Tuition & Aid
Explore resources to help you pay for college.
We’re Committed to Affordable, Christian Education
Choosing the right college involves a lot of factors, including finances. At North Central University, we want every student to receive the highest quality Christian education and graduate equipped to pursue their God-given calling with as little debt and financial burden as possible. To achieve this goal, our Financial Aid team works with students and their families to personalize financial offers, leveraging federal and state aid, scholarships, and loans.
An education at NCU is an investment — not just of your money but of your time, energy, and relationships — and what you receive in return will be worth it. While at NCU, you will grow in your faith, build lasting friendships, learn from caring mentors, and connect with a professional network of changemakers and servant leaders in downtown Minneapolis.
Financial Aid Quick Facts
Financial Aid for All Undergraduates
100% of residential undergrads and several graduate students receive financial aid of some kind.
12+ or 15+ Credits to Qualify
Students taking 12+ credits are eligible for federal financial aid, and students taking 15+ credits are eligible for the Minnesota State Grant.
2026-2027 Tuition: $32,200
Tuition for the 2026-2027 year will be $16,100 per semester and $32,200 for one year before financial aid deductions. We adjust tuition rates annually.
How to Apply for Financial Aid
Who Is Eligible for Financial Aid?
All residential undergraduate students receive financial aid in one form or another. Each type of financial aid — such as federal and state grants, private scholarships, and loans — comes with its own eligibility requirements.
- Students must be enrolled at least half-time (6 credits) as a regular student to be eligible for student loans. (Federal and/or state grants may be available at less than 6 credits.)
- All federal aid is awarded based on full-time status (12 credits). For the Minnesota State Grant, 15 credits is considered full time.
- If a student drops below 12 credits for any semester, the budget will be recalculated, federal and state aid may be decreased, and institutional aid is forfeited.
- Students must maintain satisfactory academic progress at North Central University in order to continue receiving aid.
- For students who withdraw from NCU, the North Central University Refund Policy will be used.
- North Central reserves the right to alter any information or policies without prior notice to financial aid participants.
When to Apply for FAFSA
For a student entering college in the Fall, the FAFSA is available the October before the academic year of intended enrollment. Example: Fall 2027 applicants can apply for the FAFSA Oct. 1, 2026. Because the funds for some financial aid programs are limited, you need to apply as early as possible. Since tax return information is needed to file the FAFSA, families should complete their income tax returns before filing for aid. A student must complete a new FAFSA each academic year.
Step 1. Complete Your FAFSA
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is used by the U.S. government to determine your Student AID Index (SAI) and your eligibility for need-based aid. We also use the information from the FAFSA to determine your eligibility to receive some types of North Central aid.
You need to complete your FAFSA before we can offer you an official financial aid award, so this is a very important step. You can file your FAFSA now for the 2026-2027 academic year. Remember that some types of aid have limited funding, so the earlier you complete this step, the better.
Make sure you include North Central University (FAFSA code #002369) on the list of schools to receive your FAFSA information. Learn more about the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, which allows students and parents to access tax return information needed to complete the FAFSA.
Step 2. Confirm Your Student Aid Report Information
Three to five days after filing the FAFSA, you’ll receive a Student Aid Report, either by email or mail, which will list your FAFSA information. Review the data for accuracy. If you need to make corrections, follow the instructions on the report or contact us in the One Stop office:
Email: onestop@northcentral.edu
Phone: 612-343-5030
Fax: 612-343-8060
NCU will receive your FAFSA results electronically about the same time you receive the Student Aid Report if you listed us as one of your school choices on the FAFSA.
Step 3. Provide Requested Documents and Verification
The Financial Aid team will review your information and contact you if we need additional documentation or information. You may be asked to provide copies of prior-prior year federal income tax returns and additional forms verifying information listed on the FAFSA. For example, when filing the 2026-2027 FAFSA, you will use tax information from as early as 2024. Not all students will be selected for verification. If you are selected, we can’t continue to process your file until verification documents are received.
Step 4. Apply for North Central Scholarships and Discounts
Some scholarships and discounts aren’t awarded through the NCU Application or FAFSA.
These require additional applications
- Church Match Scholarship
- Regent’s Scholarship
- Performance Scholarships (Music and Theatre)
Learn more about applying for these scholarships and discounts.
Step 5. Receive and Accept Your Awards
We’ll send you an email notifying you that your financial aid has been awarded. This email will be sent to your NCU email address, so be sure to check this regularly. Once you’ve received this email, you can log into Skyline > Colleague > Financial Aid > Review > Accept Your Financial Aid Award Package. This page also includes a checklist, where you’ll be able to see if there are any additional steps you need to complete in order to receive your awards.
FAQs
What If My Financial Aid Application Is Late?
You must complete all financial aid information (including loan applications, any corrections needed by the student and/or the parents, and all supporting documents such as tax forms) and have this on file with the Financial Aid office 30 days prior to the beginning of the semester. If not completed by that time, potential aid may not be available before the payment deadline. This results in you having to cover costs with another method of payment and/or service charges accruing on your student account.
How Is the Student Aid Index (SAI) Calculated?
The SAI is calculated using a formula set by Congress. This formula is applied to the FAFSA information to determine the total amount each family should be able to contribute to the cost of attending college. The SAI is constant regardless of which college you choose to attend.
What Is Financial Need and How Is It Determined?
Financial need is the difference between what it costs to attend a specific school and what your Student Aid Index (SAI) amount is. An amount up to this unmet need may be met by various types of financial aid.
How Is the Amount of Need-Based Aid Determined?
To determine eligibility for need-based federal and state aid (grants, loans, and work-study from the federal and state government), NCU uses the FAFSA. The purpose of the FAFSA is to gather information on the student’s income and assets, as well as data on the parent’s income, assets, family size, and number of family members in college. After the Financial Aid Office receives the FAFSA results, the student’s financial aid eligibility is determined.
How Do I Know If I’m a Dependent or an Independent Student?
For the 2026-2027 school year, the U.S. Department of Education determines that you are independent of your parents if you meet one of the following conditions:
- You were born before Jan. 1, 2003.
For students born after Jan. 1, 2003 you must (only one of the following must apply):
- Be married
- Be currently serving on active duty for purposes other than training
- Be a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces
- Have dependents other than a spouse
- Have been an orphan at any time since you turned age 13, even if now you are adopted
- Have been in foster care at any time since you turned age 13, even if you are no longer in foster care
- Have been a dependent or ward of the court at any time since you turned age 13, even if you no longer are either of those today
- Be an emancipated minor as supported by a court’s decision
Not meeting any of the above criteria means you are a dependent student and must provide parental information on the FAFSA.
Note: You are not automatically classified as an independent student if:
You are not living with your parents.
Your parents are not claiming you as a dependent on their tax return.
What Is Included in the Cost of Attendance?
The U.S. Department of Education requires that each university prepare a “9-Month Cost of Living Budget” based on the average costs of its students. This Cost of Attendance includes things that are directly paid to the school (tuition, fees, room, board, books) as well as personal expenses such as transportation, school supplies, and other miscellaneous expenses.
Is There a Payment Plan Option?
Yes! North Central’s Ram Plan allows students to spread out their cost of attending into monthly payments throughout the semester. The Ram Plan takes the term balance, and evenly splits it into either 5 payments (Fall) or 4 payments (Spring). If any additional charges or aid are added, it will evenly be calculated into the Ram Plan payments.
Learn more about the Ram Plan by logging into Skyline > Colleague > Student Finance > Make a payment, or by viewing the “General Information” tab.
What Is a Loan Deferment or Forbearance?
A deferment or forbearance allows you to temporarily postpone repaying your federal student loans or to temporarily reduce the amount you pay. Learn more about deferment and forbearance to find out if you are eligible.
Connect With Financial Aid
If you have questions about financial aid in general, the application process, scholarships available to you, or your student account, feel free to contact us! We want to help you understand and navigate higher education finances so you can accomplish your goals.
Contact Us
Visit One Stop:
Miller Hall, Suite 126, across from the Campus Safety office at the main entrance of the building.
Email: onestop@northcentral.edu
Phone: 612-343-5030
Fax: 612-343-8060
Hours: Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT
Mail us your forms:
North Central University
Attn: One Stop
910 Elliot Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55404
Meet the Team
Rachel Wendorf, Executive Director, One Stop Student Services
Hometown: Rosemount, MN
Books: Where the Crawdads Sing, Pride and Prejudice, and anything by Fredrick Backman!
Coffee order: Flat white
Hobbies and interests: Good books and Oscar-winning movies
Reagan Gordon, Associate Director, One Stop Student Services
Hometown: Lincoln, NE
Movies: Adrift, Dead Poets Society, Mamma Mia
Coffee order: Iced matcha with vanilla and extra matcha
Hobbies and interests: Writing (poetry specifically), puzzles, listening to podcasts, and reading books
Kelia Thao, Associate Director, Financial Aid, Online and Graduate Studies
Hometown: Milwaukee, WI
Movies: She’s the Man, 13 Going on 30, The Hunger Games Movies, Turning Red, 200 Pounds Beauty
Coffee order: Mocha Frappuccino or Mocha coffee
Hobbies and interests: Playing board games, Valorant, Watching/listening to true crime, videography, volleyball, and soccer
Gina Hitchcock, Loan Coordinator and Reporting Analyst
Hometown: Milwaukee, WI
Works with: Loans, work study, reporting
Hometown: Maple Grove, MN
Movies: Maid in Manhattan, Sweet Home Alabama
Coffee order: No, thank you.
Hobbies and interests: Puzzles, traveling to colleges, and watching football games
May Brisco, Financial Aid Counselor, Undergraduate
Works with: Military benefits, satisfactory academic progress, MN state programs
Hometown: Maple Grove, MN
Movies: West Side Story, About Time, Aquamarine
Coffee order: Latte with vanilla and oat milk
Hobbies and interests: Being outside, golfing, traveling, and cooking
May Nancy Banegas, One Stop/Student Finance SpecialistBrisco, Financial Aid Counselor, Undergraduate
Works with: Student accounts, payment plans, third-party billing
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Movies: Ip Man Series, Fast & Furious, Nacho Libre, 13 Going On 30
Coffee order: Hot or iced caramel macchiato
Hobbies and interests: Photography, drums, and candle-making
Ameh Ogbemudia, Student Accounts Specialist
Works with: Student accounts, payment plans, refunds
Hometown: East Bethel, MN
Movies: Anything Marvel
Coffee Order: Salted caramel foam cold brew, sugar-free vanilla syrup, splash of almond milk, two Splendas
Hobbies and Interests: Lifting weights, traveling, and cooking
Learn More About Financial Aid
These websites provide excellent information about financial aid, as well as scholarship databases that you can search for free:
Contact Us
We’re here to help! Contact us at 612-343-5030 or onestop@northcentral.edu.