Transcript 2010-11 California Cash for College FAFSA Presentation

Applying for
Financial Aid
2010-2011
Sponsored by:
Presented by:
2
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
3
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
4
Sources of Financial Aid
•
Federal government
•
State government
•
•
Colleges and universities
Private agencies,
companies, foundations,
and parents’ employers
5
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
6
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
2010-11 at least half-time
7
Residency and Cal Grant
Eligibility for 2010-2011
• 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 March 2, 2010, or
• student has lived in California with other legal California
residents, other than parents, for two years immediately prior to
March 2, 2010, 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 March 2, 2010.
8
2010-2011 Cal Grant
Application Requirements
• By March 2, 2010, 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
9
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, 2010
• To apply, the foster youth must complete:
2010-2011 FAFSA
• California Chafee Grant Program
Application
•
To learn more about the
Chafee Grant, go to:
www.chafee.csac.ca.gov
10
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
2009 federal tax returns (along
with schedules and W-2s) or other
income documentation
11
FAFSA Information & Tips
•
File early, but no later than
March 2, 2010
•
Use estimated 2009 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
12
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
13
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
14
Getting Ready
•
Before starting the FAFSA, gather:
• Student driver’s license
• Student Alien Registration Card
• Student and Parent
Social Security cards
2009 W-2 Forms and other records of money earned
2009 federal income tax form (even if not 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
15
FAFSA on the Web Worksheet
The 2010-2011 FAFSA
on the Web Worksheet
may be used for the
January 1, 2010 through
June 30, 2011 federal aid
application cycle
16
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
17
Section 1
(page 2)
STUDENT INFORMATION
Section 1
Student Name
J O N E S
•
•
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
19
Section 1
Student Social Security Number
1 2 3 -4 5 - 6 7 8 9
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.
20
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
21
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
22
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 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
www.maldef.org/pdf/scholarships.pdf
www.latinocollegedollars.org
www.finaid.org/otheraid/undocumented.phtml
23
Section 1
Student Marital Status
• The student should check his or her marital status
as of the date the FAFSA on the Web is completed
• If the student is married or remarried, he or she
will be asked to provide information about his or
her spouse
24
Section 1
Selective Service Registration
•
Male students who are between the ages of 18 and
26 years must be registered with Selective Service
to receive federal and state aid
•
Answer “Register me” only if you are male, aged
18-26, and have not yet registered.
•
The student may also register by going to:
www.sss.gov
25
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”
26
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
27
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
28
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
29
Section 1
High School Completion Status
An important question NOT on the Worksheet:
High School Completion Status
•When the student begins college in
the 2010-2011 school year, what will
be the student’s high school
completion status?
•High school diploma
•GED certificate
•Home schooled
•None of the above
30
Section 1
Grade Level in 2010-2011
An important question NOT on the Worksheet:
Grade Level in 2010-2011
When the student begins the 2010-2011
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
31
Section 1
Degree or Certificate Objective
An important question NOT on the Worksheet:
Degree or Certificate
•In the 2010-2011 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
Student Expected Enrollment Status at the
Start of the 2010-2011 Academic Year
An important question NOT on the Worksheet:
•
When the student begins the 2010 2011 school
year, what does he/she expect his/her
enrollment status to be?
•
•
•
•
•
Full-time
¾ time
Half-time
Less than half-time
Don’t know
•
Report the student’s enrollment plans for the
college he/she is most likely to attend
•
If unsure, report “Full-time”
33
Section 1
Work-Study, Loans, and TEACH Program
An important question NOT on the Worksheet
If the student is interested in work-study (student
employment), student loans, or the TEACH
Program, check all appropriate boxes
• Indicating interest does not obligate the
student to either work or borrow, nor will it
cause the student to lose grants and scholarships
• Not checking work-study and/or loans may restrict
some options for limited work-study or loan funds
34
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
• Then list other schools to which the student
is applying for admission
35
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
36
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 a housing option is not an application for On
Campus housing. Check with the colleges/universities for housing
information
37
Section 1
School Selection
Strategies for Listing Colleges
• List a California college or university
•
•
first
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
38
Section 2
(page 2)
STUDENT DEPENDENCY
STATUS
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
describes the student, he/she should 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
40
Section 2
Determination of Student Dependency Status
41
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)
– Stepparent (regardless of
any prenuptial agreements)
– In case of divorce or
separation, provide
information about the
parent and/or stepparent
the student lived with more
in the last 12 months
43
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
• The student must attempt to get biological
parental information
• Colleges may use Professional Judgment to
allow the student to file as independent
44
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 2009 federal tax return, use W-2 forms
and/or other employment records - such as final
pay check stubs - to estimate total income
•
Remember, rather than miss any filing
deadline, use estimated 2009 income
information
$
12 ,356
,
0
(no cents)
45
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
46
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
47
Section 3
Parents’ Tax Return Filing Status for 2009
• The student will be asked to provide information about
parent tax filing status for 2009:
• If his/her parents have completed a 2009 federal income tax
return, mark the first box
• If they have not as yet filed, but plan to file a 2009 federal
income tax return, mark the second box
• If the have not, nor will not, file a 2009 federal in tax return and
are not required to do so, mark the third box
48
Section 3
Parent 2009 Adjusted Gross Income
$$$$$$
•
•
If the student’s parents have not yet filed their
2009 federal tax return, use estimated
information for this question
If the student’s parents have completed their
2009 federal tax return, use actual 2009 tax return
information to complete this item
Reminder: If the answer is zero or the
question does not apply, enter 0
49
Section 3
Money Earned from Work by Parent(s) in 2009
$$$,$$$
$$$,$$$
Use W-2 forms and other records to determine all
income in 2009 earned from work (including
business income earned from self-employment) for
father/stepfather and/or mother/stepmother
50
Section 3
Parents’ Household 2008 or 2009 Benefits Received
Indicate if the student, his/her parents, or
anyone in the parents’ household received
benefits in 2008 or 2009 from any of the
federal programs listed
•Supplemental
Security Income (SSI)
Food Stamps
• Free or Reduced Price School Lunch
• TANF
• WIC
•
51
Section 3
2009 Additional Financial Information
The student will be asked to report if his or her parents received or paid any of
the following items in 2009 (check all that apply)
•Hope and Lifetime Learning tax credits
•Child Support paid
•Taxable earnings from work-study, assistantships, of fellowships
•Grant and scholarship aid reported to the IRS
•Combat or special combat pay
•Cooperative education program earnings
52
Section 3
2009 Parent Untaxed Income
•The student will be asked to report if his or her parents had
any untaxed income in 2009. 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 Keoghs
• Child support received
• Tax exempt interest income
• Housing, food and other living allowances paid to members of the
military and clergy
53
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
dollars or more, enter
•
If net worth is zero, enter 0
$999,999
$
,
0
NOTE: Some financial aid offices may request supporting
documentation for the answers to these questions
54
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
55
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
56
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 7/1/10 through 6/30/11, and if the
parents provide more than half their support now, and will
continue to provide support from 7/1/10 through 6/30/11
57
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 2010-2011
Include other household members only if they
will attend at least half-time in 2010-2011in 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
58
Section 3
Parents’ 2009 U.S. Income Taxes
An important question NOT on the Worksheet:
•
What was the amount parents paid in
U.S. income tax for 2009?
– Use U.S. income tax paid (or to be paid)
• not the amount withheld from parents’
paychecks
59
Section 3
Parents’ 2009 Tax Exemptions
An important question NOT on the Worksheet:
• Enter the parents’ tax exemptions for
2009
• Be sure to include all persons being
claimed on the parents’ 2009 federal
tax return, regardless of whether they
are included in the parents’ household
size question
60
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 2009 federal tax return the student filed or will file
• The student’s 2009 Adjusted Gross Income, if filing a tax
return, and earnings from work as well as untaxed income
and assets
62
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
63
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
64
Section 4
Student Benefits (Independent Students)
Indicate if the student, his/her spouse,
or anyone in the student’s household
received benefits in 2008 or 2009 from
any of the federal programs listed
•Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Food Stamps
• Free or Reduced Price School Lunch
• TANF
• WIC
65
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 7/1/10
through 6/30/11, and if the student provides more
than half their support now, and will
continue to provide that level
of support from 7/1/10 through 6/30/11
66
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 2010-2011
•
Include others only if they will attend
at least half-time in 2010-2011 in a
program that leads to a college degree
or certificate
67
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
68
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
– 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
69
Application Filing Tips
FAFSA on The Web
•
•
Gather necessary documents ahead of time
•
•
•
•
•
•
Allow ample time to complete form for submission by deadline
Complete a FAFSA on the Web Worksheet available at
www.fafsa.gov
Check the FAFSA for accuracy prior to submission
Save all work periodically
Sign the application using student and one parent’s PIN
Print out a copy of the FAFSA before submitting data
Keep a copy of the Submission Confirmation Page
70
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 financial aid applications
and determine aid eligibility

Colleges mail notices of financial aid eligibility to admitted
students who have completed all required financial aid forms
71
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
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
Questions and
Answers
74