Financial Aid

Domestic students, meaning those who are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens, are eligible to participate in the Federal Work-Study program if they meet the program's criteria. Once awarded Federal Work-Study as part of financial aid package, students can seek out eligible jobs and earn money to assist with educational expenses. The program typically encourages work in areas that complement the student's academic or career goals, providing valuable work experience along with financial assistance.

Eligibility

To be eligible for Federal Work-Study program, you must:

  • Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
  • Be enrolled in classes as a degree-seeking student
  • Have a Federal Work-Study program allocation as part of your financial aid package.

To find out what you're eligible for, complete the FAFSA if you haven't already done so.

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.

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

File Your FAFSA!

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is used to apply for federal, state, and institutional financial aid. You should file a FAFSA as soon as possible but no later than NJIT’s Priority filing deadline of March 1, to ensure full consideration for federal, state, and institutional aid. NJIT's institutional code for FAFSA is 002621. If you wish to be considered for New Jersey State grant eligibility, NJIT must be listed as your first school choice. If you need help, please call 1-800-433-3243.

Which FAFSA to be Filed

2026-2027 FAFSA: If you are attending school in Fall 2026 – Spring 2027
2025-2026 FAFSA: If you are attending school in Fall 2025 – Spring 2026

Prepare to Complete the FAFSA

Before starting the FAFSA, carefully read the tips for completing the FAFSA and watch Preparing for the FAFSA. Students will need the following to complete the application:

  • Student and all contributors (spouse, parent and parent spouse) must create their StudentAid.gov account to access and complete the FAFSA (if not already created)
  • Name, Social Security number, date of birth and email address of the student and all contributors (spouse, parent and parent spouse)
  • Alien registration number (if the student is not a U.S. citizen)
  • Federal Tax Returns, including W-2 information, for student, spouse and parents (if you are a dependent student, generally under the age of 24. Tax information is imported directly from the IRS but you should keep your tax returns handy for additional questions. The FAFSA requires federal tax information from the prior-prior year. For example, on the 2026-2027 FAFSA, families will need to report 2024 federal tax information
  • Records of child support received
  • Current balances of cash, savings, and checking accounts
  • Net worth of investments, businesses, and farms

Stay Informed
  • To ensure you receive updates from Federal Student Aid, log in to your StudentAid.gov account and confirm your current email address.
  • Watch the “FAFSA FAQs” playlist to better understand what’s changed on the new form.
  • Follow Federal Student Aid on social media for resources and announcements—including an alert when the new FAFSA form is available to complete.
Need Help?
Frequently Asked Questions

The new FAFSA offers a more streamlined application process and a better user experience for students and their families. Some changes and frequently asked questions are as below:

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The FAFSA opens on October 1st. 

Students should complete their FAFSA as soon as it becomes available on October 1st and before February 15th.

Some of the changes to the FAFSA include:

  • The new FAFSA is a more streamlined and shorter form and has 46 questions. Because this form is dynamic, some students will be presented with less than 46 questions.
  • Students may list up to 20 colleges and universities. Previously, this number was 10.
  • Currently, the FAFSA is only available in English and Spanish. The application will be expanded to include the 11 most common languages.
  • Watch the “Preparing for the FAFSA Form” playlist to understand what information and documents you’ll need to fill out the FAFSA form.

The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is being replaced by the Student Aid Index (SAI). The SAI is a number that’s used to determine eligibility for need-based aid. It is calculated using information that the student (and contributors, if required) provides on the FAFSA form. A student’s SAI can be a negative number down to –1500. SAI is replacing EFC because the term EFC created some confusion in the past and SAI more accurately reflects student’s need-based eligibility.

Financial need = Cost of Attendance (COA) – Student Aid Index (SAI) – Other Financial Assistance (OFA)

For dependent students, financial information will be required from the parent(s) who provided the most financial support to the student in the 12 months before filing the FAFSA. Previously, financial information was needed from the parent(s) the student had lived with the most in the last 12 months.

See Who is the Parent on the FAFSA

Both a dependent student and their parent must create their own StudentAid.gov account to complete their respective sections on the FAFSA.

  • On the “Invite Parent(s) to This FAFSA Form®” view, the student will check the “My parent doesn’t have an SSN” box.
    • The student will enter the parent’s address instead.
  • Parent logs in with FSA ID, and the online FAFSA experience is exactly the same as for someone with an SSN with only one exception:
    • ITIN field displays on “Parent Identity Information” view
  • "Contributor" is a new term being introduced on the new FAFSA form.
  • A contributor is anyone who is required to provide a signature on the FAFSA form as well as provide consent and approval to have their federal tax information transferred from the IRS directly into the form via direct data exchange.
  • This includes the student and may include the student’s spouse, a biological or adoptive parent, or the parent’s spouse (stepparent).
  • Non-adoptive grandparents, foster parents, legal guardians, brothers or sisters, and aunts or uncles, even if they helped provide for or raise the student are not contributors
  • Contributors will receive an email informing them that they've been identified as such, and will need to log in using their own FSA ID (if they don't already have one) to provide the required information on the student's FAFSA.
  • Contributor participation does not indicate financial responsibility.

All students and contributors must provide consent and approval to:

  • Disclose their personally identifiable information (PII) provided on the FAFSA form to the IRS for matching purposes;
  • Obtain their federal tax information directly from the IRS via the direct data exchange and allow the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to use their federal tax information to determine the student’s aid eligibility. This consent also allows ED to share their federal tax information with postsecondary institutions and state higher education agencies for use in awarding and administering financial aid.
  • If a student or required contributor doesn’t provide consent and approval, the student will not be eligible for federal student aid—even if they manually enter tax information into the FAFSA form.
  • Information about how federal tax information will be used and the consequences of not providing consent and approval will be included on the FAFSA form.
  • Even if a student or contributor doesn’t have a Social Security number, didn’t file taxes, or filed taxes outside of the U.S., they still need to provide consent and approval

Family farms and small businesses will now count as assets, less the family's primary residence if it is also located on the farm.

Important Links
Resources

Get Help With Basic Items

To address the college students' basic needs, the New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE), launched a new tool to help college students locate basic need resources. Such basic needs include food, housing, transportation, childcare, healthcare, tax preparation, financial aid information and legal aid. To begin searching click here. 

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Even as an Albert Dorman Honors Scholar, your undergraduate scholarships are strictly for undergraduate courses or courses directly pertaining to your undergraduate degree program. If you take a graduate course and it is deemed as solely for your graduate degree, you will be responsible for the cost of those credits.

Yes, because undergraduate scholarships can only be applied to undergraduate classes (and scholarships require full-time of undergraduate enrollment) your scholarship will be adjusted so as to only cover undergraduate charges. Your enrollment will still be considered full time but you will be responsible for covering the graduate costs.

No, the Office of the Registrar will determine whether or not your graduate course pertains to your undergraduate degree program following the academic policies governing dual degree programs. You can contact them via email registrar@njit.edu

The amount varies and depends on the number of credits you are taking for graduate enrollment. Please note that the difference in cost between undergraduate and graduate is extensive. Visit the bursar’s website for more information concerning the cost per credit.

Yes, since you are meeting the undergraduate full-time status and you will be charged as a full-time undergrad your scholarship would remain. However, you will have an additional 3-credit charge for the graduate course.

Undergraduate scholarships are designed to only pay for undergraduate credits that apply to a student’s undergraduate degree program. Understanding students seeking dual degree programs, there are some policies that dictate how the undergraduate scholarship will be awarded in semesters where students take graduate level credits.

Generally, students who take graduate credits where the credits will apply to the undergraduate program will have no impact their scholarship awards (assuming they meet all the requirements for the scholarship). However, when the graduate level credits do not apply to the student’s undergraduate program, the award will be reduced to only cover the undergraduate credits. The determination of graduate credits applying to the undergraduate program occurs after the last day to add/drop by the Office of the Registrar.

To help you better understand Dual Degree and Scholarship Policies, please see the FAQ.

Financial Aid Awareness Month

For the month of February, we will be posting a new topic daily on a portion of FAFSA process! Don't worry if you missed a topic, we will save them below!

Make sure you can log into your StudentAid.gov account—and remember your username and password that you used in 2025-2026 so you can access and submit the 2026–2027 FAFSA form.

If you or your parent need to create their FSA ID, please watch this video:

FA Awareness Month: Topic of the Day

For the month of February, we will be posting a new topic daily on a portion of FAFSA process! Don't worry if you missed a topic, we will save them below!

(Friday, February 27, 2026)

How Do I Create a StudentAid.gov Account If I Don’t Have a Social Security Number? Students must be a U.S. Citizen or Eligible Non-U.S. Citizen to be eligible to file a FAFSA. 

Useful Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu_EfT5_qtM

PREVIOUS TOPICS

(Thursday, February 26, 2026)

How Do I Complete the 2025-26 FAFSA Form If My Parents Are Divorced or Separated? If your parents are divorced or separated, which parent’s information will be required is determined by whether your parents live together or not and which parent provided the most financial support.

Useful Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ba2irkCtYvo

(Wednesday, February 25, 2026)

Federal Student Aid Estimator. The student may want to use the Federal Student Aid Estimator before filling out the FAFSA® form to help them understand their options for paying for college or career school by providing them an early estimate of how much federal student aid they may be eligible for.

Useful Link: https://studentaid.gov/aid-estimator/estimate/student-information

(Tuesday, February 24, 2026)

List Your School You’re Attending. Be sure to add any colleges, career schools, or trade schools you’re considering, even if you haven’t applied or been accepted yet. You can list up to 20 schools on the online 2025–26 FAFSA form. Even if there’s only a slight chance you’ll apply to a school, list it on your FAFSA form. You can always remove a school later if you decide not to apply, but if you wait to add a school, you could miss out on financial aid.

(Monday, February 23, 2026)

Records of Your Assets. The FAFSA form will ask you and your contributors questions about your assets, so make sure you have records of your savings and checking account balances, as well as the value of any investments, such as stocks, bonds, and real estate excluding your primary residence. Report the current amounts of your assets as of the date you sign the FAFSA form, rather than reporting the 2023 tax year amounts. 

Useful Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpjwM6zzdPc

(Friday, February 20, 2026)

Types of Aid Available. Don’t count yourself out by not filing your FAFSA. Learn about the different types of aid that may be available for you.

Useful Link: https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types

(Thursday, February 19, 2026)

Untaxed Income. You and your contributors may need to answer FAFSA questions about untaxed income, such as child support and interest income. On the 2025–26 FAFSA form, you’ll use 2023 tax or calendar year information to answer these questions.  

Useful Link: https://studentaid.gov/help-center/answers/article/untaxed-income

(Wednesday, February 18, 2026)

Your 2023 Federal Income Tax Return. Beginning on the 2025–26 FAFSA form, you and your contributors must provide consent and approval to have your federal tax information transferred directly from the IRS into your FAFSA form. Providing consent and approval is mandatory, even if you or your contributors don’t have an SSN, didn’t file a tax return, or filed a tax return outside the U.S.

Useful Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd21zLLR6yw&t=4s)%20

(Tuesday, February 17, 2026)

Managing your Student Loans. Want to start making early payments on your Federal Direct Loans? Click on the link to sign into your Federal Student Aid account and to find your Loan Servicer.  

Useful Link: https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/make-payment

(Monday, February 16, 2026)

Award Offer Filed your FAFSA but haven’t received your financial aid award offer? Check your document portal for any outstanding financial aid requirements. 

Useful Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1EbAs2XpgE

(Friday, February 13, 2026)

FAFSA Submission Summary. After your FAFSA form is submitted and processed, you’ll receive an email with instructions on how to access an online copy of your FAFSA Submission Summary.

Useful Link: https://studentaid.gov/help/fafsa-submission-summary

(Thursday, February 12, 2026)

What is Consent and why is it important? Consent and approval are needed to retrieve and disclose federal tax information from each participant on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid FAFSA® form. With consent and approval, we can obtain your federal tax information automatically from the IRS to help complete the FAFSA form.

Useful Link: https://studentaid.gov/2526/help/consent-federal-tax-info

(Wednesday, February 11, 2026)

Don’t miss out on State Aid. Complete State Records in NJFAMS by March 1, 2026 or 30 days from initial notification. 

Useful Link: https://www.hesaa.org/Pages/StateDeadlinesCurrentAY.aspx

(Tuesday, February 10, 2026)

Who needs to create a StudentAid.gov account? Beginning with the 2025–26 FAFSA® form, each of your contributors, if you have any, will be able to create a StudentAid.gov account even if they don’t have an SSN.

Useful Link: https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch

(Monday, February 9, 2026)

Why do I need to provide consent and approval? Both you and your contributors must provide consent and approval to have the IRS transfer your federal tax information into the FAFSA form. Your contributors must provide consent and approval even if they don’t have a Social Security number SSN, didn’t file a tax return, or filed a tax return outside the U.S. If you or your contributors don’t provide consent and approval, you won’t be eligible for federal student aid.

Useful Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd21zLLR6yw

(Friday, February 6, 2026)

Who is a Contributor on the FAFSA? “Contributor” is a new term introduced on the 2025–26 FAFSA form. It refers to anyone you, your spouse, your biological or adoptive parent, or your parent’s spouse who’s asked to provide their information, consent and approval to have their federal tax information transferred automatically from the IRS into the FAFSA form more on that later, and signature on your FAFSA form.    

Useful Link: https://studentaid.gov/help/which-parent-contributor

(Thursday, February 5, 2026)

Understanding your SAI. The Student Aid Index SAI is an eligibility index number that your college’s or career school’s financial aid office uses to determine how much federal student aid you would receive if you attended the school.  

Useful Link: https://studentaid.gov/help-center/answers/article/how-sai-calculated

(Wednesday, February 4, 2026)

New Jersey Dreamers, you may still be eligible for State Aid! If you did not receive State Aid for fall or just started classes in spring, you still have time to file your 2025-2026 NJ Alternative Application by February 15th! 

Useful Link: https://www.hesaa.org/pages/njalternativeapplication.aspx

(Tuesday, February 3, 2026)

It’s time to file your 2026-2027 FAFSA! NJIT priority deadline for FAFSA filing is March 1st. Click on the link to file your FAFSA! Make sure to add our school code on your FAFSA before you submit your application or we will not receive it.  NJIT School Code 002621. If you haven’t added our school code, click the link below to do so today.

Useful Link: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

Financial Aid Services is hosting a number of events in honor of the financial aid awareness month. Please check them out on our events page!

What is the Garden State Guarantee?

The Garden State Guarantee (GSG) is New Jersey’s promise to make a college degree more accessible and affordable. By reducing out-of-pocket costs for students and families, New Jersey is limiting the amount of debt that residents must borrow to attend an in-state, public college or university. This program further builds on Governor Phil Murphy’s commitment to improving college affordability.

The Garden State Guarantee (GSG) program will provide up to four semesters of free tuition and mandatory fees for undergraduate, New Jersey resident students who attend in-state, public four-year institutions.

Under this program, New Jersey residents who attend an in-state, public, four-year institution and have an annual adjusted gross income (AGI) between $0 and $65,000 will pay a net price of $0 for tuition and mandatory fees during their third and fourth years of study. GSG funds are applied as a last-dollar award to cover the cost of tuition and fees that are not already covered by federal and state financial aid or institutional or outside scholarships. Students must be enrolled full-time (at least 12 credits per semester) and must be working toward completing their first Bachelor’s degree.

We encourage you to visit the GSG website for information and eligibility requirements.

Who is Eligible?

  • New Jersey residents, including students who qualify as NJ Dreamers.
  • Must complete the FAFSA or NJ Alternative Application and meet all state deadlines to have state aid eligibility determined. Failure to complete your state aid process jeopardizes your eligibility for this program too. Check your state aid status online at HESAA.
  • Have an Adjusted Gross Income of $0 to $65,000 for free tuition and mandatory fees.  The Adjusted Gross Income figure is based on parent(s) AGI for dependent students or student/spouse AGI for independent students. The income-establishing eligibility will be based on the income reported on the FAFSA/NJ Alternative Application for the academic year in question.
  • Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress
  • Enroll full-time (at least 12 credits per semester) in your third or fourth year at NJIT, defined as having earned 60-89 credits for the third year and 90-128 earned credits for the fourth year (credits include those a student has earned from a different institution as long as NJIT has accepted the credits).  Students who satisfy all eligibility criteria may receive GSG up to the overall cap of 4 semesters, or once you reach 128 credits, whichever comes first. Once a student has reached 128 credits, or reached the maximum payments, they are no longer eligible for GSG.
  • Students must be working towards their first bachelor’s degree. Both continuing students and incoming transfers are eligible.

How to Apply

You will automatically be considered for the GSG when you complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). There is not a separate application to complete. Remember these important application requirements:

  • Complete your FAFSA. NJ Dreamers should file the NJ Alternative Application available on HESAA’s website.
  • Students must file the FAFSA or NJ Alternative Application by HESAA’s state grant deadlines. 
  • If HESAA requests additional documentation, those deadlines must also be met. You must complete the state grant process, regardless of eligibility for state grant aid.
  • Students must also submit any documentation required by the NJIT Office of Student Financial Aid Services.

Questions and Answers

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For dependent students, only parent(s’)/guardian(s’) AGIs are considered, not the student’s income. For independent students, the AGI of the student and spouse, if applicable, is considered.

Students who satisfy all eligibility criteria may receive GSG up to the overall cap of four (4) semesters.

Third-year students are defined as having earned 60-89 total accumulated credits, and fourth-year students are defined as having earned 90-128 total accumulated credits, regardless of the institution(s) at which the qualifying credits were earned (i.e.: accepted transfer credits from another institution of higher education, Advanced Placement courses, dual-enrollment programs, etc.). Once a student has reached 128 credits or reached the maximum payments, they are no longer eligible for GSG.

Yes. Expanding equitable and affordable college access to a high-quality degree in New Jersey is the GSG’s driving force. Be sure to submit your FAFSA or the New Jersey Alternative Financial Aid Application by the applicable State deadline.

No, GSG funding is available only to third- and fourth-year students at in-state, public, four-year institutions. Complete the FAFSA or the New Jersey Alternative Financial Aid Application if you are an NJ Dreamer. 

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Scholarship Universe is an online platform powered by CampusLogic that matches students to relevant, vetted scholarship opportunities. This tool has the potential to increase the amount of gift aid our students receive, and consequently reduce their reliance on student loans.

Scholarship Universe saves students the time and energy of sifting through hundreds of fraudulent or irrelevant scholarship opportunities and allows them to focus on submitting strong applications for scholarships that they are uniquely qualified for.

Each scholarship opportunity that a student sees on Scholarship Universe has gone through an extensive vetting process in order to protect students from scholarship scams. When students are searching for good matches in Scholarship Universe, they can rest assured that the opportunities are legitimate and worth the time and effort it takes to apply. 

Students will log into Scholarship Universe using their UCID credentials to set up a profile. Scholarship Universe will then present them with scholarship opportunities specifically tailored to their profile. The more information students provide in their profile, the more personalized and relevant the scholarship search results will be. 

Students should keep in mind that the database of scholarships is approximately 10,000 at any given time, so it’s very important to be specific when creating a profile to ensure that they are getting the most relevant matches. 

Scholarship Universe makes it easier for students to apply for and receive grants and scholarships. This should ultimately reduce students’ out-of-pocket costs and drive down reliance on student loans, making NJIT even more accessible and affordable.

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