Applying for
Financial Aid
2011-2012
What Will You Learn Today?
•
•
•
Types and sources of financial aid
•
Answers to your
individual questions
Required financial aid application forms
How to complete the Free Application for
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the
Cal Grant GPA Verification Form
2
Types of Financial Aid
•
Gift Aid - Grants or scholarships
that do not need to be repaid
•
Work - Money earned by the
student as payment for a job on or
off campus
•
Loans - Borrowed money to be
paid back, usually with interest
3
Sources of Financial Aid
•
Federal government
•
State government
•
•
Colleges and universities
Private agencies,
companies, foundations,
and parents’ employers
4
Cal Grants
•
Cal Grant A Entitlement Awards – for high school
•
Cal Grant B Entitlement Awards – for high school
•
Cal Grant C Awards - for students from low income
seniors and recent high school grads with a Grade Point
Average (GPA) of at least 3.0, family income and assets
below the state ceilings, who demonstrate financial need
seniors and recent high school grads with a GPA of at
least 2.0, who come from disadvantaged or low
income families, whose family income and assets are
below the state ceilings, and who demonstrate
financial need
families pursuing vocational programs of study
5
Eligibility for Cal Grants
•
To be eligible for a Cal Grant, the
student must also:
• be a U.S. citizen or eligible
noncitizen
• be a California resident
• attend an accredited California
college or university in at least
half-time in 2011-12
6
Residency and Cal Grant
Eligibility for 2011-2012
• If unmarried and under 18 years of age, the student will be
considered a legal resident of California if:
• parents have been legal residents of California for one year
immediately prior to September 20, 2011, or
• student has lived in California with other legal California
residents, other than parents, for two years immediately prior to
September 20, 2011, or
• parents who are active duty military, stationed in California at the
time the student enrolls in college, or parents’ military home of
record is California
• If married or 18 years of age or older, the student establishes
his/her own residence status. The student must be a legal resident
of California for one year prior to September 20, 2011
7
2011-2012 Cal Grant
Application Requirements
• By March 2, 2011, complete and submit:
Free
Application
for Federal
Student Aid
(FAFSA)
Cal Grant
GPA
Verification
Form
Check with your high school or college counselor for
more details on how to file the
Cal Grant GPA Verification Form
8
California Chafee Grant
• The California Chafee Grant program provides
up to $5,000 annually to current and former
foster youth for college or vocational training
at any accredited college in the U.S. based on
available funding
• To be eligible, foster youth must have been in
California foster care on their 16th birthday and
not have reached their 22nd birthday before July
1, 2011
• Foster youth are encouraged to apply during
their senior year of high school
• To apply, the foster youth must complete:
To learn more about the
Chafee Grant, go to:
www.chafee.csac.ca.gov
•
2011-2012 FAFSA
• California Chafee Grant Program Application
9
Types of Applications
•
•
•
FAFSA
Cal Grant GPA Verification Form
Other applications or forms as
required by the college such as:
•
•
•
CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE
Institutional Scholarship and/or
Financial Aid Application
2010 federal tax returns (along
with all schedules and W-2s) or
other income documentation
10
FAFSA Information & Tips
•
File early, but no later
than March 2, 2011
•
Use estimated 2010
income information if
taxes are not complete at
time of FAFSA
submission
•
Student and at least one
parent whose information
is reported must complete
and sign the FAFSA
11
FAFSA on the Web
•
•
•
•
Internet application used by
students and parents to complete
electronic FAFSA at:
www.fafsa.gov
Sophisticated on-line edits
and skip logic so that errors
are less likely to be made
On-line help is available for
each question
Student and one custodial parent
should get a federal PIN at:
www.pin.ed.gov
12
Federal PIN
•
•
•
•
PIN (Personal Identification Number)
serves as the electronic signature on
ED documents
Both student and one parent need PINs
to sign the FAFSA electronically
May be used to:
• Check on FAFSA status
• Verify and correct FAFSA data
• Add additional schools to receive
FAFSA data
• Change home and e-mail addresses
If an e-mail address is provided, PIN will
be e-mailed to the PIN applicant within
minutes
Apply for student
and parent PINs at:
www.pin.ed.gov
13
Getting Ready
•
Before starting the FAFSA, gather:
• Student driver’s license
• Student Alien Registration Card
• Student and Parent
Social Security cards
2010 W-2 Forms and records of money earned and other taxable
benefits
2010 federal income tax form (even if not yet completed)
Records of untaxed income
Current bank statements
Business, farm, and other real estate records
Records of stocks, bonds, and other investments
Create a file for copies of all financial aid documents submitted
14
FAFSA on the Web
Worksheet
The 2011-2012 FAFSA
on the Web Worksheet
may be used for the
January 1, 2011 through
June 30, 2012 federal aid
application cycle
15
The FOTW Worksheet
A Four Section Form
Section 1 – is about the student
Section 2 – determines student
dependency status
Section 3 – collects parental information
for dependent students
Section 4 – collects student finances and
information about the
independent student
16
Section 1
(page 2)
STUDENT INFORMATION
Section 1
Student Name
JONES
•
•
SUSAN
The FOTW will ask for the student’s
last name, first name, and middle initial
Make sure to report the student’s name
exactly as it appears on the student’s
Social Security card
18
Section 1
Student Social Security Number
123 – 45 – 6789
Double check the student’s Social Security
Number when entering it on the FOTW. Both
student name and Social Security Number will
be compared through a database match.
19
Section 1
Citizenship Status
•
•
If U.S. citizen, status will be confirmed by Social Security match
If eligible noncitizen, status will be confirmed by Department of
Homeland Security (DHS) match. This includes:
•
•
•
U.S. permanent residents with I-551
Conditional permanent residents with I-551C
• Eligible noncitizens with I-94
If neither a citizen or eligible noncitizen, the student is ineligible for
federal/state aid, but might still be eligible for institutional funds
20
Section 1
Alien Registration Number
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
If eligible noncitizen, write in the student’s eight- or
nine-digit Alien Registration Number (ARN)
•
•
Precede an eight-digit ARN with a zero
Copy of the student’s Permanent Registration
Card might be requested by the financial aid
office
21
Section 1
Undocumented Students
NOTE: if the student is undocumented
• if the student is applying to any California public college or
university, check to see if he/she might be eligible for
in-state tuition/fee costs
• check with colleges and universities to see if institutional
financial aid is available
• apply for all private scholarships for which the student may
be eligible
• watch for changes in federal and state laws regarding the
eligibility of undocumented or under-documented students
• start inquiring in elementary, middle or high school to see if
it is possible for younger students to become permanent
residents
For more information and a list of scholarships, go to
http://www.maldef.org/leadership/scholarships/2010_Scholarship_List.pdf
www.latinocollegedollars.org
www.finaid.org/otheraid/undocumented.phtml
22
Section 1
Student Marital Status
•
The student should check his or her marital
status as of the date the FAFSA on the Web is
submitted
•
If the student is married or remarried, he or she
will be asked to provide information about his or
her spouse
23
Section 1
Selective Service Registration
•
Male students who are between the ages of 18 and
25 years must be registered with Selective Service
to receive federal and state aid
•
Answer “Register me” only if you are male, aged
18-25, and have not yet registered.
•
The student may also register by going to:
www.sss.gov
24
Section 1
Student Aid Eligibility Drug Convictions
•
•
•
If the student has never attended college since high
school, check “I have never attended college”
If the student has attended college since high school
but never received federal student grants, loans, or
work-study, check “I have never received federal
student aid”
If the student has received federal student aid and has
never had a drug conviction, check “I have never had
a drug conviction”
25
Section 1
Student Aid Eligibility Drug Convictions
•
•
If the student was convicted of the
possession or sale of illegal drugs while
receiving federal student aid, the student
will be asked to complete more questions
about the drug offense
Simply having a drug conviction does not
mean that the student will be ineligible for
federal and/or state student aid
26
Section 1
Parents’ Educational Level
Indicate highest level of schooling completed
by the student’s biological or adoptive parents
(for state award purposes only)
• Use birth parents or adoptive parents - not
stepparents or foster parents
• This definition of parent is unique to these
two questions
27
Section 1
Student State of Legal Residence
An important question NOT on the Worksheet:
•
•
Residency relates to the student’s
permanent home state
• if the student is dependent, the state of legal residence is
usually the state in which the custodial parent(s) lives
State of legal residence is also used
• to determine eligibility for state grants
• in the need calculation to determine the appropriate
allowance for state and other taxes paid
by that state’s residents
28
Section 1
High School Completion Status
An important question NOT on the Worksheet:
High School Completion Status
When the student begins college in
the 2011-2012 school year, what
will be the student’s high school
completion status?
•
•
•
•
High school diploma
GED certificate
Home schooled
None of the above
29
Section 1
Grade Level in 2011-2012
An important question NOT on the Worksheet:
Grade Level in 2011-2012
When the student begins the 2011-2012 school
year, what will be his/her grade level?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Never attended college/1st year
Attended college before/1st year
2nd year/sophomore
3rd year/junior
4th year/senior
5th year/other undergraduate
1st year graduate/professional
Continuing graduate/professional or beyond
30
Section 1
High School Question
An important question NOT on the Worksheet:
High School Question
• Enter the name, city and state location
of the school the student attends
• Mark “Confirm” to retrieve the high
school information
• The student will select the school
attended from the list provided
• If no matches are found, the student
should select “Next” to save the search
information and continue with the
FOTW application
31
Section 1
Degree or Certificate Objective
An important question NOT on the Worksheet:
Degree or Certificate
In the 2011-2012 school year, what degree
or certificate will you, the student, be
working on?
•Some options are:
- 1st bachelor’s degree
- Associate degree (occupational or
technical program)
- Associate degree (general
education or transfer program)
- Graduate or professional degree
32
Section 1
School Selection
An important question NOT on the Worksheet:
• FAFSA on the Web allows the student to list up
to 10 colleges/universities that will receive
his/her student and parent information
• The student should list first the California school
he/she is most likely to attend
• The student may re-order his/her school choices
• Then list other schools to which the student is
applying for admission
33
Section 1
School Selection
An important question NOT on the Worksheet:
•
While in the School Selection Section, the
student will be asked to enter the federal
school code for each school to which
he/she wants information sent
•
If the student does not know the federal
school code, enter the state in which the
college/university is located and search
for the federal school code by the
college/university name
34
Section 1
School Selection
Strategies for Listing Colleges
•
•
•
List a California college or university
(for Cal Grant consideration)
Then list those schools with the
earliest financial aid deadlines,
regardless of whether they are in-state
or out-of-state
If the student is applying to more than
ten schools, wait for the processed
Student Aid Report (SAR) and add
additional schools via the Web or by
phone using the student PIN
NOTE: Each UC and CSU campus must be listed separately
35
Section 1
School Selection
An important question NOT on the Worksheet:
•
The student will be asked to select the housing plan that best
describes the type of housing the student expects to have while
attending each listed school
•
The choices for housing are:
•
•
•
On Campus
With Parent
Off Campus
•
The student’s choice of housing may affect the amount of financial
aid for which he/she is eligible. It is usually more expensive to live
on or off campus than with parents or relatives
•
Remember, selecting the On Campus housing option is not an
application for On Campus housing. Check with the colleges/
universities for housing information when you apply for admission
36
Section 2
(page 2)
STUDENT DEPENDENCY
STATUS
Section 2
Determination of Student Dependency Status
38
Section 2
Determination of Student Dependency Status
•
If the student checks none of the boxes about
Dependency Status, the student will be asked to
go to Section 3. For FAFSA filing purposes, the
student is considered a dependent student and
will be required to provide parental information
•
If any one of the items in this section applies to the
student, he/she should mark the appropriate box,
skip Section 3, and go to Section 4. The student is
considered an independent student for FAFSA
filing purposes and is NOT required to provide
parental information
39
Section 3
(page 3)
PARENT
INFORMATION
Section 3
Parent Information
See Page 3 of FAFSA on the
Web Worksheet about who is
considered a parent
– Biological or adoptive
parent(s)
– In case of divorce or
separation, provide
information about the parent
and/or stepparent the student
lived with more in the last 12
months
– Stepparent (regardless of any
prenuptial agreements)
41
Section 3
Who is Not a Parent
•
Do not provide information on:
– Foster parents or legal guardians
• If the student is in foster care or has a legal
guardian, he/she is automatically considered
an independent student
– Grandparents or other relatives are not
considered parents unless they have adopted the
student
• In this case, the student must attempt to get
biological parental information
• Colleges may use Professional Judgment to allow
the student to file as independent
42
Section 3
Parent Information
•
If the answer to any question is zero or
the question does not apply, enter 0:
•
Report whole dollar figures:
•
Recommendation: If your parents have not filed
their 2010 federal tax return, use W-2 forms
and/or other employment records - such as final
2010 pay check stubs - to estimate total income
•
Remember, rather than miss any filing deadline,
use estimated 2010 income information
12,356
0
(no cents)
43
Section 3
Parent Information
• If the student is providing
father’s/stepfather’s and/or
mother’s/stepmother’s information,
the student will need those parents’:
• Social Security Numbers
• Names
• Dates of birth
44
Section 3
Parent Dislocated Worker
• The student will be asked to check if the father/stepfather
and/or mother/stepmother is a dislocated worker
• A person may be considered a dislocated worker if he or she:
• is receiving unemployment benefits due to being laid off or losing
a job and is unlikely to return to a previous occupation
• has been laid off or received a lay-off notice from a job
• was self-employed but is now unemployed due to economic
conditions or natural disaster
• is a displaced homemaker
45
Section 3
Parents’ Tax Return Filing Status for 2010
• The student will be asked to provide information about
parent tax filing status for 2010:
• If his/her parents have completed a 2010 federal income tax
return, mark the first box
• If they have not as yet filed, but plan to file a 2010 federal
income tax return, mark the second box
• If the have not, nor will not, file a 2010 federal in tax return and
are not required to do so, mark the third box
46
Section 3
Parent 2010 Adjusted Gross Income
$$$$$$
•
•
If the student’s parents have not yet filed their
2010 federal tax return, use estimated 2010
information for this question. (Do not skip this question)
If the student’s parents have completed their
2010 federal tax return, use actual 2010 tax return
information to complete this item
Reminder: If the answer is zero or the question
does not apply, enter 0
47
Section 3
Money Earned from Work by Parent(s) in 2010
$$$,$$$
$$$,$$$
Use W-2 forms and other records to determine all
income in 2010 earned from work (including
business income earned from self-employment) for
father/stepfather and/or mother/stepmother
48
Section 3
Parents’ Household 2009 or 2010 Benefits Received
Indicate if the student, his/her parents, or anyone in
the parents’ household received benefits in 2009 or
2010 from any of the federal programs listed
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Food Stamps
• Free or Reduced Price School Lunch
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
• Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and
Children (WIC)
•
49
Section 3
2010 Additional Financial Information
The student will be asked to report if his or her parents received or paid any of the
following items in 2010 (check all that apply)
•
•
•
•
•
•
America Opportunity, Hope or Lifetime Learning tax credits
Child support paid
Taxable earnings from work-study, assistantships, or fellowships
Taxable grant and scholarship aid reported to the IRS
Combat pay or special combat pay
Cooperative education program earnings
50
Section 3
2010 Parent Untaxed Income
• The student will be asked to report if his or her parents had any
untaxed income in 2010. Check all that apply. Some examples of
the most common items are:
• Payments to tax-deferred pension and savings plans such as 401K,
IRA deductions, and payments to self-employed SEP and Keogh
• Child support received
• Tax exempt interest income
• Housing, food and other living allowances paid to members of the
military and clergy
51
Section 3
Parent Asset Information
Parents may be asked to report their
assets. If so:
• List the net value of your parents’ assets as of
the day you complete the FAFSA
• If net worth is one million
999,999
999,999
dollars or more, enter
• If net worth is zero, enter 0
0
NOTE: Some financial aid offices may request supporting
documentation for the answers to these questions
52
Section 3
Parent Cash, Savings, and Checking
•
•
•
•
Some parents may be asked to report the current
balances of their cash, savings, and checking accounts
as of the day they complete the FAFSA
They may also be asked to provide information about the
net value of their investments such as real estate, rental
property, money market and mutual funds, stocks, bonds
and other securities
In addition, they may be asked questions about the net
value of their businesses and investment farms
They should not include the home in which they live, the
value of life insurance and retirement plans, or the value
of a family-owned and controlled small business
53
Section 3
IRS Data Retrieval
An important question NOT on the Worksheet
• If you are filing the FOTW after 1/30/2011, you will find a question
in the parent section that asks:
For 2010, have your parents completed their IRS
income tax return?
• If parent(s) answer “Already completed,” they will be given the
option to transfer their 2010 income tax information directly from
IRS records
• If you are filing the FAFSA within 6-8 weeks of having filed your
tax return, you should ignore this question and use your actual
2010 IRS tax return to complete the FOTW so you do not miss
any important financial aid deadlines.
54
Section 3
Parent E-Mail Address
An important question NOT on the Worksheet
• Provide a parent e-mail address that will be
valid at least until the student starts college
• If a parent provides an e-mail address, the
FAFSA processor will let them know the
student’s FAFSA has been processed
55
Section 3
Parent Household Size
An important question NOT on the Worksheet
•
Include in the parents’ household:
• the student
• parent(s)
• parents’ other dependent children, if
the parents provide more than half their
support or the children could answer “no” to every
question in Section 2, regardless of where they live
• other people, if they now live with the parents and will
continue to do so from 7/1/11 through 6/30/12, and if the
parents provide more than half their support now, and will
continue to provide support from 7/1/11 through 6/30/12
56
Section 3
College Students in the Parent Household
An important question NOT on the Worksheet
•
•
•
Always include the student even if he/she will
attend college less than half-time in 2011-2012
Include other household members only if they will
attend at least half-time in 2011-2012 in a program
that leads to a college degree or certificate
Never include the parents
NOTE: Some financial aid offices will require proof
that other family members are attending college
57
Section 3
Parents’ 2010 U.S. Income Taxes
An important question NOT on the Worksheet
•
What was the amount parents paid in
U.S. income tax for 2010?
– Use U.S. income tax paid (or to be paid)
• not the amount withheld from parents’
paychecks
58
Section 3
Parents’ 2010 Tax Exemptions
An important question NOT on the Worksheet
• Enter the parents’ tax exemptions for
2010
• Be sure to include all persons being
claimed on the parents’ 2010 federal tax
return, regardless of whether they are
included in the parents’ household size
question
59
Section 4
(page 4)
STUDENT INFORMATION
Section 4
Student Information
•
Questions in Section 4 are identical to the parent
financial questions we covered in Section 3
•
•
•
If the student is single, ignore
references to “spouse”
If the student is married, also report
spouse’s income and assets
The questions in Section 4 ask:
• Which 2010 federal tax return the student filed or will file
• The student’s 2010 Adjusted Gross Income, if filing a tax
return, and earnings from work as well as untaxed income
and assets
61
Section 4
Student Dislocated Worker
A person may be considered a dislocated worker if
he/she:
• is receiving unemployment benefits due to being laid
off or losing a job and is unlikely to return to a previous
occupation
• has been laid off or received a lay-off notice from a job
• was self-employed but is now unemployed due to
economic conditions or natural disaster
• is a displaced homemaker
62
Section 4
Student Information (Independent Students)
There are questions in Section 4 that the
student will be asked only if he/she
checked at least one response in
Section 2 – Student Dependency Status
63
Section 4
Student Benefits (Independent Students)
Indicate if the student, his/her spouse, or
anyone in the student’s household received
benefits in 2009 or 2010 from any of the federal
programs listed
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Food Stamps
• Free or Reduced Price School Lunch
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
• Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for
Women, Infants and Children (WIC)
64
Section 4 - Student Household Size
(Independent Students)
An important question NOT on the Worksheet
Student Household Size
Include in student’s household:
•
•
•
the student and the student’s spouse.(if married)
the student’s dependent children, if the student
provides more than half their support
other people, if they now live with
the student and will continue to do so from 7/1/11
through 6/30/12, and if the student provides more
than half their support now, and will
continue to provide that level
of support from 7/1/11 through 6/30/12
65
Section 4 - Student Number in College
(Independent Students)
An important question NOT on the Worksheet
Student Number in College
•
Count the student even if the student will
attend college less than half-time in
2011-2012
•
Include others only if they will attend at
least half-time in 2011-2012 in a program
that leads to a college degree or
certificate
66
DO NOT MAIL THIS WORKSHEET
Go to www.fafsa.gov to complete and submit your application.
For more information on federal student aid,
visit www.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov.
You can also talk with your college’s financial aid office
about other types of student aid that may be available
67
Special Circumstances
•
Contact the Financial Aid Office if there are
circumstances which affect a family’s ability
to pay for college such as:
– Loss or reduction in parent or student income or assets
– Death or serious illness
– Natural disasters affecting parent income or assets such as
the recent California wild fires, floods, or mudslides
– Unusual medical or dental expenses not covered by
insurance
– Reduction in child support, Social Security benefits or other
untaxed benefit
– Financial responsibility for elderly grandparents, or
– Any other unusual circumstances that affect a
family’s ability to contribute to higher education
68
Application Filing Tips
FAFSA on The Web
•
•
Gather necessary documents ahead of time
•
Allow ample time to complete the online FOTW application for
submission by the deadline
•
•
•
Check the FAFSA on the Web for accuracy prior to submission
•
•
Print out a copy of the FAFSA before submitting data
Complete a FAFSA on the Web Worksheet available at:
www.fafsa.gov
Save all work periodically
Sign the application using student’s and one custodial parent’s
PINs
Keep a copy of the Submission Confirmation Page
69
What Happens Next?
Students and the colleges the student listed receive Student Aid
Report (SAR) from federal processor

Students who complete FAFSA and Cal Grant GPA Verification
Form receive California Aid Report (CAR)

Students and families review SAR and CAR for important
information and accuracy of data

Colleges match admission records with FAFSA and other
required financial aid forms to determine aid eligibility

Colleges mail notices of financial aid eligibility to admitted
students who have completed all required financial aid forms
70
Student Aid Report (SAR)
•
•
•
After the student completes the FAFSA on
the Web, a SAR will be sent to the student
– An electronic SAR Acknowledgment
will be sent if student provides an
email address
– A paper SAR will be mailed if no
student e-mail address is provided
An electronic copy of the data will be sent to
each college or university listed by the
student in Section 1
Keep a copy of the SAR with other financial
aid documents
71
Check Your Cal Grant
Open a WebGrants Account and you can:
- Check your Cal Grant award status 24/7
- Make changes to your Cal Grant school
choices
- View how much a Cal Grant is worth at
different California colleges and universities
- See your Cal Grant payment history
Sign up at: webgrants4students.org
72
Summary of the
Financial Aid Process
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Submit all required forms, including the FAFSA, by each
college’s published deadlines (but no later than
March 2)
By March 2, submit a Cal Grant GPA Verification Form
Keep a copy of all forms submitted
Review the electronic Student Aid Report (SAR)
Acknowledgement or the paper SAR sent to the
student
Review the California Aid Report (CAR)
Watch for financial aid award notifications from
colleges to which the student has been admitted
Be sure to apply for financial aid this year and every
year as soon as possible after January 1 to receive
the best financial aid award possible
ASK QUESTIONS!
73
If You Need Help At Any Time
• FAFSA on the Web – Live Help
• Phone 1-800-4-FED-AID
(1-800-433-3243)
• E-mail the U.S. Department of
Education at:
FederalStudentAidCustomerService@ed.gov
74
Questions and
Answers
75