Office of Student Financial Aid presents …. 2016 Financial Aid Awareness: A Night of Golden Opportunities and Empowerment 1 Welcome to XULA! 2 Table of Content General Requirements and Outreach Program Information ….. Students The Financial Aid Process ..... The Free Application for Student A id .… Results …. What’s next Award Process .…. Determining Factors ….. Notification ….. Programs ….. Retention ….. Financial Literary General Information ….. Parents ….. Hot Topics Federal ..... State: TOPS Ms. Kendra Woods, LOSFA Representative Scholarships …. Institutional and External Scholarship Resources Ms. Pearl Algere-Lonian, A sst.V.P. of A cademic A ffairs, Scholarships and Special programs Q &A 3 Financial Aid Process • This presentation will enhance your knowledge of applying for Financial Aid: • The application is Free (www.fafsa.ed.gov) • Application is used to determine your eligibility for financial aid assistance • You may be eligible for different types of aid that fall into two (2) categories: 4 Categories of Financial Aid Need-based Federal Pell Grant Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) Federal Direct Subsidized Stafford Loan Federal Work Study Non need-based Scholarship Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan Federal Parent PLUS Loan Private Loan Teacher Education Access for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Please see the details of this information found in your package the Green Book entitled “Funding Your Education” 5 • Free Application for Federal Student Aid FAFSA A free-of-cost application that collects demographic and financial information about the student and family • Used to determine Federal financial aid eligibility • File application electronically • To begin and sign electronically, must have an FSAID and password • Available January 1, 2016 ; XULA Priority date is April 15, 2016 • Website: www.fafsa.ed.gov • Accuracy is important; Please read information carefully 7 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): Student and Parent(s) information • Social Security Number (can be found on Social Security card) • Driver’s license number (if any) • W-2 Forms for the previous year and other records of money earned • (and your spouse’s, if you are married) most recent Federal Income Tax Return – IRS Form 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ, 1040Telefile, foreign tax return, or tax return for Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia • Federal Income Tax Return for the previous year (if you are a dependent student as defined by federal criteria) • Your current bank statements • Current business and investment mortgage information, business and farm records, stock, bond, and other investment records • Documentation that you are a U.S. permanent resident or other eligible noncitizen 8 FAFSA: Commonly Made Mistakes Misspelling of name; not reporting suffix. List name as it appears on birth certificate. Listing incorrect Social Security Number or Driver’s license number. Leaving blank fields – enter a ‘0’ or ‘not applicable’ instead of leaving a blank. Too many blanks may cause miscalculations and an application rejection. Using commas or decimal points in numeric fields – always round to the nearest dollar. Entering the wrong federal income tax paid amount – obtain your federal income paid amount from your income tax return forms, not your W-2 form(s). Listing Adjusted Gross Income as equal to total income – these are not the same figure. In most cases, the AGI is larger than the total income. Listing marital status incorrectly – only write “yes” if you’re currently married (on the day you sign the FAFSA). Listing parent marital status incorrectly – the custodial parent’s marital status is needed; if they’ve remarried, you’ll need the stepparent’s information too. Forgetting to list the college – obtain the Federal School Code for the college you plan on attending and list it–along with any other schools to which you’ve applied. Forgetting to sign and date – if you’re filling out the paper FAFSA, be sure to sign it. If you’re filing electronically, be sure to create your FSA ID and password at www.fafsa.ed.gov, separately for student and parent, if applicable. Entering the wrong address – your permanent address is not your campus or summer address. Sending in a copy of your income tax returns – you will be contacted if your information needs verification; you don’t need to send a copy of your tax returns in with your application. 9 FAFSA on the Web Step One: Student Information • After logging in with FSA ID and password, personal information appears automatically • Information is used to determine match with Social Security Administration (SSA) • Email address is where FAFSA results will be sent Commonly made mistakes include: - Missing suffix on name - Social Security Number - Date of Birth 10 FAFSA on the Web Step Two, Part A: Student Eligibility • Citizenship status: Only U.S. Citizens and certain classes of eligible non-citizens qualify • Selective Service: Male student can request registration to occur through the FAFSA • Student’s academic status: All questions pertains to student’s status as of 2016-2017 school year Students who’ve already received their first bachelor’s degree are deemed ineligible for certain Federal grants 11 FAFSA on the Web Step Two, Part B: Student Eligibility • Student must list high school • Select name • Click “Confirm” to submit the school listed: U.S. Citizens: Not confirming school creates a high possibility of selection of verification for “Identity and Educational Purposes” Eligible Non-Citizens: Are able to list school outside of U.S. 12 FAFSA on the Web Step Three: School Selection • List Xavier University of Louisiana as your #1 Choice!!!!!! School Code: 002032 • Housing plans: Helps to determine Cost of Attendance 13 FAFSA on the Web Step Four: Student Dependency “Dependent or Independent, that is the question” • • • • • • • • • • • • Born before Jan. 1, 1993 Veteran of Armed Duty Active duty - military Married Children or other dependents Both parents deceased Foster care past age 13 Dependent/ward of court past age 13 Legal guardianship Emancipated minor Homeless or at risk of homelessness Working on Master’s Degree If you answered “NO” to every question: You are considered Dependent and parental information is required If you answered “Yes” to any: You are considered Independent* * (However, additional information may be required by college/university) 14 FAFSA on the Web Step Five: Parent Demographics • Section is for parent(s) (biological, adoptive, and stepparent) demographic information • Marital status at the time of the completion of the FAFSA • If married, both the biological, adoptive, and/or stepparent must be included • Number in household Commonly made mistakes include: - Name - Social Security Number - Marital Status - Number in Household/in college 15 FAFSA on the Web Step Six, Part A: Parent/Student Financial Information Manually reporting financial information is one option….. 16 However, FAFSA on the Web Step Six, Part B: Parent and Student Financial Info…. IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) • Highly recommended to use for both parent and student, if applicable • Reduces documents requested by Financial Aid Office for the process called “Verification” • If you and/or parent were not required to file, you may move forward to the next page regarding untaxed income and assets • Real-time request in the FAFSA to import IRS tax data • Once retrieved from IRS portal, must authorize transfer • Fills in majority of financial information; only untaxed income, banking, and other assets remain to report 17 FAFSA on the Web Step Seven ….. Sign, Seal, Submit!... Student and Parent must have their own FSA ID and Password Confirmation Page …. “Estimated” results 18 Student Aid Report (SAR) • Different from a “Confirmation” page • Is for your records to review for accuracy; School(s) listed is provided with results electronically • Provides the actual Expected Family Contribution (EFC) number- • Provides aid eligibility matches • First to inform applicant of any inconsistencies • Update estimated information when actual figures are available 19 Verification Process Federal aid process that requires submission of documents to the Office of Student Financial Aid. Before awarding may occur, process must be completed Electronic notification sent to student’s XULA email account Requirements are posted on student’s Banner Web account During peak of processing, completion may take 2-3 weeks (pending all required documents have been received) 20 Verification Process (Example of Requirements) Dependent or Independent Verification Worksheet Additional Information Worksheet IRS Tax Return Transcript,W2, 1099MISC, 1098-T, Schedule C/C-EZ/K Other sources of income and assets Birth Certificate, Certificate of Citizenship/Naturalization High School Diploma Special circumstances require case-by-case professional determination 21 Verification Process Be proactive….. Any missing documents will delay your awarding process 22 Financial Need Cost-of-Attendance (COA) • Is not actual the bill from XULA • Estimated amount of all possible expenses to attend the University for the academic year. • Includes tuition and fees; oncampus room and board (or a housing and food allowance for off-campus students); • A llowance for books, supplies, transportation, loan fees, and, if applicable, dependent care • Other expenses on case-by-case basis Expected Family Contribution (EFC) • A mount family can reasonably be expected to contribute • Formula designed by Federal government; based on various factors from the FA FSA - Demographic - Family size - Income - A ssets and other financial benefits • Stays the same regardless of college 23 Financial Need • Funding provided to students and families to assist with the cost of postsecondary educational expenses • Calculated by formula using Cost-of-Attendance (COA) and Expected Family Contribution Number (EFC) Cost of Attendance (COA) – Expected Family Contribution = Financial Need- Based Aid Cost of Attendance (COA) – Financial Aid Awarded So Far* = Eligibility for Non Need-Based Aid 24 Award Notification Your Financial Aid Award Letter is sent electronically and will outline the terms and conditions of your award offer All electronic correspondences are sent to your XULA email and Banner Web accounts with directions on how to view and submit your decision. It is essential to check both accounts daily. Notification may include, but not limited to: Request for Information, Verification Status, Award Notice, Change in your Financial Aid Package….. 25 Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Federal requirement that University implements an academic (retention) policy to determine eligibility for future financial aid Review occurs at the end of each Spring semester Three components evaluated eligibility: Cumulative Grade Point Average Earned/Attempted Ratio (PACE) Maximum Timeframe (ability to obtain degree within the required time) Please be sure to review the SAP policy http://www.xula.edu/financial-aid/sap-policy.php 26 Parental Guidance: Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) The purpose of FERPA law is to ensure educational records are kept private. "Educational records" includes most information that are: (a) directly related to a student and (b) maintained by the school Completing the FERPA Waiver online: http://www.xula.edu/registrar/ferpa.php Or through the student’s Banner Web account 27 Outreach Program: Financial Literacy A creative initiative program to assist students in maximizing their knowledge of how to use their finances wisely while in school and beyond A wealth of information that when applied should enable them to finish college with less debt and maximize their finances after graduation Workshops, Literature, Social Media Campaigns Save the Dates! Participate! Attend Workshops! Share with friends! Follow us on social media Twitter-- @XulaWeCare Facebook-XulaWeCare 28 “Prior-Prior Year” White House signed bill that includes changes to Federal Financial Aid process effective for 2017-2018 academic year: - 2017-2018 FAFSA can be filed as early as October 2016 - Allows taxes from TWO years “prior” - Taxes already filed and data is correct from previous year - Better aligned with college application year - Financial Aid information available further in advance of college decision deadlines - Allows for more at-ease, well-informed college and financial aid decisions 29 CONTACT INFORMATION Physical Address Xavier South Building, Suite 360 909 South Jefferson Davis Parkway New Orleans, Louisiana 70118 Mailing Address Xavier University of Louisiana Office of Student Financial Aid 1 Drexel Drive, Box 40 New Orleans, Louisiana 70125-1098 Office Hours Monday – Friday * 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (First two months of each semester, office is open Tuesdays until 6:00) Phone and Electronic 504-520-7835 (Main) 504-520-7906 (Fax) FINAID@xula.edu 30 State Scholarship: Louisiana Residents Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) Ms. Kendra Woods 31 Additional Scholarship Information Ms. Pearl Algere-Lonian Assistant Vice President, Scholarship & Special Programs 32 Q&A 33 Have a safe travel home! 34