When other available funding does not fully cover the cost of tuition and fees, the College offers bridge loans for qualified learners to cover any remaining gap balances. An independent third-party licensed service assists with approving and servicing the NCBL. Learners may use the NCBL only as a last-resort funding option.

Before applying for the NCBL, learners are required to use all available federal student aid and to apply for additional outside loans, grants, scholarships, or other available funding for which they may be eligible, including Department of Workforce Services (or equivalent) grants, Veterans Administration funding, employer tuition reimbursement, family assistance, etc. Bursar reserves the right to deny and/or limit the amount of NCBL offered to a learner. Bridge loan repayment terms are dependent on the loan amount, interest rate, and duration of the loan.