Completing your free application to Niagara University is the first step in being awarded merit- and need-based scholarships and grants. Our team will then provide you with a generous financial aid package that will help you realize why NU was ranked by U.S. News and World Report as offering the best return on investment of all 73 colleges in the North.
1. Apply for admission to Niagara
You can apply to Niagara using the Common Application or our online undergraduate application. All full-time students accepted for admission are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships.
ONLINE UNDERGRADUATE APPLICATION
niagara.edu/apply
2. Complete the FAFSA
The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This document is used to determine the dollar amount you and your family will be estimated to contribute toward college. The FAFSA is used by Niagara and the federal government to help determine your eligibility for grants, need-based scholarships, loans, and work-study programs. The sooner you file your FAFSA, the more aid will be available to you.
3. Receive your customized financial aid offer from Niagara.
After you are accepted for admission and your FAFSA is processed, Niagara will inform you of your financial aid offer, including your merit-based awards. Niagara makes first decisions on financial aid awards in early spring, and continues announcing awards on a rolling basis.
May 1 is the target date for students to accept admissions and financial aid offers from Niagara University.
UNDERGRADUATE MERIT-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS
Award Award Amount Who is Eligible Renewable? How to Apply
Trustees’ Scholarship
Presidential Scholarship
Deans’ Scholarship
Achievement Award
NU Grant
$25,000 per year
$22,000 per year
$20,000 per year
$18,000 per year
Eligibility for these scholarships is determined by a thorough evaluation of the student’s high school transcript and, if submitted, standardized test scores.
Renewable up to three years. Admitted students are automatically considered.
$15,000 per year
TRANSFER MERIT-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS
Award Award Amount Who is Eligible Renewable? How to Apply
3.7 GPA and above
$21,000 per year
Transfer Scholarship
Transfer Award
3.40-3.69 GPA
$19,000 per year
3.1-3.39 GPA
$18,000 per year
2.80-3.09 GPA
$16,000 per year
2.50-2.79 GPA
$14,000 per year
Entering students with a cumulative transfer grade point average of 3.1 and above for full-time or equivalent study.
Renewable up to three years. Admitted students are automatically considered.
Entering students with a cumulative transfer grade point average of between 2.50 to 3.09 for full-time or equivalent study.
Please note:
1. To continue receiving any financial aid, a student must be making satisfactory academic progress and remain in good standing.
2. All aid must be reapplied for annually by submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and, if a New York state resident, a Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) application.
3. Need is determined by using a formula established by the U.S. Congress that calculates a Student Aid Index (SAI), which is subtracted from NU's Cost of Attendance (COA).
4. Merit levels are prorated for less than full-time attendance.
FAFSA Code: 002788
FAFSA PROCESS
You must complete and submit a FAFSA form to apply for federal student aid and for most state and college aid.
The New FAFSA Timeline
The FAFSA form is being updated, and the deadline to fill it out has been delayed. The FAFSA form for the 2025-26 school year will be open on Dec. 1, 2024.
Remember, this is a very important step to finding out what financial aid, scholarships, and grants you qualify for!
Be prepared when the new deadline rolls around.
Here’s a checklist of everything you and your parent need to fill out, sign, and submit:
An FSA ID. Your FSA ID allows you to log in to your account, sign the FAFSA, and make changes or add schools. You and your parent must create separate FSA IDs. Create this first!
You and your parent’s Social Security or Alien Registration number.
You and your parent’s federal income tax returns and W-2s from 2023.
Bank statement.
If applicable, other records of money earned, and records of investments and untaxed income.
Learn about the process and what resources are available to you at www.studentaid.gov.
Our Office of Financial Aid will work with you to ensure you have access to the resources you need to pay for college. We offer webinars, oneon-one appointments, and online resources to help you understand and calculate the cost of attendance. If you have any questions about financial aid, need help filling out the FAFSA, or encounter special family financial circumstances, please call us at 716.286.8686.
FEDERAL AND STATE GRANTS
A grant is a form of financial aid that ordinarily doesn’t have to be repaid.
Program
Federal Pell Grant
Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
Federal Work Study
NYS Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)
LOANS
Who is Eligible Renewable? How to Apply
Up to $7,395 per year FAFSA determines eligibility.
$200-$4,000 per year
$4,850 - $5,100 per year
$1,000 - $5,665 per year
Undergraduate students who show financial need and are Pell Grant eligible.
Students who show financial need.
NYS residents attending a New York institution full time whose family’s income is within specified limits.
Up to completion of first bachelor’s degree, but no more than six years. File the FAFSA
One-year award, renewable based on funding needed.
Work assignments are up to 12 hours a week during the academic year.
Student applies annually.
File the FAFSA and complete the TAP application www.hesc.ny.gov
A loan is money you borrow and must pay back with interest.
Program Amount Who is Eligible Renewable? How to Apply
Federal Direct Student Loan (Subsidized and Unsubsidized)
Combination of loans totals
$5,500 for first year: $6,500 for the sophomore year; $7,500 to the junior/senior year.
Federal Parent PLUS Loan Cost of Attendance less any financial aid.
Direct Subsidized Loans are awarded to students who show financial need
Student applies annually. File the FAFSA, a Federal Direct Loan Master Promissory Note, Entrance Counseling.
Parents of students attending app-roved institutions. Eligibility is NOT based on need.
Private Alternative Student Loans Cost of Attendance less any financial aid. Students may apply who have a creditworthy cosigner. Eligibility is NOT based on need.
Parents apply annually.
Students have to apply annually. Contact NU’s Financial Aid Office or visit elmselect.com to review preferred lender list
COST BREAKDOWN AND FLEXIBLE PAYMENT PLAN
Niagara’s Financial Aid Office offers you and your family special financial assistance that can help make Niagara affordable. This assistance includes special payment options, alternative loan programs, and governmentsupported loans. Niagara’s Financial Aid Office has a staff of knowledgeable, helpful professionals who will be happy to work with you on an individual basis to provide you with step-by-step details about affordable options.
Level Tuition Plan
The inflation-proof Level Tuition Plan gives new, full-time freshmen the option to lock in the initial tuition rate for all four years. Under this plan, a slightly higher rate of tuition is paid the first year. However, this rate will remain stable in the years ahead if the cost of tuition increases. The benefit of this program is that you will have peace of mind knowing that your tuition costs will remain the same for four consecutive years and that you should see significant cost savings by the time you graduate.
Flexible Payment Plans
In an effort to accommodate our families’ financial needs, Niagara offers innovative ways to structure payments that provide maximum flexibility.
Net Price Calculator
The Niagara University Net Price Calculator is designed to help you estimate your financial aid options for Niagara University.
Cost Breakdown | Niagara Costs 2025-2026
The cost of a college education can vary based on each student’s needs and situation. Transportation, personal expenses, loan origination fees, and spending money are estimated to range from $2,700 - $7,500 for the school year. Fixed costs for the academic year.
ADDITIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS, AWARDS, AND GRANTS
Niagara offers a variety of financial support to make attending Niagara fit your budget. Many of these awards are stackable (i.e., can be combined) with additional scholarships. For a full list of scholarships and a breakdown of each award, please visit our website.
Award Amount
Athletic Scholarship
Alumni Legacy Scholarship
Inclusive Excellence Scholarship
Eagle Experience Scholarship
Partial or full scholarship
$1,000 per year
$3,000 per year
$1,250 per year, $5,000 total
NU Monteagle Grants Awards vary
NUSTAR
(Research Scholarship)
ROTC Incentives
Theatre Scholarships
Vincentian Scholars Program
$6,000 stipend per year
Tuition and fees, room, and board
$5,000 per year
$5,000 per year
200+ SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE TO EXPLORE NOW!
Scholarship Opportunity Search (SOS)
Niagara University is committed to making a Niagara education accessible to all students and offers numerous financial aid opportunities for first-year and transfer students. We want to make it easier for students and their families to budget for the cost of higher education, and our Scholarship Opportunity Search has been created to help do just that. All accepted students can view, search, and apply for our 200+ endowed scholarships through their myNU account starting Jan. 1 of every year.
SCAN TO EXPLORE AND APPLY
THE YELLOW RIBBON GI EDUCATION ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
Niagara University is a participating member of The Yellow Ribbon Program, a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. Participating degree granting institutions in the U.S. voluntarily enter into an agreement with the VA to fund tuition expenses that exceed the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition rate. To learn more about these scholarships, awards and incentives, visit www.niagara.edu/scholarship-andgrants and www.niagara.edu/gi-bill-benefit-information.
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Find Your Value
In-person, daily visits, and events are available. niagara.edu/visit
Reach Out
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Gacioch Family Alumni and Admissions Center Niagara University, N.Y. 14109-2011
Niagara University provides students with a world-class, prestigious educational experience that delivers a very strong return on investment. Affordability is central to the institution’s mission, which is why NU regularly appears in U.S. News and World Report’s annual rankings of best regional universities and best value schools. Every student’s financial picture is unique. Our Office of Financial Aid will work closely with you to review your individual needs, to understand any special circumstances, and to help you explore any and all options in order to craft the best possible financial aid package for you and your family.
The Board of Trustees and NU’s administration reserve the right to change the programs, schedules, or other terms and provisions described herein. Niagara University encourages all persons whose aptitude and demonstrated achievement in high school or college give evidence of their ability to successfully complete the various programs to apply for admission. Consistent with our Catholic and Vincentian mission, Niagara University welcomes students, regardless of age, race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, military status, sex, disability, predisposing genetic characteristics, or marital status. Niagara University’s Office of Financial Aid reserves the right to adjust financial aid awards based on receipt of other funds — including private scholarship and awards, as well as state, federal, and NU awards. Students must be matriculated in order to receive financial aid.
