Navigating Financial Aid

Navigating Financial Aid
UNH students

 This is where it all adds up


College is a big investment and an important decision. Discover how UNH value and affordability add up to your limitless future. Start with the right financial tools for you and your family. Compare actual costs of attendance across your top schools. See how you’ll graduate ahead of the pack.

  • Financial Aid Infographic
    Know your tools.

    Grants. Scholarships. Work Study. Loans. They are not all the same – and the mix of aid types you see in your award package will affect your financial responsibility differently in both the short and long-term.

    Types of aid you don't have to pay back:

    Merit Scholarships, Need-Based Grants, Work Study

    Types of aid you do have to pay back:

    Subsidized & Unsubsidized Loans

  • Financial Aid Infographic 2
    Do the (easy) math.

    Affordability goes further than the size of your financial aid award. It’s also about how much you’ll have to pay to bridge the difference of what’s not covered – what you’ll hear financial aid pros call your net cost.

    This is tuition

    +

    All Additional Costs

    (books, housing, dining)

    -

    The total of your financial aid award

    =

    your net cost

     

    view tuition guide

  • Financial Aid Infographic 3
    Get clear on what value means to you.

    You are investing in yourself and your future. Everyone’s financial picture and long-term goals look different.

    Value can be:

    Developing experience in your dream field
    Experiencing a transformative, horizon-broadening four years
    Starting your career with increased earning power
    Landing in an academic environment where you’ll be supported

AWARD GUIDE

Compare real-world costs.

As you consider factors of cost and affordability in your college decision process, this tool can help you compare financial aid packages and real-world costs of attendance at your top choice schools.

Download the cost comparison tool to your desktop.

  • Laptop, phone and notebook with pen
     
    Check Your Award Status

    The best place to start understanding your financial aid award is your MyUNH portal. Swipe through this slideshow for step-by-step visuals of how to log in to your portal, check your award status and explore your aid eligibility.

    Visit myunh website

  • Financial aid steps
    STEP 1:

    Access your myUNH portal at my.unh.edu

  • Financial aid slide 2
    STEP 2:

    Access the Financial Aid Task Center by entering “Financial” into the search field at the top of the myUNH portal screen.

    Click the tab for “Financial Aid: Review Aid Package.”

  • Financial aid steps
    STEP 3:

    Log in to Webcat using the SSO login information sent to you in an email from the UNH admissions office. Need your login information re-sent to you? Contact the admissions office by phone at (603) 862-1360 or by email at admissions@unh.edu.

  • Step 4 - Financial Aid
    STEP 4:

    Once the Webcat homepage has opened, navigate to "Financial Aid" on the top menu. Select "Award" from the list of displayed financial aid topics.

  • Step 5 - Financial Aid
    STEP 5:

    Under the "Student Requirements" tab, you can review any tasks you might still need to complete related to your financial aid eligibility. Please note: The "Holds" and "Academic" tabs you see here are only for current students, not admitted.

  • Step 6 - Financial Aid
    STEP 6:

    Select "Aid Year" when prompted to start exploring the menu options related to your award package. To review your financial aid award, select the "Award Overview" tab.

  • Step 7 - Financial Aid
    STEP 7:

    You'll want to be sure and review the cost of attendance section in your award overview. As you compare the affordability of UNH to other schools on your list, it is important to understand the additional expenses you may have beyond tuition — like housing, dining and transportation — and factor those into your calculations.

  • Step 8 - Financial Aid
    STEP 8:

    Review your financial aid award. You will see that your award is comprised of a mix of aid types, including need-based grants, merit-based scholarships, Work-Study and loans. You can find more information on these different types of aid in our guide to helpful terms below.

    The total amount of your annual aid package can be found in bold at the bottom of this page. To calculate your net price of attendance, simply subtract the amount of your aid package from the cost of attendance. This net price is a critical piece of the affordability puzzle, because it reveals what you'll have left to cover each year.

Helpful Terms & Concepts

Cost of Attendance

Schools may list this figure on your award letter or their website. Cost of attendance includes tuition and fees, room and board, books, supplies, transportation and miscellaneous expenses.


Grants/Scholarships

Grant and scholarship aid does not need to be paid back, so can be subtracted from the cost of attendance.


Net Price

This is the cost of attendance minus your grant and scholarship aid.


Student Loans

Loans of all types need to be paid back, often with interest. Federal student loans are the same at every institution, though amounts may vary based on the institutional cost of attendance. If you plan on borrowing, only include the student loans from your aid package in your calculations of what attending UNH will cost you each year. You will also want to know if your loan is subsidized or unsubsidized.

  • Subsidized loans: The interest you accrue while you are in school will be subsidized by the federal government.
  • Unsubsidized loans: You will be responsible for paying interest accrued, though you will not be required to make an interest payment while you are still in school.

Work Study

You may be eligible for a work-study award, but it will not be applied directly to your tuition bill like other types of aid. Instead, you will receive paychecks for your hours worked. Many students use their work-study position to pay for miscellaneous expenses.


Parent Loans

Some schools will add a PLUS/Parent Loan to your financial aid package. These are credit-based loans a parent will need to borrow in his or her name – they are not aid awarded by the college. UNH does not include parent loans in your award.