested documents must be received in order to have your file reviewed. Please also be aware that the financial aid office experiences seasonal changes in volume which may affect expected processing times.
What is the deadline for submitting verification documents?
It is the applicant’s responsibility to complete the requested items on their MavLINK ‘To Do List’ in a timely manner to avoid processing delays. The Office of Financial Support and Scholarships will not award or disburse aid until all requested forms and supporting documentation is received.
UNO’s priority deadlines
The 2024-2025 deadline to complete the FAFSA to receive priority consideration for all types of aid at UNO, including Nebraska Promise, is June 1, 2024. For priority consideration, you must also submit all ‘To Do List’ items within two weeks of being requested, or by July 1, 2024 at the latest.
Other FAFSA and Financial Aid File deadlines
If you’ve missed the above deadlines, you will still want to complete the FAFSA and submit ‘To Do List’ items in a timely fashion for other financial aid consideration. At the latest, UNO must have a valid FAFSA result (official SAI from the U.S. Department of Education) on file by the student’s last day of enrollment for the award year in order to be considered for Federal Student Aid. As a general rule, all requested items on your ‘To Do List’ must be completed 10 days prior to the end of your enrollment period.
Deadline Consequences
If you have not submitted complete documentation by the deadlines, the aid application process will be terminated and any pending financial aid awards will be cancelled. If financial aid awards change as a result of verification, a revised electronic award notification will be sent within 10 days. At times a FAFSA application will be selected for verification AFTER aid has been awarded due to updates or corrections made to the data. Aid will be cancelled if verification requirements are not met.