Financial Aid Offer Letter

Incoming students will be mailed a financial aid offer letter and will also receive an email notification with instructions on viewing their electronic financial aid offer.

In order to assist students and families in reviewing the financial aid offer letter, we've created the guide below with an example offer letter and information to help you prepare financially for your educational journey at UNI.

To view your financial aid offer, please log in to your MyUNIverse account, go to your Student Center, click "View Financial Aid," and select the aid year.

About Your Offer

Cost of Attendance

The Cost of Attendance includes both Direct Costs (billed directly by UNI) and Indirect Costs (expenses we estimate and you’re likely to have, but are not usually billed by UNI). As the indirect costs are estimated, we strongly encourage you to plan your own specific budget based on your housing selection & meal plan, transportation needs, etc.

The Cost of Attendance is also the maximum amount you can receive in financial aid.

Visit the Cost of Attendance page for more information.

Estimated Direct Costs

Direct Costs are one part of the Cost of Attendance. Direct costs are billed directly by the University and include Tuition & Fees and Housing & Meals. For students living off campus, housing and meals will not be billed through the University but should still be included in your budget when planning for expenses.

The amount for Tuition & Fees on your financial aid offer is based on full-time enrollment. Housing and meals is based on the cost for a double room and the all-access meal plan. Your actual costs may vary.

Estimated Indirect Costs

Indirect Costs are also part of the total Cost of Attendance and include books, personal expenses, transportation, and average loan fees (if you are borrowing federal direct loans). These expenses are not billed directly through the University and vary from student to student. The amounts listed on your financial aid offer are estimates and your own expenses may look different. We recommend working through a budget to help you estimate your own indirect expenses.

Grants and Scholarships

FREE money to help you cover your expenses at UNI.

Grants and scholarships are automatically accepted for students (with the exception of the TEACH Grant).

Can additional scholarships impact my offer?

Sometimes.

Because need-based financial aid cannot exceed a student’s financial need, if your current financial aid offer is already meeting your full financial need and another scholarship is reported – other financial aid will have to be reduced to make room for the additional funds.

So you’re not getting any less financial aid overall, but you’re not able to get any more than your financial need.

We will always notify you via email of any changes made to your financial aid.

Please review our scholarship website for other Scholarship Frequently Asked Questions.

Student Loan Eligibility

Loans must be repaid so make sure to only borrow what you need.

If you would like to use the federal student loans (Direct Unsubsidized and/or Direct Subsidized), you must accept them on your Student Center. Subsidized loans do not accrue interest while you are enrolled at least half-time; unsubsidized loans start accruing interest at the time of disbursement.

For more information, please review our Loans website.

Estimated Total Due

The Estimated Total Due listed on your offer letter is calculated by taking your Estimated Direct Costs and subtracting out the financial aid listed on your offer (e.g., grants, scholarships, loans).

Make sure to evaluate your individual needs as this amount is only an estimate.

Other Financing Available

You may see "Other Financing Options" listed on your financial aid offer. This is not financial aid that you can accept, but is included on your offer to give you an idea of how much you may need in other funding sources to cover your expenses. This amount is calculated by taking your total Cost of Attendance and subtracting out all other financial aid you're eligible for (scholarships, grants, loans, work-study).

Some funding options include:

Parent PLUS Loans
Private Education Loans
529 Plans
Community/employer-based scholarships
Income from on- or off-campus job (search the UNI Job Board)

The University also offers a Deferred Payment Plan, which allows students to make payments in installments throughout the semester.

If you were offered Federal Work-Study, this will not apply directly to your U-bill. You must find a work-study eligible job and you will receive the funds as a bi-monthly paycheck. Learn more on our Federal Work-Study website.

NOTE: Additional funding may not be needed if your financial aid covers your direct costs.

Example of financial aid offer letter

Please Note: This is only an example offer letter. To view your financial aid offer, please log into your MyUNIverse account.

Financial Aid Offer Letter

About Your Offer

Contact Us