Applying for Financial Aid
2015-2016
Sponsored by:
Presented by:
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
3
Types of Financial Aid

Gift Aid - Grants or
scholarships that do not
need to be earned or 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
4
Sources of Financial Aid

Federal government

State government


Colleges and universities
Private agencies,
companies, foundations,
and employers
5
Cal Grants

Cal Grant A Entitlement Awards – for high school seniors and
recent high school grads
•
•
•

Cal Grant B Entitlement Awards – for high school 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
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
who demonstrate financial need
Cal Grant C Awards - for students from low income families
pursuing vocational programs of study
6
Eligibility for Cal Grants
 To be eligible for a Cal Grant, the
student must also:
 be a U.S. citizen, eligible noncitizen,
AB540 student including AB540 eligible DACA
students
 be a California resident
 attend an eligible, accredited
California college or university at
least half-time in 2015-2016
7
Residency and Cal Grant
Eligibility for 2015-2016
•
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, 2015, or
• student has lived in California with other legal California residents, other
than parents, for two years immediately prior to September 20, 2015, 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
residency status. The student must be a legal resident of California for one year
prior to September 20, 2015
•
Undocumented students who qualify for AB540 in-state tuition are considered to
have satisfied Cal Grant residency requirements. This includes AB540 eligible
DACA students
8
2015-2016 Cal Grant
Application Requirements
• By March 2, 2015, complete and submit:
Free
Application for
Federal
Student Aid
(FAFSA)
If eligible under AB540
or DACA, 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
9
Possible Cal Grant and
Federal Pell Maximum Awards
If the student qualifies for
Cal Grant, amounts vary
depending on the
college/university
attended, financial need,
year in college (full- or
part-time)
If the student qualifies for
the Federal Pell Grant,
amounts vary depending
on family contribution and
enrollment status (full- or
part-time)
Other eligibility
requirements may apply
Cal Grant* (From $5,472 to $12,192)
 FAFSA or - for AB540 students
- The California Dream Act Application
 Verified GPA
 Apply by March 2, 2015
+
Federal Pell Grant (up to $5,730)
 FAFSA
=
$11,202 to $17,922
annually depending on the
college/university the
student attends and financial need
* Check for eligible schools at: www.csac.ca.gov
10
Middle Class Scholarship
 Undergraduates with family incomes of up to $150,000
who:
 Submit 2015-16 Free Application for Federal Student Aid




(FAFSA) by March 2, 2015
attend a UC or CSU
are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or have AB540 status
are California residents, and
maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA
 Annual award amounts:
 To be determined by the California Student Aid Commission
11
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, 2015
• Foster youth are encouraged to apply during their
senior year of high school
•
To apply, the foster youth must complete:
•
•
•
2015-2016 FAFSA
California Chafee Grant Program Application
AB540 students may also be eligible
To apply for a
Chafee Grant, go to:
www.chafee.csac.ca.gov
12
Types of Applications
 FAFSA
 Undocumented students covered under AB540
or DACA should complete the California Dream
Act 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
13
FAFSA Information & Tips
 File early, but no later than
March 2, 2015, for the Cal Grant
 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
14
FAFSA on the Web (FOTW)
•
Internet application used by students and
parents to complete electronic FAFSA at:
www.fafsa.ed.gov
•
Sophisticated online edits checks and skip
logic help avoid errors
•
•
Online help is available for each question
Student and one custodial parent should
get a federal PIN to sign FAFSA at:
www.pin.ed.gov
15
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
In late April 2015, the U.S. Department of
Education will be switching from the current
4-digit FSA PIN to the FSA ID. The FSA ID is a new
user-selected username and password.
Apply for student
and parent PINs at:
www.pin.ed.gov
16
Another Useful Form FAFSA on the Web Worksheet
Though not a required form,
the 2015-2016 FAFSA on the
Web Worksheet may:
•
•
Help some students and
parents prepare to complete
the FOTW
Be used for the January 1, 2015
through June 30, 2016 federal
aid application cycle
17
Getting Ready
 Before starting the FAFSA on the Web (FOTW), gather:
• Student driver’s license
• Student Alien Registration Card, if applicable
• 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
18
FAFSA on the Web (FOTW)
The 2015-2016 FAFSA on the Web may be used for the
January 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016 federal student
aid application cycle
19
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
20
Getting Started on the FOTW
Between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016
START 2015-2016
FAFSA
Between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015
START 2014-2015
FAFSA
21
Create a Password
Start Your 2015-2016 FAFSA
Form Approved
Form Approved
OMB No. 1845-0001
OMB No. 1845-0001
App Exp. 12/31/2016
App Exp. 12/31/2016
22
Login
Form Approved
OMB No. 1845-0001
App Exp. 12/31/2016
 The FOTW will ask for the student’s first and last names
 Make sure to report the student’s name exactly as it
appears on the student’s Social Security card
23
FAFSA Introduction Page
Introduction Page - 2015-2016 FAFSA
24
Section 1
STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS
Section 1
Student Name
 The FOTW will ask for the student’s last and first names
 Make sure to report the student’s name exactly as it
appears on the student’s Social Security card
26
Section 1
Student Social Security Number
 Double check the student’s Social Security Number
when entering it on the FOTW.
 Student name, Social Security Number and date of
birth will be compared through a database match
and must match exactly
27
Section 1 – Student Date of Birth,
Gender, Permanent Mailing Address
28
Section 1
Student Home State Residency
2010
 Home state residence
 if the student is dependent, the Home State is usually the
one in which the custodial parent(s) lives
 Home state 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
29
Section 1
Phone Number and E-mail Address
 Throughout the application process, the student
telephone number and e-mail address may be used by the
U.S. Department of Education, the state, and the colleges
and universities to:
 Correspond with the student
 Confirm FAFSA data
30
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
31
Section 1
Student Driver’s License
 Students should provide their driver’s license
number, if they have one
 This information may be used to confirm student
identity if needed
32
Section 1 - Student 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
 The holder of an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from the Department of Homeland
Security showing any of the following designations: “Refugee,” “Asylum Granted,”
“Parolee” (I-94 confirms paroled for a minimum of one year and status has not
expired), T-Visa holder (T-1, T-2, T-3, etc.) or “Cuban-Haitian Entrant;”
 The holder of a valid certification or eligibility letter from the Department of Health and
Human Services showing a designation of “Victim of human trafficking.”
 A resident of the Republic of Palau (PW), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (MH), or
the Federated States of Micronesia (FM)
 Canadian-born Native American under terms of the Jay Treaty
33
Section 1 - Eligible Noncitizen
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 may be requested by the
financial aid office
If neither a citizen nor eligible noncitizen, the student is ineligible for federal aid.
Such students should check with their college financial aid office for other aid
opportunities.
If the student is undocumented as defined in AB540, he/she may be eligible for state
financial aid. Learn more at www.caldreamact.org
34
Undocumented Students
 Undocumented students, while not eligible for federal aid, may want to:
 start inquiring in elementary and high school to see if it is possible for the






student to become a permanent resident
watch for changes in federal and state laws regarding the eligibility of
undocumented or under-documented students
consider applying for federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA)
which allows for work authorization
undocumented students applying for Cal Grants and other state aid should
complete a California Dream Act Application, not the FAFSA
check with colleges and universities to see if institutional financial aid is
available
Students should apply for all scholarships for which they may be eligible
for a list of scholarships, go to
http://www.maldef.org/assets/pdf/14-15_MALDEF_Scholarship.pdf
and
www.e4fc.org
35
Section 1 - Selective Service Registration
•
All male students who are between the ages of 18 and 25
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
36
Section 1 - High School Completion Status
2015-2016
High School Completion Status
When the student begins college in the 2015-2016
school year, what will be the student’s high school
completion status?
 High school diploma
 GED certificate or state authorized high school
equivalent certificate
 Home schooled
 None of the above
37
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
Section 1 - Degree or Certificate Objective
2014-2015
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)
Graduate or professional degree
39
Section 1
Interest in Work-Study
 Select “Yes” if the student is interested in a college-
sponsored on or off-campus job
 Answering “Yes” does not guarantee that the student
will be offered a job
 Answering “No” does not mean that the student will
received additional grant or scholarship
40
Section 1
First Bachelor’s Degree
Will you have your first bachelor’s degree before July 1, 2015?
Will you have your first Bachelor’s degree before July 1, 2015?
 students starting college in 2015-16 should mark “No” to this
question
 only students who will be pursuing a graduate or
professional degree during 2015-16 should mark “Yes”
41
Section 1
Foster Youth
No
Yes
 Select Yes if you are a foster youth or were at any time in the
foster youth care system
 Select No if you are not a foster youth. Also select No if you
were not in the foster care system at any time
42
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
43
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
44
Section 1 - Student Aid Eligibility Drug Convictions




Students who have never attended college since high school will not be
asked any of the Drug Conviction questions
Students who indicate that they have attended college before will be
asked if they have ever received federal student aid
If the answer is “yes,” students will be asked if they were convicted for the
possession or sale of illegal drugs. Most students will answer ‘No” to this
question and will not be asked any additional questions
Even students who have been convicted of a drug offense while in college
and receiving federal financial aid may still be eligible to receive federal
financial aid
45
Section 2
SCHOOL SELECTION
Section 2
School Selection
 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
48
Section 2
School Selection


While in the School Selection
Section, the student will be
asked to enter the location
and name or the federal
school code for each school to
which he/she wants FOTW
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
49
Section 2
School Selection
Strategies for Listing Colleges
 List a California college or university first (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, using the student PIN
 By phone, using the DRN from the SAR
NOTE: Each UC and CSU campus must be listed separately
50
Section 2 - School Selection (cont)




CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY OF CHANNEL ISLA
039803
039803
SAN JOSE CITY COLLEGE
001282
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA (UCLA)
001315
001315
CLAREMONTMCKENNA
MCKENNACOLLEGE
COLLEGE
CLAREMONT
001170
001282
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. Students should check
with the colleges/ universities about housing information when they apply for admission
51
Section 3
STUDENT DEPENDENCY STATUS
Section 3
Determination of Student Dependency Status
53
Section 3 - Determination of Student Dependency Status
(cont)
54
Section 3 - Determination of Student Dependency Status
(cont)
2014,
2014,
2014,
2014,
55
Section 3 - Determination of Student
Dependency Status
 If the student checks “No” in all of the boxes about
Dependency Status, the student will be asked to go
to Section 4. 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 4, and go to Section 5. The student is
considered an independent student for FAFSA filing
purposes and is NOT required to provide parental
information
56
Section 4
PARENT
DEMOGRAPHICS
Section 4
Parent Demographics




If the answer to any question is zero or
the question does not apply, enter 0:
Report whole dollar figures:
12,356
0
(no cents)
Recommendation: If your parents have not filed
their 2014 federal tax return, use W-2 forms and/or
other employment records - such as final 2014 pay
check stubs - to estimate total income
Remember, rather than miss any filing deadline, use
estimated 2014 income information
58
Section 4
Parent Demographics
Who is considered a parent?
 Biological or adoptive parent(s)
 Including same-sex parents
 Including unmarried parents living
together
 In case of divorced or separated
parents who don’t live together,
provide information about the parent
the student lived with more in the
last 12 months
 Stepparent (regardless of any
prenuptial agreements), if currently
married to the student’s custodial
parent
59
Section 4
Who is Not a Parent ?
60
Section 4
Parent Marital Status
 Report your parents’ marital status as of today





Never Married to each other
Unmarried and both parents living together
Married or Remarried (also report the date of marriage or remarriage)
Divorced or separated (also report the date of divorce or separation)
Widowed (also report the date of widowhood)
61
Section 4
Parent Information
 If the student is providing Parent Information, he/she will need those
parents’:



Social Security Numbers
Last names and first initials
Dates of Birth
62
Section 4 - Parent E-mail Address
 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
63
Section 4
Parent State of Legal Residence
California
California
California
2010?
64
Section 4 - Parent Household Size
2015-2016

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 3, regardless of where they live
 other people, if they now live with the parents and will continue to
do so from 7/1/15 through 6/30/16, and if the parents provide more
than half their support now, and will continue to provide support
from 7/1/15 through 6/30/16
65
Section 4 - College Students in the Parent Household
2015 and June 30, 2016?
•
•
•
Always include the student even if he/she will attend college
less than half-time in 2015-2016
Include other household members only if they will attend at
least half-time in 2015-2016 in a program that leads to a
college degree or certificate
Never include the parents in the number in college
NOTE: Some financial aid offices will require documentation
that other family members are attending college
66
Section 5
PARENT FINANCIAL
INFORMATION
Section 5
Parents’ 2014 Tax Return Filing Completion Status
2014
 Students will be asked to provide information about their parent tax
filing status for 2014:



If parents have completed a 2014 federal income tax return, select
“Already completed”
If parents have not as yet filed, but plan to file a 2014 federal income
tax return, select “Will file”
If parents have not, nor will not, file a 2014 federal income tax return
and are not required to do so, select “Not going to file”
68
Section 5 - Parents’ 2014 Tax Return Filing Status
2014,
 Students will be asked to provide information about their parent tax
filing status for 2014 according to their tax return:

If parents have (or will) file(d) a 2014, will they file as:
 Single
 Head of Household
 Married-Filed Joint Return
 Married-Filed Separate Return
 Qualifying Widow(er)
 Don’t Know
69
Section 5
Type of Tax Return Filed
2014?
 Students will be asked to select what type of 2014 federal income
tax return their parent(s) will file




IRS 1040
IRS 1040A or 1040EZ
Foreign tax return
A tax return with Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory or Freely Associated State
70
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 eleven 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
71
Section 5
IRS Data Retrieval (cont)
72
Section 5
IRS Data Retrieval (cont)
73
Section 5
IRS Tax Transcript
74
Section 5
2014 Adjusted Gross Income
2014?
•
•
•
If the student’s parents have not yet filed their 2014 federal tax
return, use estimated 2014 information for this question
The “Income Estimator” on the FOTW may help calculate this
amount
If the student’s parents have completed their 2014 federal tax
return, use actual 2014 tax return information to complete this
item if they are not eligible to use the IRS Data Retrieval
process
75
Section 5 - Money Earned from Work by
Parent(s) in 2014
How much did your Parent 1 earn from working (wages, salaries, tips, etc.) in
2014?
How much did your Parent 2 earn from working (wages, salaries, tips, etc.) in
2014?
Use W-2 forms and other records to determine all
income in 2014 earned from work (including business
income earned from self-employment) for Parent 1 and
Parent 2
76
Section 5 - Parent Dislocated Worker
 The student will be asked to check if parent 1 and/or parent 2 is a dislocated
worker
 A person may be considered a dislocated worker if he or she:
 lost his/her job
 has been laid off or received a layoff notice
 is receiving unemployment benefits due to being laid off or is losing a job and is unlikely
to return to a previous occupation
 is self-employed but is unemployed due to economic conditions or natural disaster
 is the spouse of an active duty member of the Armed Forces and has experienced a loss
of employment because of relocating due to permanent change in duty station
 is a displaced homemaker
 A displaced homemaker is generally a person who previously provided unpaid services to the family
(e.g., a stay-at-home mom or dad), is no longer supported by the husband or wife, is unemployed, and
is having trouble finding or upgrading employment
77
Section 5 - Parents’ 2013 or 2014
Household Federal Benefits
2013 or 2014,
Indicate if the student, his/her parents, or anyone in the parents’ household received benefits
in 2013 or 2014 from any of the federal programs listed
 Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP)
 Free or Reduced Price (School) Lunch
 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
 Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC)
78
Section 5 – 1040A or EZ Tax Return
• This question asks whether the student’s parents, who
indicated they will file an IRS 1040, are eligible to file a
1040A or 1040EZ instead
•
Students and parent should read the directions
accompanying this question carefully
•
If students or parents are uncertain as to the answer to
this question, it is fine to select “Don’t know”
79
Section 5
Parents’ 2014 U.S. Income Taxes
• Enter the amount of parents’ income tax for 2014
•
Use U.S. income tax paid (or to be paid), not the amount
withheld from parents’ paychecks
80
Section 5
Parent 2014 Tax Exemptions
 Enter the parents’ tax exemptions for 2014
 Be sure to include all persons being claimed on the
parents’ 2014 federal tax return, regardless of
whether they are included in the parents’
household size question
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Section 5
2014 Additional Financial Information
The student will be asked to report if his or her parents received or paid any of the
following items in 2014. Check all that apply and provide amounts.






American Opportunity 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
82
Section 5
2014 Parent Untaxed Income
 The student will be asked to
report if his or her parents had
any untaxed income in 2014.
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
83
Section 5
Parent Asset Information
Parents may be asked to report their assets as
of the day they complete the FOTW if amounts
exceed those shown in the question on the
FOTW. If so:


Parent(s) must list the net value of their assets
as of the day they complete the FOTW
0
If net worth is zero, enter 0
NOTE: Some financial aid offices may request supporting
documentation for the answers to these questions
84
Section 5
Parent Assets
If asked, students should report the current balances of their parents’ cash, savings, and
checking accounts as of the day they complete the FOTW
 They may also be asked to provide information about the net value of parent 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 parent 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

85
Section 5
STUDENT INFORMATION
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 also 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
87
Section 5 – Student Information
(Independent Students)
 There are questions in Section 5 that the student will
be asked only if he/she checked at least one “Yes”
response in Section 3 – Dependency Status
88
Section 5 – Student Household Size
(Independent Students)
 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 7/1/15
through 6/30/16, and if the student provides more
than half their support now, and will
continue to provide that level
of support from 7/1/15 through 6/30/16
89
Section 5 – Student Number in College
(Independent Students)
 Student Number in College
 Count the student even if the student will attend
college less than half-time in 2015-2016
 Report others if included in the previous student
household size question only if they will attend at
least half-time in 2015-2016 in a program that leads
to a college degree or certificate
90
Section 5 - Student Dislocated Worker
(Independent Students)
 A person may be considered a dislocated worker if he or she:
 lost his/her job
 has been laid off or received a layoff notice
 is receiving unemployment benefits due to being laid off or is losing a
job and is unlikely to return to a previous occupation
 is self-employed but is unemployed due to economic conditions or
natural disaster
 is the spouse of an active duty member of the Armed Forces and has
experienced a loss of employment because of relocating due to
permanent change in duty station
 is a displaced homemaker
 A displaced homemaker is generally a person who previously provided unpaid
services to the family (e.g., a stay-at-home mom or dad), is no longer supported
by the husband or wife, is unemployed, and is having trouble finding or
upgrading employment
91
Section 5 – Student Household Federal
Benefits (Independent Students)
 Indicate if the student, his/her spouse, or anyone in
the student’s household received benefits in 2013 or
2014 from any of the federal programs listed
 Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP)
 Free or Reduced Price (School) Lunch
 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
 Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women,
Infants and Children (WIC)
 None of the above
92
Section 6
SIGN AND SUBMIT
Section 6
Student Signature Page
 Sign and Submit
 Recommend that students
sign the FAFSA
electronically using their
PINs
 Remember to read and
mark “Agree” to the student
Terms of Agreement
94
Section 6
Parent Signature Page
 Sign and Submit
 Recommend that one
custodial parent signs the
FAFSA electronically using
his/her PIN
 Remember to read and mark
“Agree” to the Terms of
Agreement
 Parent(s) without Social Security
Numbers
 Click on “Other options to
sign and submit” for Paper
Signature Page
95
Section 7
CONFIRMATION
Section 7
Confirmation
2015-2016 Confirmation Page
 Confirmation Page
 Confirms date and time of
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
97
Go to www.fafsa.ed.gov to complete and submit your application.
For more information on federal student aid,
visit www.StudentAid.gov
You can also talk with your college’s financial aid office
about other types of student aid that may be available
98
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
99
Application Filing Tips
FAFSA on the Web
 Gather necessary documents ahead of time
 Complete a FAFSA on the Web available at:






www.fafsa.ed.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 and keep a copy of the FAFSA before submitting data
Print and keep a copy of the Submission Confirmation Page
100
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 e-mail
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
101
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
102
Federal Verification
 Some students may be required to verify the information reported on the
FAFSA
 If selected for verification, the tax information of federal tax filers will be
verified through
 The IRS Data Retrieval Process, or
 IRS Tax transcripts if requested by the college or university
 Non-tax filers selected for verification may be asked to provide
 Signed statements confirming that they did not file a 2014 federal tax return
and were not required by IRS to do so
 Copies of W-2s or other income documentation from each employer , if any
income was earned from work
 All selected aid applicants will also be asked to verify certain demographic
data listed such as




Household size and number in college
Child Support paid and SNAP, if reported on the FAFSA
Enrollment History for transfer students
Identity Confirmation
103
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
 Create a WebGrants account at:
www.webgrants4students.org
104
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!
105
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
106
Must-Have, Comprehensive Resource
 Increase eligibility for
student aid
 Avoid common errors
 Complete the form
quickly, easily and
accurately
 Free download at
www.edvisors.com/fafsa
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