Apply for Financial Aid
Looking for help financing your UND education? You've come to the right place.
UND students receive more than $108 million in financial assistance each year! Of course, the only way to take advantage of that aid is to apply for it. And the sooner the better, because funds are limited.
Tell Us Who You Are
Are you a new or returning UND student? Online or distance student? We'll walk you through the steps depending on what type of student you are.
How is financial aid calculated?
The types of financial aid a student is eligible to receive is calculated based on your total Cost of Attendance minus your Student Aid Index (SAI) .The FAFSA application must be completed each year a student is enrolled and needing financial aid.
To determine financial need eligibility, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and have a calculated Student Aid Index (SAI). The SAI is an eligibility index number used when determining the amount of need based aid (grants, scholarships, federal work study, loans) you are eligible to receive. Amounts are determined by a combination of demonstrated financial need, federal maximums, available funding, and other factors.
Here’s how we determine your demonstrated need
UND estimated Cost of Attendance (COA) – Student Aid Index (SAI) – other need-based aid Demonstrated Financial Need
Expected Family Contribution
In general, yes. Even if your parents don't contribute money toward your education, for financial aid, most undergraduate students are considered dependent and will need to have their parent(s) complete the FAFSA as a contributor.
However, if any of the following describe you, you would be considered an independent student for financial aid. As an Independent student you would not need parent information on the FAFSA.
- You are 24 or older.
- You are married.
- You will be enrolling in courses for a master's or doctoral program.
- You are a veteran or on active duty (not during training).
- You have children or legal dependents (other than a spouse) who will receive more than half of their support from you.
- When you were 13 or older, both of your parents were deceased, you were in foster care or a ward of the court.
- You are an emancipated minor.
- You are in legal guardianship as determined by a court.
- You are an unaccompanied youth who is determined to be homeless by your high school, school district homeless liaison, a director of an emergency shelter program, runaway or homeless youth basic center, or a transitional living program.
If your parents are required to complete the FAFSA and choose not to, you'll only be eligible for Direct Unsubsidized Loans. Please complete the Parent FAFSA Refusal Form if you're going to utilize this option.
When completing the 2024-2025 FAFSA, please report information about yourself and the parent that provides the most financial support. If your parents share custody, the parent who provides 51% or more financial support would be the parent of record for the FAFSA.
The SAI, or Student Aid Index, is replacing the term Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The SAI is a number used to determine a students eligibility for need-based aid. Information provided by the student and contributors (parent(s), spouse) on the FAFSA form.
We recognize that you may have extenuating circumstances that affect your financial and/or personal situation. If you believe the FAFSA does not reflect an accurate picture of your current situation, you have the ability to have your information reviewed by a financial aid administrator.
You can request a review of your individual situation by completing either the Special Circumstance or Unusual Circumstance appeal form. Normal processing time is 15-30 days once all documentation is received.