Applying for Financial Aid
2014-2015
Presented by:
Cynthia Martinez
CSU Northridge
What Will You Learn At This Workshop?
 Types and sources of financial aid
 Required financial aid application forms
 How to complete the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA) and the Cal Grant GPA
Verification Form
 Answers to your individual questions
 http://www.lacashforcollege.org/resources.html
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How to get aid
Sources of Financial Aid
 Federal Government
 Cal Grant
 States
 California Chafee Grant
 Private sources
 Federal Pell Grant
 Employers
 Civic organizations
 Churches
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Common Programs
 Federal Supplemental
Educational Opportunity
Grant (FSEOG)
 Federal Work-Study
 Stafford Loans
 Perkins Loan & Direct PLUS
Loan
Types of Financial Aid
Grants
Loans
• Money students & parents borrow
• Free money for educational
to help pay college expenses
expenses based on financial need
• Only borrow what you need !
Scholarships
• Free money awarded on the basis • Stafford Loans
of merit, skill or unique
• Subsidized: For students with
characteristic
financial need & Government
pays the interest while in
Work Study
school with 3.4% interest
• Jobs to help pay for school
• Unsubsidized: all students
eligible & responsible for
– Employment at campus
interest during the loan with
– Up to 20 hours per week
6.8% interest
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How it works
FAFSA
Expected Family Contribution
(EFC) $5,000
Valley College
$11,000
CSUN
$25,000*
UCLA
$32,000*
USC
$75,000*
- $5,000
- $5,000
- $5,000
- $5,000
= $6,000
= $20,000
= $27,000
= $70,000
*Living on campus
Cal Grant
Eligibility for Cal Grant
 be a U.S. citizen, eligible
noncitizen, or AB540 student
 be a California resident
 attend an accredited
California college or
university at least half-time
in 2014-15
Cal Grant’s
 For high school seniors and recent high
school grads
 Family income and assets below the state
ceilings, who demonstrate financial need
 Cal Grant A Entitlement Awards
 Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.0
 Cal Grant B Entitlement Awards
 Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.0
 Cal Grant C Awards
 for students from low income families
pursuing vocational programs of study
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201-2016 Cal Grant
Application Requirements
• By March 2, 2015, complete and submit:
Free
Application for
Federal
Student Aid
(FAFSA)
OR
If eligible under AB540,
students should complete
the California Dream Act
Application:
www.caldreamact.org
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, required of all students
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Types of Applications
 FAFSA
 Undocumented student covered under AB540
should complete the California Dream
Application
 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
•
2014 federal tax returns (along with all schedules
and W-2s) or other income documentation
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Section 1 - Undocumented Students
If the student is undocumented
 and is applying to any California public college or
university, check to see if he/she might be eligible
for in-state tuition/fee costs under AB540
 If eligible for AB540, apply for California Dream Act
financial aid at www.caldreamact.org
 check with colleges and universities about CA
Dream Act institutional financial aid and private
scholarships and the timelines for applying
 apply for all other private scholarships for which
the student may be eligible
 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:
www.maldef.org/assets/pdf/MALDEF_Scholarship_Resource_Guide.pdf
www.caldreamact.org
www.e4fc.org
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Who is the Dream Act Application for?
 The California Dream Act Application is for students
who meet the qualifications of AB 540
 An eligible AB 540 student is a student who:
 Attended a CA high school for 3+ years
 Graduated from a CA high school or the equivalent
 Enrolls in an accredited CA college or university
 “Valid for Work Only with DHS Authorization” or Not Valid for
Employment
 In case of student without lawful immigration status, filed an
affidavit with institution stating that he/she has filed an application
to legalize status or will file as soon as he or she is eligible
FAFSA Information & Tips
 File early, but no later than
March 2, 2015
 Use estimated 2014 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
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FAFSA on the Web (FOTW)
•
•
•
•
•
Complete electronic FAFSA at: www.fafsa.gov
Apply January 1, 2015 – June 30, 2016
On-line edits and skip logic help avoid errors
On-line help is available
Student and one custodial parent should get a federal PIN to
sign FAFSA at: www.pin.ed.gov
• Deadline March 1, 2015
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Federal PIN
 PIN (Personal Identification Number)

Needed to sign and access the FAFSA
 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
PIN will be generated only if a valid email
address is provided
Apply for student
and parent PINs at:
www.pin.ed.gov
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Getting Ready
 Before starting the FAFSA on the Web (FOTW), gather:
• Student driver’s license
• Student Alien Registration Card
• Student and Parent


Social Security cards
2014 W-2 Forms and records of money earned and other
taxable benefits
2014 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
Complete 2015-16 FOTW Worksheet (optional)
Create a file for copies of all financial aid documents submitted
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The FOTW
A Seven-Section Online Form
Section 1 – Student Demographics
Section 2 – School Selection
Section 3 – Dependency Status
Section 4 – Parent Demographics
Section 5 – Financial Information
Section 6 – Sign and Submit
Section 7 – Confirmation
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Section 1 - Student Social Security Number
 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
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Section 1 - Selective Service Registration
•
All male students who are between the ages of 18 and 25
years must be registered with Selective Service to receive
federal and/or 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
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Section 1 - Grade Level in 2015-16
2015-2016
When the student begins the 2015-2016 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
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Section 1 - Degree or Certificate Objective
2013-2014
2015-2016
In the 2015-2016 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)
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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
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Section 1 - High School Question
High School Question
• Enter the name, city and state of the high school where the student received
or will receive a high school diploma
• Select “Confirm” to retrieve the high school information
• If no matches are found, the student should select “Next” to save the search
information and continue with the FOTW application
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Section 2 - School Selection





The name of school and location or
the federal school code
The student can search for federal
school
List a California college or university
first (for Cal Grant consideration)
Then list those schools with the
earliest financial aid deadlines
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
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Section 3 - Determination of Student Dependency Status
1990?
2013-2014
2013
2014?
2014?
2012,
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Section 4 – Parent Demographics
Who is considered a parent?
Biological or adoptive
parent(s)
 In case of divorce or
separation, provide
information the student
lived with more in the last
12 months
 Stepparent (regardless of
any prenuptial agreements)

Who is NOT a parent
 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
• If this is not the case, the student must
attempt to get biological parental
information
• Colleges may use Professional
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Judgment to allow the student to file
as independent
Section 4 - Parent Information
 The student will need to provide
parental information:
 Social Security Numbers
 Last names and first initials
shown on Social Security
 Marital Status
 Dates of birth
 Parents email
 Residency
 Household size
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Section 5 - Parents’ 2014 Tax Return Filing Status
2014
 The parents will be asked to provide information about their tax
filing status for 2014:



If parents have completed a 2014 federal income tax return, select
“Already completed”
If they have not as yet filed, but plan to file a 2014 federal income tax
return, select “Will file”
If they have not, nor will not, file a 2014 federal income tax return and
are not required to do so, select “Not going to file”
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Section 5
IRS Data Retrieval
 This question asks if parents have completed
their 2014 IRS income tax return
 If parent(s) answer “Already completed,” they
will be given the option to transfer their 2014
income tax information directly from IRS
records to the FOTW
 If parents indicate that they have recently
filed their 2014 taxes, they may not be able to
access their IRS data if they have filed taxes
electronically within the last three weeks or
by mail within the last eight weeks
 Instead, they should use their actual 2014 IRS
tax return to complete the FOTW so the
student does not miss any important financial
aid deadlines
 Become available in February
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IRS Data Retrieval
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Section 5 - Money Earned from Work by Parent(s) in 2014
2014?
2013?
Use W-2 forms and other records to determine all
income in 2014 earned from work (including business
income earned from self-employment) for
father/stepfather and/or mother/stepmother
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Section 5
Student Financial Information
 Student questions in Section 5 are identical to the
parent financial questions we covered

If the student is married, also report spouse’s income and
assets
 The questions in Section 5 ask:


Which 2014 federal tax return the student filed or will file
The student’s 2014 Adjusted Gross Income, if filing a tax
return, and earnings from work as well as untaxed income
and assets
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Section 6 - Signature Page
 Sign and Submit
 Recommend that parents
and students sign the
FAFSA electronically using
their PINs
 Parents without Social
Security Numbers
 Click on “Other options
to sign and submit” for
Paper Signature Page
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Section 7 - Confirmation
 Confirmation Page
 Confirms submission of the
FOTW to the U.S.
Department of Education
 Shows
• Expected Family
Contribution (EFC)
• Estimated Federal
Pell Grant and
Federal Stafford Loan
eligibility
• List of schools to
receive FAFSA data
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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 wind storms, 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
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Application Filing Tips
FAFSA on the Web
 Gather necessary documents ahead of time
 Complete a FAFSA on the Web available at:






www.fafsa.gov
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
Save all work periodically
Sign the application using student’s and one custodial
parent’s PINs
Print out a copy of the FAFSA before submitting data
Keep a copy of the Submission Confirmation Page
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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 provide notices of financial aid eligibility to admitted
students who have completed all required financial aid forms
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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 2
Keep a copy of the SAR with other financial aid
documents
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Check Your Cal Grant
By opening a WebGrants Account a student can:
 Check Cal Grant award status 24/7
 Confirm student’s high school graduation as required
 Make changes to Cal Grant school choices
 View how much a Cal Grant is worth at
different California colleges and universities
 View Cal Grant payment history
 Check account at: www.webgrants4students.org
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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


Review the California Aid Report (CAR)

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
Keep a copy of all forms submitted
Review the electronic Student Aid Report (SAR)
Acknowledgement or the paper SAR sent to the student
Watch for financial aid award notifications from colleges to
which the student has been admitted
ASK QUESTIONS!
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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
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