Students earn 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to a maximum of 40 hours of earned sick leave per benefit year (NJIT has defined the benefit year as July 1 through June 30);
Students begin accruing paid sick leave upon date of hire; however, there is a 120 day wait before a student can begin to use the time;
Students can carry over up to 40 hours of earned paid sick leave into the next benefit year but are still limited to the use of only 40 of earned sick leave in any given benefit year.
Determining Availability of Hours:
Students (and supervisors) are able to view the earned number of hours available (and the date available) via the student’s online timesheet by clicking on “Leave Balances” next to the student’s name:
Student – No Available Hours:
In the example below, the student has 8.3 hours “banked”; however, the student cannot use these hours until May 17, 2020 as the student has not passed the 120-day waiting period:
Student – Available Hours:
Below is an example of a student who has passed the 120-day waiting period and has 19.34 hours of earned sick leave available:
Student – Utilized Hours:
The example below shows a student who has utilized 3.4 hours of earned sick leave, with updated availability:
Acceptable Reasons to Use NJ Earned Sick Leave:
Pursuant to the New Jersey Earned Sick Leave Law, students may use NJ earned sick leave for the reasons below:
- Student or a family member needs diagnosis, care, treatment or recovery from an illness, or preventative medical care;
- Student or a family member have been the victim of domestic or sexual violence and needs time for treatment, counseling or to prepare for a court proceeding;
- Student needs to attend school-related conferences, meetings or events regarding their child’s education or to attend a school-related meeting regarding their child’s health;
- Student needs to care for their child if their school or child-care provider is closed due to a public health emergency;
- The university closes due to a public health emergency.
Please note that sick leave accrued under the New Jersey Earned Sick Leave Law may not be used for bereavement or to bond with a newborn, newly adopted or foster child.
Requests for Time Off and Approval:
Where at all possible, students should submit requests to use earned sick leave to their supervisor 7 days in advance. If their need for earned sick leave is unforeseeable, students should provide as much notice as possible. Please note that sick time can only be utilized during a scheduled shift; for example, if you are scheduled to work from 10:00-2:00 and you request 1 hour of sick time, the timesheet for that day should reflect 3 hours worked and 1 hour of sick time.
Documentation:
Reasonable documentation may be required if a student uses earned sick leave on three or more consecutive work days. Please note that documentation from the health care provider should NOT specify the medical reason for the student’s leave to their supervisor; students should submit all documentation to their supervisor.
Student and Tuition/Fee Support Stipend Payment Request
This form is to be completed only for a student employee receiving a stipend payment (and tuition and fee support if applicable). If your request does not meet the stipend definition, you will post the position as an hourly position; to post as an hourly position follow these steps:
- Log into Highlander Pipeline
- Go to the Faculty/Staff Service card
- Click Employee Recruitment System
The online stipend system will not allow you to proceed if your request is not a stipend. To learn more about the distinction between hourly and stipend positions, go here.
A stipend is a fixed amount of financial support provided to a student, trainee, or researcher to assist with living or educational expenses during their participation in an academic, research, or training program. A stipend is not considered compensation for services rendered and is not contingent upon hours worked or specific job performance. Its purpose is to enable recipients to engage fully in their educational or research activities without the expectation of employment-related duties.
Typical Uses:
- Research or fellowship participation
- Academic traineeships
For additional information on this process, feel free to contact Milton Gonzalez or Renetta Omar at finaid@njit.edu.
Impact of “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” on FAFSA & Financial Aid Eligibility
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), signed into law on July 4, 2025, introduces significant changes to Pell Grants, federal student loans, repayment plans, and the 2026–2027 FAFSA application. These updates will take effect on or after July 1, 2026.
The Office of Student Financial Aid Services is actively monitoring the legislation and its implementation timeline. This resource will be updated regularly as additional guidance becomes available from the U.S. Department of Education.
Pell Grant Eligibility
(Effective July 1, 2026, beginning with the 2026–2027 academic year.)
- Students with a Student Aid Index (SAI) exceeding twice the maximum Pell Grant amount will not qualify for a Pell Grant. For example, the maximum Pell Grant for 2025–2026 is $7,395. Therefore, a student with an SAI of $14,790 or higher would not be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant.
- Students who receive grants and scholarships from non-federal sources that fully cover their cost of attendance will not be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant.
- Beginning with the 2026–2027 FAFSA, foreign income must be included in the Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) used to determine Pell Grant eligibility. This income will be automatically incorporated into the AGI calculation during the eligibility determination process.
Federal Direct Loan Program
Parent PLUS Annual & Aggregate Loan Limits
- Federal Parent PLUS Loan borrowers will be subject to new borrowing limits. Parents of undergraduate dependent students may borrow $20,000 per year per dependent student and a $65,000 aggregate limit per dependent student (without regard to amounts forgiven, repaid, canceled, or discharged).
- Legacy Provision: If a borrower has a Parent PLUS loan made before July 1, 2026, while the dependent student is enrolled in a credentialed program, the parent can continue to borrow under current loan limits (up to the cost of attendance) for three academic years or the remainder of their dependent student’s expected time to credential, whichever is less.
Graduate PLUS Loan Program
- This program is ending, effective July 1, 2026, and will no longer be available to new borrowers.
- Legacy Provision: If a borrower has a Grad PLUS loan made before July 1, 2026, while enrolled in a credentialed program, the borrower can continue to borrow from the program for 3 academic years or the remainder of their expected time to credential, whichever is less.
Graduate & Professional Annual & Aggregate Loan Limits
- The annual loan limits will be capped at $20,500 for graduate students and $50,000 for professional students. The aggregate limit is capped at $100,000 for graduate students and $200,000 for professional students, and does not include amounts borrowed as an undergraduate. (Borrowers who are both graduate and professional students at some point in their educational careers may only borrow up to $200,000 in total for graduate and professional school).
- Legacy Provision: If a borrower has a Direct Unsubsidized Loan made before July 1, 2026, while enrolled in a credentialed program, the borrower can continue to borrow under current loan limits for 3 academic years or the remainder of their expected time to credential, whichever is less.
- Federal Loan Program Lifetime Loan Limits
- $257,500 lifetime borrowing limit on all federal student loans, excluding borrowed Parent PLUS loan amounts (in the case of a dependent student who had Parent PLUS borrowed on their behalf for education expenses).
- Legacy Provision: If a borrower has a Federal Direct Loan made before July 1, 2026, while enrolled in a credentialed program, the borrower can continue to borrow under current loan limits for 3 academic years or the remainder of their expected time to credential, whichever is less.
- Federal Loan Proration
- Students enrolled less than full-time will have their federal loans prorated to match their enrollment.
- For example: A student who is enrolled in 6 credits in Fall and 6 credits in Spring is enrolled 50% each term. Their loans will be prorated to 50% of their annual eligibility. If the student is eligible for $7,500 ($3,750 per term) at full-time for the two semesters combined, then their prorated amount will be reduced to $3,750 ($1,875 per term) to reflect their half-time enrollment.
Loan Repayment Options
Loan repayment options will change effective July 1, 2026:
New Borrowers (as of July 1, 2026)
- Borrowers with new loans made on or after July 1, 2026 can be repaid using only two plans: a new standard repayment plan and the new income-based repayment plan, RAP. If a borrower with new loans made on or after July 1, 2026 does not select a plan, they will be assigned to the new standard repayment plan.
- All loans must be paid under the same repayment plan, so borrowers with loans made before July 1, 2026, who take out additional loans on or after July 1, 2026, will only have RAP and the new standard repayment plan as options.
Repayment Plan/Current Borrowers
- Current borrowers with no new loans made on or after July 1, 2026, are eligible to enroll in the current Standard, Graduated, Extended, or current Income Based (IBR) repayment plans, and may also opt in to the new RAP. Current borrowers may also switch between, enter or remain on existing IDR plans until July 1, 2028.
- Current borrowers enrolled in ICR, PAYE, or SAVE plans must transition to a different repayment plan (current IBR, current standard plans, or RAP) by July 1, 2028. If no selection is made by that date, they will be moved into RAP automatically.
Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP)
- Created a new IBR plan called the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP). If married filing separately, spouse’s AGI and number of dependents are not included in the payment calculation. $10 minimum payment. Monthly payment is 1-10% of income based on AGI. $50 off monthly payment (base payment) per dependent. 30-year repayment period. Eliminates negative amortization. No cap on monthly payment, even if it’s higher than the standard repayment plan would be. If a borrower makes an on-time payment that reduces their principal by less than $50, ED will make a payment to the principal, up to the amount paid, minus what was applied to the principal or $50, whichever is less.
Standard Repayment Plan
- Fixed payment terms of 10, 15, 20, or 25 years will be available, depending on the total amount borrowed (or outstanding balance if in repayment).
Parent PLUS Loans
- All new Parent PLUS loans from July 1, 2026 on must be repaid under the standard repayment plan, they are not eligible for RAP. If a borrower chooses RAP, but has a loan that is not eligible for RAP (like Parent PLUS and certain consolidated loans) they must repay the ineligible loan/s separately.
- For borrowers who had borrowed Parent PLUS before July 1, 2026, and subsequently borrowed from the program on or after July 1, 2026, repayment for all loans must be under the same repayment plan, of which the only eligible plan for Parent PLUS borrowers is the standard plan.
Loan Rehabilitation Terms
- Borrowers can rehabilitate a defaulted loan twice, instead of once as currently allowed. The minimum rehab payment for Direct Loans changes to $10.
Loan Deferment Options
- Economic hardship and unemployment deferments will no longer be available for new loans. Borrowers with loans made on or before July 1, 2027, are still able to use these deferment options under the current rules. Once all borrower’s loans made prior to that date are paid in full, these options will cease to exist.
Loan Forbearance
- Loans made on or after July 1, 2027, are eligible for forbearance for up to nine months in any two-year period. Current rules allow for a forbearance up to 12 months at a time, with a cumulative limit of three years.
2026-2027 FAFSA Changes
FAFSA will exclude the following assets from the Student Aid Index (SAI) calculation:
- The net worth of a family-owned business with 100 or fewer full-time (or full-time equivalent) employees.
- The net worth of a farms on which the family resides.
- The net worth of a commercial fishing business and related expenses, owned and controlled by a family.
Welcome to NJIT — Supporting You Every Step of the Way! 🎉
We are excited to support you as part of the NJIT Highlander community. Whether you are joining us for the first time or continuing your academic journey, we are here to help guide you through the financial aid process.
Below, you’ll find answers to common questions designed to make reviewing and understanding your financial aid clear, straightforward, and stress-free as you plan for the upcoming academic year.
To begin, please ensure that you have claimed your UCID.
- For those admitted prior to 2/20/26: Go to MyUCID.njit.edu and click "Claim Your UCID". In the "Resend Your Claim Notification" form, enter your 8-digit NJIT ID (found on your applicant status portal and your decision letter) and the personal email address you applied with to receive a claim notification email.
- For those admitted after 2/20/26: You will receive an email to the personal email address you applied with, containing a unique UCID claim notification. Click the red "Claim Your UCID" button and follow the instructions to complete your account setup. If you need the claim notification email resent to you, go to MyUCID.njit.edu and click "Claim Your UCID".
Your UCID is required to access NJIT systems, including the Financial Aid Dashboard. Once your UCID is claimed, you will be able to log in and review your financial aid information.
- Log in to the Financial Aid Dashboard.
- Select the 2026–2027 aid year from the drop-down menu.
- Go to the Home tab.
- Review the Student Requirements section for any outstanding items.
- Log in to the Financial Aid Dashboard.
- Select the 2026–2027 aid year from the drop-down menu.
- Navigate to the Offer tab to view your financial aid awards.
- Under the Loans section, review your loan offers.
- Accept or decline the loans as needed and click Submit.
Federal student loan limits are set by the U.S. Department of Education based on your grade level. Additional options include the Parent PLUS Loan for parents of dependent students and private student loans.
Federal Work Study is a need-based, first-come, first-served program. Students must file the FAFSA by NJIT’s priority deadline of March 1 and demonstrate financial need. If you are not eligible, you may apply for Institutional Work Study.
NJIT reviews scholarship appeals on a case-by-case basis. You may submit competing scholarship offers to the Admissions Office for review. While additional aid is not guaranteed, students are encouraged to submit an appeal.
Yes. You may submit a Special Circumstances Appeal if you’ve experienced a significant financial change, such as a loss of income or medical expenses. Supporting documentation is required, and processing time varies.
EOF documents are reviewed by the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) Department. Once your documents are approved, the EOP Department will coordinate with Financial Aid to apply the grant to your account.
You may contact EOP directly at eop@njit.edu or 973-596-3690.
The Total Direct Net Cost most closely reflects what you will see on your student bill in the Student Account and Payment Portal. The College Financing Plan is only an estimate—tuition and fees may change each year, and it does not include health insurance, parking, commuter meal plans, lab fees, or specific housing and meal plan options.
No. The College Financing Plan is an estimate to help you plan your costs and is not your official bill. Your official tuition bill is released by the University Bursar through the Highlander Pipeline Student Account and Payment Portal, typically in late July for the Fall 2026 term. Paper bills are not sent.
You can enroll directly through the Highlander Pipeline Student Account and Payment Portal. For more details on payment plan options, please click here.
Payment amounts are automatically calculated based on your current account balance after accepted aid is applied. There is no interest, but a one-time $50 fee is added to your down payment.
Requests for early refunds for computer purchases are reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the Executive Director of Financial Aid. Submit a written request to finaid@njit.edu, and in the subject line, please write: Refund for Computer Purchase.
No. Appeals and verification do not extend payment deadlines. You must pay the balance in full or enroll in a payment plan. Any approved adjustments will be applied afterward.
Residency status is determined by the Office of University Admissions based on the documents you submitted with your application. If you believe this status is incorrect, contact the Office of University Admissions to confirm that all documents have been received. Once your residency is updated, the Office of Student Financial Aid Services will be notified, and a revised College Financing Plan will be issued.
Contact your Admissions Counselor to update your housing status. Once the change is processed, the Office of Student Financial Aid Services will automatically generate an updated College Financing Plan.
Yes. First- and second-year students living on campus are required to have a meal plan. Contact Residence Life for more information.
Indirect Expenses are not billable and do not appear on your bill. They are estimates to help families plan for overall costs. You should only budget for the expenses that apply to you.
Personal expenses may include laundry, clothing upkeep, meals off campus, transportation, and leisure activities.
Athletic scholarships are posted after tuition rates for the year are finalized and the student is cleared by the NCAA. Be sure all required NCAA paperwork is completed with the Athletics Department.
Review your New Student Checklist to ensure all required steps, including financial aid tasks, are completed.
For assistance, email finaid@njit.edu and include your 8-digit NJIT Student ID and legal name.
Exit Counseling for Federal Direct Loan Borrowers
What is Exit Counseling?
Exit Counseling helps you:
-
Understand your loan repayment responsibilities
-
Learn about different repayment plans
-
Explore options to manage your loans and avoid default
How to Complete Exit Counseling
-
Visit the Federal Student Aid website at studentaid.gov and log in using your FSAID and password. If you’ve forgotten your login details, use the “Forgot My Username” or “Forgot My Password” links to recover them.
-
Once logged in, navigate to the Loan Repayment section, then under “Prepare and Apply,” select Loan Exit Counseling.
-
Choose the option that reflects your student status (‘Undergraduate Student’ or ‘Graduate/Professional Student’) and click Start under the Exit Counseling section.
-
Review and update your contact information and references as needed.
-
Select New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) under “Search School” to ensure your records are updated correctly.
-
Follow the prompts to complete all required sections. Be sure to expand all dropdown menus to proceed.
-
Once finished, a confirmation will be sent to the NJIT Financial Aid Office within 24-48 hours.
Additional Resources
-
Direct Loan Exit Counseling Guide
This downloadable guide provides key details on:-
Money management
-
Repayment plans
-
Deferment and forbearance options
-
Loan consolidation
-
- Below video provides step by step instructions to complete the Federal Loan Exit Counseling.
-
Repaying Your Loans Guide
This downloadable guide provides more information about federal student loan repayment, timelines, and strategies to manage your debt effectively. -
Loan Simulator helps you estimate monthly student loan payments and choose a loan repayment option that best meets your needs and goals.
-
Federal Student Loan Repayment Plans: You may review detailed information about the various Direct Loan repayment plans available. Understanding these options will help you:
-
Determine your monthly payment amount based on your income and loan balance.
-
Learn about income-driven repayment plans that may lower your payments.
-
Explore options for loan consolidation, deferment, and forbearance if needed.
Avoid delinquency and default by selecting a repayment plan that works for you.
-
Financial Literacy Resources
- Courses on Loan Guidance, Debt, and Repayment
- Tools to help you manage your finances effectively
If you have any questions about Exit Counseling, please contact the NJIT Student Financial Aid Services at finaid@njit.edu or 973-596-3479.
Financial Aid Appeals
Special Circumstance Appeal
-
Loss of income due to unemployment, disability, or retirement
-
Loss of full-time employment
-
Death of a parent or spouse that occurred after the FAFSA was filed
-
Divorce or separation that occurred after the FAFSA was filed
-
Exceptional medical and/or dental expenses incurred and not paid by insurance
-
Termination of benefits or income such as child support, alimony, SS benefits
-
One-time occurrence of income such as a debt cancellation, an inheritance, or hardship IRA withdrawals
How to Apply
The special circumstance appeal review process may take 4-6 weeks to complete if all documents are received. See instructions on how to apply.
- Submit an unusual circumstance appeal on the document portal
- Click on “Manage Requests”
- Select Special Circumstance Appeal for the appropriate aid year
- Provide all requested documents to the financial aid office
Unusual Circumstances
Unusual circumstances are unique situations that may warrant changing a dependent student's status to independent, also known as a dependency override. These circumstances may be due to a severe family situation that prevents a student from including parent information on the FAFSA. Some examples of special circumstances are:
- Parental abuse or an abusive family environment
- Parental abandonment or severe estrangement
- Parental incarceration
- Human trafficking
- Refugee or asylee status where parents are displaced
- Unaccompanied and homeless youth
- Inability to contact parents
Situations that do not qualify
Financial aid offices are prohibited from granting appeals for the following reasons alone:
- Parents' unwillingness to pay for college
- Parents' refusal to provide information on the FAFSA
- The student's self-sufficiency or not being claimed as a dependent on taxes
How to Apply
The unusual circumstance appeal review process may take 4-6 weeks to complete if all documents are received.
- File the FAFSA
- Submit an unusual circumstance appeal on the document portal
- Click on “Manage Requests”
- Select Unusual Circumstance Appeal for the appropriate aid year
- Provide all requested documents to the financial aid office
Cost of Attendance Appeal
Student Loan Checklist for Graduating Students
-
Complete Exit Loan Counseling
All federal student loan borrowers must complete Exit Counseling. This Counseling provides important information to prepare you to repay your federal student loans. It explains your loan responsibilities and when repayment begins. You are required to complete exit counseling before you graduate. Please complete Exit Counseling.
-
Review your Loan History
-
Review and access your loan history by logging into your Federal Student Aid account.
-
Get to know your loan servicer. It’s important that you know who your loan servicer is and how to get in contact with them because you will eventually be making your loan payments to your servicer. Ensure you create an online account on your loan servicer’s website.
-
Make on-time payments to your loan servicer. Your loan servicer will provide you with a loan repayment schedule that tells you when your first payment is due, the number and frequency of payments, and the amount of each payment. Contact your loan servicer if you haven’t received this information.
-
To make repayment simple, you may enroll in auto-pay. Once you enroll, your payments will be automatically taken from your bank account each month. For additional information, check with your loan servicer for details.
-
-
Review Loan Repayment Options
-
Repayment Plans: Review the various Repayment Plans that are available. You can pick from repayment plans that base your monthly payment on your income or plans that give you a fixed monthly payment.
-
Grace Period: For most federal student loan types, there is a six-month grace period before you must begin making payment.
-
Create a Budget: Review your income and expenses to determine how much you can realistically afford to pay monthly toward your federal student loans. There are tools to help you create and plan your budget.
-
Loan Simulator: The Loan Simulator helps you estimate monthly student loan payments and choose a loan repayment option that best meets your needs and goals.
-
-
Learn About Loan Consolidation
-
A Direct Consolidation Loan allows you to combine all your federal student loans into one loan with one monthly payment.
-
-
Learn If You Qualify for Loan Forgiveness
-
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program: If you’re employed by a government or not-for-profit organization, you might be eligible for the PSLF Program. You must make 120 qualifying payments under an acceptable repayment plan to qualify and be working full-time for an eligible employer. For more information see Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
-
Teacher Loan Forgiveness (TLF) Program: You may qualify for this program if you teach full-time for five complete and consecutive academic years in a low-income school or educational service agency and meet other qualifications. For more information see Teacher Loan Forgiveness.
-
-
Know Your Options If You Can’t Make Your Loan Payment
-
If you don’t pay the full amount due on time or if you start missing payments, your loan will be considered delinquent, and late fees may be charged to you.
-
If you can’t make your payments, contact your loan servicer immediately for help. Your loan servicer may offer you temporary or long-term options, such as changing repayment plans, deferment, forbearance, or loan consolidation.
-
Always contact your loan servicer if you are having trouble making payments and to manage your loans.
-
-
Private Loans
-
If you have borrowed private loans, contact your lender and confirm the total loans you have borrowed
-
Make sure you have access to your lender account portal
-
Work with the lender to understand your loan repayment options
-
Institutional Work-Study is similar to the Federal Work-Study program but is funded directly by the institution rather than the federal government. This type of program is typically available to international and domestic students, but eligibility criteria may vary depending on the policies of the institution. Institutional Work-Study programs offer part-time job opportunities to International students to help them earn money to cover educational expenses.
Eligibility
For Institutional Work-Study program (IWS), you must:
- Be accepted into a program as a degree-seeking student.
- Be enrolled for 6 credits for domestic undergraduate and graduate students;
- Be enrolled for 9 credits for international graduate students (if less than 9 credits must be certified as full-time by the Office of Global Initiatives);
- Be enrolled for 12 credits for international undergraduate students (if less than 12 credits must be certified as full-time by the Office of Global Initiatives).
Through work-study, you could be a technical assistant, teaching assistant, computer-systems technician, programmer or Web developer, Web designer, help-desk consultant, or game-room desk attendant. There are plenty of different jobs to choose from. Read our work-study policies and apply for a job.
Steps to apply for hourly work-study positions via Cornerstone
Required Paperwork & Documentation
As a first-time work-study employee, you'll be required to submit (upon hire) documentation that establishes your identity and employment eligibility. You can submit any single document from List A, or any combination of one document each from List B and from List C, as identified in the "Lists of Acceptable Documents" on the last page of the Form I-9 (link below). All documents must be original documents and must be submitted in person at the Office of Student Financial Aid Services, located in the Student Mall.
- Confidentiality Form and policy (PDF)
- Employee Direct Deposit Enrollment
- FNIS Request Form (for International Students Only)
- Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification (PDF)
- Form W-4,Employee Withholding Certificate (PDF)
- Employee's Withholding Allowance Certificate (PDF)
Getting Paid
The payroll is processed every two weeks.
You have the option to receive your earnings via two options:
- Direct Deposit - In compliance with the State of New Jersey mandate, NJIT is requiring all employees to be enrolled in direct deposit. To enroll, please visit here. Please complete the form and return it to the Payroll Office, Fenster Hall, Room 540, or electronically to payroll@njit.edu. Once the bank verifies routing and account numbers, the process is all set, and Direct Deposit can begin, normally within two weeks.
- Picked-Up - Checks may be picked up on pay Fridays in Fenster Hall, Fifth Floor, Distribution Window 548 between the hours of 10:00 am and 1:00 pm. Checks not picked up will be mailed to the preferred/permanent mailing address on file. Please be aware that checks mailed and not received may take up to 2 weeks to be replaced.
NJ Earned Sick Leave Law
- The New Jersey Earned Sick Leave Law enables hourly student employees to accrue and utilize paid sick time; additional information is available at: NJ Earned Sick Leave Law - Hourly Students.
International Tax Information
International Tax forms can be found on payroll website here.