Financial Aid at 51

Below you will find financial aid information, policies, resources, and FAQs.

Financial Aid FAQs

Financial Aid comes in three forms, and students may receive any or all these forms of aid:

  • Grants, which do not have to be repaid
  • Loans, which must be repaid
  • Work Study, part-time jobs from which a student earns an hourly wage

    LOAN REPAYMENT

    Visit for information on loan repayment.

Start the financial aid process by creating an .

Log into using your FSA ID and complete your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

51 School Code: 002583

The 2023-2024 FAFSA is the application for Spring 2024.

The 2024-2025 FAFSA is the application for Summer 2024, Fall 2024, and Spring 2025.

If you can answer any of the following questions with a YES, then you are considered an independent student. Independent students are not required to provide parental information.

  • Were you born before January 1, 2001?
  • Are you married?
  • Are you serving, or have you served, in the U.S. armed forces?
  • Do you have dependents that you support?
  • At any time since you turned age 13, were both your parents deceased, were you infoster care, or were you a dependent or ward of the court?
  • Has it been determined by a court in your state of legal residence that you are anemancipated minoror that someone other than your parent or stepparent haslegal guardianshipof you? (You also should answer “Yes” if you are now an adult but were in legal guardianship or were an emancipated minorimmediately before you reached the age of being an adult in your state. Answer “No” if the court papers say “custody” rather than “guardianship.”)
  • At any time on or after July 1, 2023, were you determined to be an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless, as determined by (a) your high school or district homeless liaison, (b) the director of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or (c) the director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program?

Begin Classes

FAFSA Year

Best to File By

Summer 2024

2024-2025

March 15, 2024

Fall 2024

2024-2025

June 1, 2024

Spring 2025

2024-2025

October 1, 2024

The FAFSA will be sent to 51 electronically. The financial aid office will contact you with the next step in the process.

Some students are randomly selected for verification. This requires you to complete a verification worksheet as well as supplying any additional documentation requested by the college.

Review the status of all requirements on the ‘Financial Aid Status’ page of the Student Information System (SIS). Log into SIS at , select ‘Financial Aid,’ then ‘Financial Aid Status’.

Read your aid offer carefully and review Sources of Aid for more information about the types of aid offered.

Call us if you have questions about your eligibility.

Accept or decline your financial aid and finalize your aid package online: Guide to Accepting Aid Online (PDF) and

Contact the Financial Aid Office for personalized assistance.

Try to borrow only what you need to cover tuition, fees, books, and supplies.

Consider a Federal Work Study job instead of borrowing

Complete loan requirements:

First time borrowers at 51 are required to visit to complete both the Entrance Counseling and Loan Agreement (MPN).

Has your financial situation changed? Click for more information.

Log into SIS and complete the financial aid acceptance process (Guide to Accepting Aid Online PDF) and answer yes to the first question on the Resources/Additional Information tab.

When the book advance becomes available (check Registration Policies and Deadlines sheet at Registration Documents & Forms for dates) you should have the option to use financial aid to pay for your books at the 51 Bookstore. Note that for summer semester you will also need to contact [email protected] before you will be able to use financial aid to purchase your books.

For help using the financial aid option on the , please contact the 51 Bookstore at [email protected]. For other assistance, please contact our financial aid office at [email protected].

If you accept an amount that exceeds your semester charges, you may be eligible to receive a financial aid refund.

Refunds are issued 2 weeks after the funds are posted to your account. See the Registration Policies and Deadlines to find when disbursements for your class are scheduled to begin.

You can view the actual disbursement date using the

You can also use the to change your refund method following these Electronic Refund Instructions. If you do not choose a method, the refund will be mailed to you as a check.

Important Policies and Disclaimers

  • Make note of your term’s Deadline to drop with 100% refund Registration Documents & Forms.
  • Consult with us if you plan to change your schedule. Registration changes almost always affect your financial aid eligibilty. We can help you plan if you call us before adding or dropping classes.
  • You must attend class to be eligible for financial aid payment. If you fail to appear for a course and are issued a grade of “N/A” then financial aid will not pay for the course, and you will be responsible for the course charges.
  • Every full term has its own freeze date on the Registration Policies and Deadlines form (Registration Forms & Documents).
  • Pell Grant, SEOG, and Unique Scholarship are calculated based on your registered credits each term as of the freeze date, and your grant funds will be disbursed according to that enrollment status.
    • If you add a class after the freeze date, your grants will not be increased to pay for the additional credits.
    • If you drop a class after the freeze date, your grants may not be reduced, unless you drop a class for a full refund, or you are issued a grade of “N/A.”
  • Financial Aid funds will be disbursed to your 51 student account beginning about 30 days after your enrollments starts.
  • We print the earliest dates in the Registration Policies and Deadlines form (Registration Forms & Documents).
  • Disbursements for late start terms are delayed until after the add/drop period has closed. This means that certain financial aid funds may not be disbursed to you until well after the midpoint of the semester.

The Financial Aid Office at 51 is on the first floor of the Portsmouth campus in The College Services One Stop suite.

Office hours:

Monday to Friday
8:00AM to 4:00PM

Mailing address:

Financial Aid Office
51
320 Corporate Drive
Portsmouth NH 03801

Contact:

Phone: (603) 427-7600 Ext. 7501
Fax: (603) 334-6308
Email:[email protected]

Personnel:

Susan Proulx, Director

Andrew Savage, Assistant Director

Tyler Anderson, Financial Aid Assistant

70%

of students receive financial aid