2016-2017 Financial Aid Offer Instructions
DIRECTIONS FOR ACCEPTING FINANCIAL AID AWARD ONLINE
Your financial aid award offer is available on your Northwest CatPAWS account. Follow these directions to access your award, report
outside resources and/or complete student loan and parent loan processes.
To log on to your CatPAWS account:
GO TO: nwmissouri.edu, hover cursor over CONNECT
GO TO: Quick Tools
SELECT: CatPAWS link
SELECT: Enter Secure Area and log in
(If you are a first-time user, your User ID is your student ID
919# and your PIN is your birthday in mmddyy format. You
will then be asked to create your own PIN at this time.)
SELECT: Financial Aid
SELECT: Award
SELECT: Accept Award by Aid Year/Add Private Resources
READ:
Statements under Northwest Financial Assistance Award
Acceptance and click submit that you have read these
statements.
READ THE NORTHWEST FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
CONDITIONS STATEMENTS:
If you agree,
CLICK:
AGREE and INITIAL that you have read and
understand these statements.
ENTER: Yes, I would like to add private scholarships. OR
No, I would like to proceed with accepting my
financial aid awards.
SELECT: Submit
SELECT: 2016-2017 aid year
SELECT: Accept Award Offer tab
FOLLOW: Directions on Award Screen for loan acceptance –
A Master Promissory Note (MPN) and Entrance
Counseling are required for first time borrowers.
Scholarships/Grants are automatically accepted.
All awards listed are for the academic year
(Fall/Spring terms).
For descriptions and information concerning the various types of
aid offered go to: www.nwmissouri.edu/finaid/guide.htm
Important Student Loan Information
.
 Complete Loan Entrance Counseling (if first time borrower)
Go to: studentloans.gov - requires FSA user ID
 Complete Master Promissory Note (if first time borrower)
Go to: studentloans.gov - requires FSA user ID
 If accepting all or a partial Perkins Loan
Go to: ecsi.net/prom4P - (requires personal identifier validation)
Allow one week after acceptance on CatPAWS before accessing this website.
 Direct PLUS Loan (parent) Acceptance: Please see the back of this form.
Transacting your award letter in CatPAWS is the preferred and quickest method for accepting your aid offer. If you would prefer to have
a paper award letter printed, you can mark on CatPAWS that you do not agree to use electronic means of communicating your award
information. Contact us at finaid@nwmissouri.edu or call 660.562.1363 to request a paper award letter.
If revisions of your award offer are required, you will receive a revised award letter that will provide notification of any award
updates. These notifications will be provided through the preferred email account (once you are enrolled, this will always be
your University assigned account).
Office of Scholarships and Financial Assistance
Northwest Missouri State University
800 University Drive
Maryville, MO 64468-6001
660.562.1363 or 800.633.1175 660.562.1674 fax
Instructions for Direct PLUS Loan (parent)
The Direct PLUS amount shown on the award offer is the
maximum Direct PLUS Loan (parent) eligibility. The parent
borrower may choose to accept all or part of this amount or
decline the entire amount. Acceptance of the Direct
Parent PLUS Loan on the award offer does not mean
that a loan is automatically created or credited for the
student.

Provide only one parent’s information on the Parent Loan
Request Form and the Master Promissory Note (MPN).

The date of birth and social security number of the parent
borrower and student must be correct.

Upon acknowledgment that the MPN has been
completed online or receipt of a completed paper MPN
and an approved credit decision, the loan proceeds will
credit to the student’s account at the next available
posting. The disbursement process begins on the first
day of classes for each trimester.

If the credit decision is denied, our policy is to move
eligibility to additional unsubsidized loans (not to exceed
the federal limit) for the student unless the parent has
indicated that they wish to pursue one of the other
options. A notification is provided by the US Department
of Education to the parent applicant indicating the options
available to them.
If your parent chooses to borrow through the Direct PLUS
Loan (parent) program, the following information and
instructions will help guide him/her through the Direct PLUS
Loan (parent) process.
 To receive a Parent PLUS Loan you must accept
the loan offered on your award letter and your parent
must request the Parent PLUS Loan. Your parent
can request the loan by visiting studentloans.gov,
sign in with their FSA user ID and then click on
“Complete PLUS Request Process”. If the parent
who signed the FAFSA is not the one completing the
PLUS Request, your parent borrower will also need
to create an FSA user ID.
 Although we recommend applying on-line, parents
may also apply by completing a paper 2016-2017
Parent PLUS Loan Request Form. Please contact
our office if your parent is unable to use the online
process to request a PLUS Loan.
Cost estimator for the 2016-2017 academic year
Tuition and Fees:
In-State
$305.96 per credit hour 2016-17 rate
Out-of-State
$516.64 per credit hour 2016-17 rate
Room and Board
$4,524.00 per trimester
(Silver meal plan, average residence hall 2016-2017
rates using double occupancy room rate)
Multiply the appropriate tuition and fee rate times the number of
credit hours enrolled to determine your tuition and fees for the
term.
Tuition and Fees
$_______________
X Credit Hours
_______________
= Total Tuition/Fees Charge
for the term
$_______________
A cost estimator is also available at
nwmissouri.edu/bursar/worksheets.htm
Room and Board
+ $ 4,524.00 *
*est. Silver meal plan, average residence hall 2016-2017 rates
COST FOR THE TRIMESTER = $_______________
For important information concerning your financial
aid offer go to: nwmissouri.edu/finaid