New Jersey passed a law on May 9, 2018, that allows New Jersey Dreamers enrolled in eligible New Jersey colleges to apply for state financial aid. Students must complete the New Jersey Alternative Financial Aid Application. 

Eligibility Criteria

Complete the New Jersey Alternative Financial Aid Application if you are not a United States citizen or eligible noncitizen and meet all of the following criteria:

• Attended a New Jersey high school for at least three (3) years
• Graduated from a New Jersey high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma in New Jersey
• Are able to file an affidavit stating that you have filed an application to legalize your immigration status or will file an application as soon as you are eligible to do so

How to Apply

1. Complete the New Jersey Alternative Financial Aid Application
2. Create your NJ FAMS account
3. Submit the following documents to Student Financial Aid Services:
   • State Grant Certification for New Jersey Dreamers
   • A copy of your final New Jersey high school transcript. Your high school transcript must include the graduation date, and that you attended at least 3 years of high school in NJ

Important Dates

The Higher Education Student Assistance Authority has strict deadlines. Please make sure that you submit your information by the state deadlines.

NJ Dreamer FAQs

Please refer to the FAQs for answers related to the state aid process for NJ dreamers.

Helpful Links

• Financial Aid and Undocumented Students
• New Jersey Resources Guide
• Tips for Undocumented Students

Resources

Noncitizen students may apply for external scholarships at Scholarship Universe. Some other private scholarships are listed below. You must meet all the eligibility requirements set forth in the scholarship application:

• Adelante Scholarships
• CollgeBoard
• Educators for Fair Consideration
• Fast Web
• FinAid
• Genesco Migrant Center
• Golden Door Scholars
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund
• La Plaza Scholarship and Financial Aid Guide
• LAEF Scholarship
• LULAC Scholarships
• Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund
• My Undocumented Life
• Scholarship America
• Scholarships.com
• The Esperanza Education Fund
• TheDream.US
• UnitedWeDream

Apply for Aid as a Transfer Student

If you plan to transfer to the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), please follow the steps below to ensure you receive your financial aid offer in a timely manner. 
 

Although international students aren't eligible for federal aid, there are plenty of other opportunities for financial assistance. Check out the scholarships for international students—and don't forget about campus employment. You'll need to wait until you get to campus to apply for any jobs, but it's never too soon to start checking things out.

Graduate study at NJIT comes in a few different flavors, and financial assistance is available for no matter what route you choose:

• Matriculated graduate students (full or part-time) working on an M.A., an M.S., or a Ph.D. degree
• Graduate-certificate students enrolled in a Graduate Certificate program

Apply for Aid

To apply for federal, state and institutional aid, you must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Once your application and any required verification are complete, your financial aid - including grants, scholarships, and loans - will be disbursed directly to your tuition account at the beginning of each semester. NJIT’s federal school code for FAFSA is 002621.

New Jersey Alternative Financial Aid Application

The New Jersey Alternative Financial Aid Application allows NJ Dreamers enrolled at eligible New Jersey colleges and universities to apply for state-based financial aid. To learn more or start your application, visit the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA).

Note: Students who are eligible for federal aid through FAFSA must not complete the New Jersey Alternative Financial Aid Application.

Financial Aid Process

INCEPTIA - FINANCIAL AVENUE

New Jersey Institute of Technology has teamed up with Inceptia to give you a leg up on financial education via their online program, Financial Avenue. With Financial Avenue, the idea is to provide you with smart resources to help demystify the world of personal finance. Trust us – getting a handle on your money doesn’t have to feel overwhelming or restrictive. It’s all about empowering yourself with smart basics, and planning from there.

With Inceptia’s money mascot, the Knowl, as your trusty guide, you will have access to ten online courses that take on big financial topics, including:

We get it, sometimes financial education can be pretty boring and it doesn’t always make a lot of sense if you don’t know how to put your knowledge into action. But, Financial Avenue keeps you on your toes with quizzes, videos, interactive tools, and action plans at the end of each course. With all these tools, we’ve made it pretty easy to know exactly what you can begin doing RIGHT NOW to put your financial knowledge to good use. After all, the Knowl says there’s no time like the present.

SAP Probation Students

At this time, we require students who are on SAP probation to complete a financial literacy module, College and Money. Students with an approved SAP appeal must use the link sent to them in their email to register for the College and Money module. Some other relevant modules we recommend include the following:  Debt & Repayment, Spending & Borrowing, and FAFSA. 

Benefits as a SAP Probation Student:

• Develop positive financial habits to reduce your financial worries
• Identify responsible ways to fund your NJIT education
• May help you explore opportunities you may have thought were not available due to financial limitations.
• You will acquire life-long financial knowledge and habits that will help you become economically responsible individuals during your time at NJIT and beyond graduation.

The Knowl is here to help you get Knowl-edgeable about money

Follow the #Knowl

Also, the Knowl would appreciate it if you followed them @MoneyKnowl and #Knowl. The Knowl will be sure to make it worth your while by sharing tips, resources and strategies to help you become a Money Mastery Ninja.

For Technical Support with the Inceptia Platform contact:

For Questions on these Services/Modules contact Student Financial Aid Services here!

Understand the cost of attending NJIT is important. As mandated by federal regulations, the Cost of Attendance (also known as COA) is the average cost to attend for one academic year. The University provides the individualized cost of attendance which includes estimates of tuition and fees, allowances for books and supplies, housing and food, transportation, loan fees, personal expenses, and dependent care (if applicable). Such figures are based on major, first-time enrolled status, and expected enrollment. The COA is used in calculating financial aid eligibility and assessing unmet need. The COA can be used by students and their families to plan their finances for NJIT. Your total financial aid package can never exceed the university’s cost of attendance. The awards that make the package may grants, scholarships, loans, work-study, and scholarships from private entities.

Cost of Attendance (COA)

Cost of Attendance (COA) components include tuition and fees; housing and food; books, course materials, supplies, and equipment; transportation; personal expenses; federal loan fees; and costs associated with professional licensure, certification, or a first professional credential. These components are adjusted based on a student’s actual enrollment status. For example, if a student is enrolled full-time during the Fall term and then enrolls half-time in the Spring term, the COA components for the Spring term will be prorated to reflect half-time enrollment.

Below we provide the updated definitions of commonly used COA terms based on the statutory changes in section 472 of the HEA, incorporating the changes for the 2023-24 award year and beyond:

Tuition and fees—An amount normally assessed a student carrying the same academic workload, as determined by the institution.

Books, course materials, supplies, and equipment—An allowance for books, course materials, and equipment, which must include all such costs required of all students in the same course of study, including a reasonable allowance for the rental or upfront purchase of a personal computer, as determined by the institution.

Federal student loan fees—An allowance for the cost of any Federal student loan fee, origination fee, or insurance premium charged to the student or the parent of the student. 

Transportation—An allowance, as determined by the institution, which may include transportation between campus, residences, and place of work.

Miscellaneous personal expenses—An allowance, as determined by the institution, for a student attending the institution on at least a half-time basis.

Living expenses—An allowance for food and housing costs, as determined by the institution, to be incurred by the student attending the institution on at least a half-time basis, including—

• A standard food allowance that provides the equivalent of three meals each day, regardless of whether a student chooses institutionally owned or operated food services (i.e., board or meal plans). Institutions must provide an allowance for purchasing food off campus for a student that does not elect institutionally owned or operated food services.
• Housing allowances for students residing in institutionally owned or operated housing with or without dependents must be based on the average or median amount assessed to such residents for housing charges, whichever is greater.
• Housing allowances for students living off campus must include rent or other housing costs.
• For dependent students living at home with parents, institutions must include a reasonable standard allowance for living expenses that is not zero.

In accordance with federal regulations: for students attending less than half-time, the Total Cost of Attendance is reduced to include only tuition and fees; an allowance for books, supplies, and transportation; and dependent care expenses.

In certain situations, your Cost of Attendance may be increased to reflect these allowable expenses. If your situation includes these expenses, please contact our office.

Study abroad expenses—An allowance for reasonable costs, as determined by the institution, for a student in a study abroad program approved for credit by the home institution.

Cooperative education costs—An allowance for reasonable costs, as determined by the institution, associated with such employment for a student engaged in a work experience under a cooperative education program.

Dependent care —An allowance based on the estimated actual expenses incurred for dependent care, based on the number and age of such dependents. 

Disability-related expenses—An allowance, as determined by the institution, for expenses associated with a student’s disability, including special services, personal assistance, transportation, equipment, and supplies that are reasonably incurred and not provided for by other agencies.

Professional licensure, certification, or a first professional credential—An allowance for the costs associated with obtaining a license, certification, or a first professional credential, for a student in a program that prepares them to enter a profession that requires such a qualification.

Below are the COA’s by student categories:

• First-Time Freshman or Transfer Student
  • Architecture Majors
  • Non-Architecture Majors
• Continuing Undergraduate Student 
  • Architecture Majors
  • Non-Architecture Majors
• Graduate Students
  • Graduate Architecture
  • Graduate Non-Architecture

COA: Direct Costs vs. Indirect Costs

It is sometimes confusing for students and families to understand the difference between direct and indirect costs within the COA. Below are some definitions:

Direct costs: are the charges that appear on the student bill such as tuition and fees and housing and food (for those who sign a contract with the Office of Residence Life) and books if using award credit at the bookstore.

Indirect Costs(books, travel, and miscellaneous a contract with the Office of Residence Life at http://www.njit.edu/reslife/ . The estimated housing and food that are part of the COA for a student living on-campus represents the most commonly selected housing and food plan, which is a double-room, and Meal Plan A.

Living Off-Campus

These are costs that are not to be confused with your student bill charges as they are estimates of what your entire educational expense and the cost to live for one academic year, and can be used for planning purposes. Such indirect costs are part of the COA because you may need to buy new software, computer, etc. that may qualify for miscellaneous charges. Indirect charges help assess your financial need, and it sets a limit on the total aid that you may receive.

If your aid covers your entire bill and you still have an excess credit remaining you will be notified by the office so that you may purchase your books at the University Bookstore if desired. Any excess credit not used at the bookstore will be issued in a “refund check” as applicable to the type of award. Refund checks are generally distributed within two weeks after disbursement. The first disbursement is generally 14 days into the semester (if a student awards are ready to transfer).

Living On-Campus

Students who choose to live on-campus must sign

Students living off-campus who have indicated on their FAFSA about the off-campus living status will be assessed an estimated housing and food value as an indirect cost (does not appear on the bill). The off-campus housing and meal estimate utilize an estimated figure from the College Board’s Cost of Living Budgets for the NY/Northeastern NJ area. For dependent students are select “living off-campus” as their FAFSA housing status, it is NJIT’s University policy to assess their estimated housing and food indirect COA costs as “living with parent.” We may consider updating the housing status for dependent students who can show an off-campus lease effective during the relevant award period.

Living at Home

Student living with their parents as reported on their FAFSA housing status question will be assessed the estimated housing and food value as an indirect cost (does not appear on the bill). The off-campus housing and meal estimate utilize an estimated figure from the College Board’s Cost of Living Budgets for the NY/Northeastern NJ area. If students change their housing status, they are required to update their FAFSA and inform the Office of Student Financial Aid Services.

Loan Fees

Since federal loans are assessed a loan fee at the time the loan is processed, the amount for a loan fee will be added to the COA if students accept their federal loans. The amount is based on an average of prior year awards.

Financial Literacy and Planning Resources:

• FAFSA4Caster
• Net Price Calculator 
• Financial Literacy Tool 
• NJIT Payment Plan 
• Loans 
• Scholarship Opportunities

Eligibility for most financial aid programs is determined on the basis of financial need and on several other factors. Basically, to receive aid from most programs, you must meet the following criteria:
You must demonstrate financial need (not a criterion for some scholarships and some loans)

Student Financial Aid Services (SFAS) constructs yearly cost-of-attendance (COA) budgets that include tuition, fees, housing and food (or living expenses), books, course materials, supplies, & equipment, transportation, and miscellaneous expenses. The COA varies according to enrollment level and state residency. As a financial aid applicant, you and your family have primary responsibility for contributing to the total cost of your education. The information that you and your family report on the FAFSA is used in a formula established by US Congress to determine your Student Aid Index (SAI). SAI is an eligibility index number that the financial aid office uses to determine how much federal aid student is eligible to receive.

Financial aid attempts to fill the gap between your SAI and the yearly COA. The difference between the SAI and the COA is defined as financial need. If you're eligible, you may be awarded financial aid through a combination of grants and scholarships (which you won't have to repay), loans (which you will have to repay), and work-study (part-time employment on or off campus). These combinations of awards are referred to as financial aid packages. Keep in mind that, because of the variation of the COA, financial aid packages will vary as well.

Total aid—including scholarships, grants, federal work-study, loans, and other educational resources (such as tuition remission and veteran's benefits)—cannot exceed the total COA, whether the student aid was administered through SFAS or some other source. In cases where a student receives funds from certain federal student-aid programs, total financial aid may not exceed his or her demonstrated financial need.

• You must possess a high-school diploma or equivalent (not a criterion for some scholarships, New Jersey Tuition Aid Grant, and New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund)
• You must be matriculated and enrolled in an academic program that is approved by the federal government.

Matriculated undergraduate students are those who have applied to and been accepted by the college and are enrolled in a Bachelor's Program. Matriculated graduate students are students who have applied to and been accepted by the college and are enrolled in a Master's Program. A non-matriculated graduate student is a student who has not applied for and been accepted into a Master's Program.

To determine if you are considered matriculated, contact Admissions.
 

• You must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen (not a criterion for all scholarships or institutional work-study)
• You must have a valid Social Security number.
  • To apply for a Social Security number, contact the U.S. Social Security Administration.
• You must be maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).