IMPORTANT NOTE ON FAFSA – FALL 2023

You may have heard that there will be some significant changes to FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) this fall, affecting financial aid for the 2024-25 school year. The changes were designed to make it easier for students and families to apply for federal financial aid. Some of these changes may impact the amount of aid you’re eligible to receive for upcoming years.

The key changes include:

• Timing: the FAFSA will be available in December 2023, not in October, as it has been in the past. The exact date hasn’t been announced yet. We will try to alert you when we know it. (In 2024 it will go back to October.)
• Application: It will have a more streamlined application process with fewer questions, and an easier way to transfer the tax information directly from IRS.
• Family size: The number of college students in the family will no longer be taken into consideration
• Family contribution: Student Aid Index (SAI) replaces the term Expected Family Contribution (EFC).
• New terminology: You will notice new terminology being used in the application and aid eligibility process.

Terminology changes include:

• Contributor: anyone who is asked to provide information on the FAFSA – student, student spouse, parent(s), and stepparent(s) for example.
• Consent: each contributor will now need to provide their consent to their Federal Tax Information (FTI) being included in the FAFSA, even if they did not file a U.S. tax return.
• SAI: Student Index Aid (SAI) replaces the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The lowest value is now -1500 instead of zero.
• FTI: Federal Tax Information (FTI) transferred directly from the IRS.

Changes to the application 

• The number of questions on the FAFSA will be reduced from 108 to 36.
• For students whose parents are divorced or separated, the Custodial Parent on your FAFSA will be the parent who provides you with the most financial support and will no longer be the parent with whom you lived with the most over the past 12 months.
• Each contributor [student, student spouse, parent(s) and/or stepparent(s)] will have to provide consent.
• If any contributor does not provide their consent the Student Aid Index (SAI) will not be calculated, and your school will not be able to determine your eligibility for financial aid.
• Foster, homeless, and unaccompanied youth—as well as applicants who cannot provide parental information—will be able to complete the form with a provisional independent student determination and receive a calculated SAI.
• Students can list up to 20 schools on their FAFSA via the online application.
• The value of any family-owned small businesses must now be included as part of your assets.

IMPORTANT: You will need to check your school’s website to find their priority FAFSA deadline for this year. A priority deadline may impact the ability to get extra aid from the school. Other grant and scholarship programs also use information from the FAFSA so the deadline is important for them as well.

You can also find information on the Federal Student Aid website.

FAFSA – THE BASICS

The FAFSA application is the most important college deadline. ALWAYS CHECK YOUR COLLEGE’S DEADLINES. If you are late you may miss very important financial assistance!

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) determines eligibility for federal grants, state grants, many scholarships, student loans, and work-study programs. The federal government does not award aid, individual colleges do based on the information you provide on the FAFSA. This is a critical application for all those going to college. The application is at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

The FAFSA should be filed starting on October 1 (except in 2023). The FAFSA will collect income information from the past tax year. For example for the 2018/19 school year, you would file the FAFSA starting on October 1, 2017, using the 2016 tax information. This means you no longer need to estimate income and tax information or go back to update income. The official deadline for the FAFSA application is still June 30. HOWEVER, most colleges have their own deadlines MUCH earlier. You need to follow the college’s deadline, not the official FAFSA deadline, to qualify for various college assistance.

Much of the college financial aid is a pool of money that is used up as applications come in, so it’s always better to apply as early as possible while there are still funds available. You can locate your college’s FAFSA deadline online. On the same webpage you will most likely find out whether your college uses the CSS Profile for purposes of awarding other scholarship funds (see the end of this page for more info on CSS Profile). You can find out your state’s deadline FAFSA deadline. Students can still apply for FAFSA and/or state grants if they miss the college-imposed deadline. However, certain forms of aid (such as work-study programs) may no longer be available. One other reminder: the earlier you apply for financial aid, the earlier your college will send you your award letter. You’ll be better able to determine if you want to accept the college’s offer in time to meet their acceptance deadline.

There are other reasons to file the FAFSA as soon as possible after October 1. To get it out of the way so you can focus on other things, like college applications, college coursework, or applying for scholarships (some have early deadlines). If you submit your FAFSA early there’s a chance that colleges will give you an estimated financial aid offer early, giving you more time to compare colleges before the college decision deadline.

You must complete a FAFSA every year. Family situations change from year to year, so the new information will be used to determine the level of need. To renew the FAFSA enter your FSA ID to access your original FAFSA. The answers from your original application are pre-filled, you need only enter any information that has changed. The FSA ID is the same from year to year.

Need Help Paying For College? There’s An App For That

On Oct. 1 each year the rush begins. That’s when first-time and returning college students can get their first look at the upcoming FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Anyone who wants the government’s help paying for college has to finish the notoriously complicated form. But in the fall of 2018, in an effort to make it easier, the U.S. Department of Education has given the FAFSA a new look: a smartphone application.  To get the app, go to your i-tunes store, search on FAFSA and download the my Student Aid app (it’s free).

“Every year, we handle over 250 million transactions of some shape, form or fashion,” says A. Wayne Johnson, the chief strategy and transformation officer at the department’s office of Federal Student Aid. The problem, Johnson says, is that students who most need help paying for college often have the hardest time filling out the FAFSA. It asks questions about families’ income and tax status that many low-income students struggle to answer because the only computer in their lives is at school — where their parents can’t help them. That’s why, when Johnson arrived at the department last year, he says, “the very first thing that I wrote on my board was FAFSA.”

Considering the government received 19 million FAFSA forms in 2016-’17, making it easier could help a lot of potential borrowers. “We want the experience of a student to be every bit as good as if they were a customer of American Express, a customer of a major credit union,” Johnson says.  He should know. His hiring was controversial with some Democrats because he comes from the private banking world. Johnson has worked for VISA and even run his own, private student loan company. Since coming to the department, Johnson says he’s fast-tracked the development of the My Student Aid app.

Ultimately, the department hopes the app will be a one-stop shop for students. A place they can research colleges, check their loan balance and even make a payment. But the real game-changer comes soon, Oct. 1, when borrowers will be able to fill out the FAFSA on their phones using the new app. “Many families, including low-income families, rely on smartphones solely for their internet access,” says Kim Cook, executive director of the National College Access Network.

Cook says, in the past, many students had no choice but to fill out the FAFSA in a school computer lab. They still can, especially if they’re getting help from a counselor, but now they can also take it home — for the questions that only a parent can answer. They’ll also be able to access the IRS’ data-retrieval tool, which helps students by auto-populating the FAFSA with key tax information.

Filing the FAFSA

Obtain an FSA ID

The official FAFSA website is fafsa.gov. You never have to pay to complete the FAFSA. If you’re asked for credit card information, you’re not on the official government site.

The first thing you should do is register for an FSA ID, as you may need to wait up to three days before you can use it to sign into your FAFSA.

To obtain an FSA ID, go to the FSFSA home page, click on the FSA ID tab at the top of the page, click on the Create Your FSA ID Now button in the center and complete the information. You will need a Social Security number and birth date for each ID. On average, it takes about seven minutes to create an FSA ID. Both you and one of your parents/guardians must have an ID to sign the application.

If you have an old FAFSA PIN, you will need to register for a FSA ID as the PIN is no longer used. You can link your information to your new FSA ID (user name & password) by entering your PIN while registering for your FSA ID. This will save you time when registering for your FSA ID. If you’ve forgotten your PIN, don’t worry; you can either enter the answer to your PIN “challenge question” during the FSA ID registration process to link your PIN, or you can just create your FSA ID from scratch.

An e-mail address cannot be used for more than one FSA ID. It is strongly recommended that you add your email address when registering. If you don’t have an e-mail address, you can leave this field blank. You can add an email later. If you can’t fill out the FAFSA online, you have other options.

Gather the information you need to file

• Your FSA ID (and your parent’s ID)
• Your federal tax return (include spouse if married)
• Your W-2s
• Your parents’ federal tax returns (if you are dependent)
• Your parents’ W-2s (if you are dependent)
• Records of any other income received (welfare, social security, child support, VA Benefits, etc.)
• Current balances of checking and saving accounts and other investments
• Alien Registration Card if not a US citizen
• If the student has a driver’s license – he/she should have that as well.

Fill in the FAFSA application

When you go to log in to fafsa.gov, you will be given the option to “Enter your (the student’s) FSA ID” OR “Enter the student’s information.” If you are the student, we highly recommend choosing the first option if you can. If you log in with your FSA ID, a lot of your information (name, Social Security number, date of birth, etc.) will be automatically loaded into your application. This will prevent you from running into a common error that occurs when your verified FSA ID information doesn’t match the information on your FAFSA. Additionally, you won’t have to provide your FSA ID again to transfer your information from the IRS or to sign your FAFSA electronically.

On average, the FAFSA takes about an hour to complete once you have gathered your information. The US Department of Education, which administers the FAFSA, has a very good step by step guide for the FAFSA application process.

Tips to remember when completing FAFSA

Be careful not to confuse parent and student Information. There are many parents fill out the FAFSA for their child, but remember, the FAFSA is the student’s application. When the FAFSA says “you” or “your”, it’s referring to the student, so make sure to enter your (the student’s) information. If it is asking for your parent’s information, it will specify that in the question.

To avoid delays in processing your application, triple-check that you have entered the correct SSN. You must enter your full name as it appears on your Social Security card.

When asked in the FASFA application if you want to apply for PHEAA answer yes. From the FASFA confirmation page look for “optional feature” to start your state application to apply for PA state based financial aid.

Colleges can’t see the other schools you’ve added, so you should add any college you are considering to your FAFSA, even if you aren’t sure whether you’ll apply or be accepted. Doing so will hold your place in line for financial aid in case you end up applying for that school. You can add up to 10 schools at a time. If you’re applying to more than 10 schools, follow these steps. It doesn’t hurt your application to add more schools. In fact, you don’t have to remove schools you later decide not to apply to. If you don’t end up applying or getting accepted to a school, the school can just disregard your FAFSA. But you can remove schools at any time to make room for new schools.

It can be very helpful to increase your state aid if you list in-state schools first on your list of colleges. The state will see the list of schools to which you are applying. If you put in-state schools at the bottom of that list, the state may assume you would prefer schools out of the state and give you less aid. See this article which explains more.

Even if you fully support yourself, pay your own bills, and file your own taxes, you may still be considered a dependent student for federal student aid purposes, and therefore, you’ll need to provide parent information on your FAFSA. Dependency guidelines for the FAFSA are determined by Congress and are different from those of the IRS. Find out whether you need to provide parent information by answering these questions.

For many, the most difficult part about filling out the FAFSA is entering the financial information. But now students and parents who are eligible can automatically transfer the necessary tax info into the FAFSA using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.

If you don’t use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool you can enter information manually. For the assessed income tax liability, refer to this chart to find the correct number.

Finish the FAFSA

Don’t forget you and your parents need to sign the FAFSA with your FSA IDs and submit it. If you’re not able to sign with your FSA ID, you and/or your parent have the option to mail a signature page. If you would like confirmation that your FAFSA has been submitted, you can check your status immediately after you submit your FAFSA online.

After you complete the FAFSA online and click “SUBMIT,” you’ll see a confirmation page. This is not your award package. You’ll get that separately from the college(s) you apply to and get into. The confirmation page provides federal aid estimates based on the information you provided on your FAFSA. It’s important to know that these figures are truly estimates and assume the information you provided on the FAFSA is correct. To calculate the actual amount of aid you’re eligible for, your school will take into account other factors, such as the cost to attend the school. Additionally, these estimates only take into account federal aid and not outside scholarships or state and institutional financial assistance you may also be eligible for.

Once your FAFSA has been submitted, in 3 days to 3 weeks you will receive a Student Aid Report generated from the information you provided on the FAFSA from the federal government. Go to our Paying for College page for more information.

The school(s) listed on your FAFSA will notify the student if any other information is required to complete the financial aid process. Some will want additional information so don’t ignore this request.

Making changes to the FAFSA

After your FAFSA has been submitted and processed (about 3 days), you can go back and submit a correction to certain fields. This includes correcting a mistake or adding another school to receive your FAFSA information. If you want to apply to a school not on your FAFSA list you must get this college added otherwise it will not know to offer you any aid. Log in with your FSA ID, and then click “Make FAFSA Corrections.”

Once you have filed the FAFSA…

Once you finish then what?  Here are some things to remember:

• After you complete the FAFSA form online and click “SUBMIT,” you’ll see a confirmation page. This is not your financial aid offer. You’ll get that separately from the school(s) you apply to and get into.  The confirmation page provides federal aid estimates based on the information you provided on your FAFSA form. It’s important to know that these figures are truly estimates and assume the information you provided on the FAFSA form is correct. To calculate the actual amount of aid you’re eligible for, your school will take into account other factors, such as the cost to attend the school. Additionally, these estimates only take into account federal aid and not outside scholarships or state and institutional financial assistance you may also be eligible for.  (TIP: Each school you are accepted to and include on your FAFSA form will send you a financial aid offer. Until you receive this notification, it may be difficult to know exactly how much aid you might be eligible to receive from a specific school. To get an idea of how much aid schools tend to give depending on your family’s income, visit CollegeScorecard.ed.gov and type in the school(s) you want to look up.
• The information you report on your FAFSA form is used to calculate your EFC. It’s very important to note that the EFC, in most cases, is not the amount of money your family will have to pay for college.  Instead, the EFC is an index number used by financial aid offices to calculate your financial need. The formula they use is: “Cost of attendance – expected family contribution (EFC) = Your financial need.”  Each school will do its best to meet your financial need. Some schools may meet 100% of your financial need, and other schools may only meet 10%—it just depends on the school and the financial aid they have available that year. You should complete the FAFSA form annually because there are many factors that can change from year to year. (NOTE: Contrary to popular belief, the EFC formula considers more than just income. Factors such as dependency status, family size, and the number of family members who will attend college are just a few of the additional factors considered.)
• Many schools won’t be able to meet your full financial need, so you’ll need a way to pay the difference between the financial aid your school offers and what the school costs. Scholarships are a great way to fill the gap. (Who doesn’t like free money?)  Don’t wait until after you receive your financial aid offer to start applying for scholarships. There are thousands of scholarships out there, but many have early deadlines. Set a goal for yourself; for example, maybe you aim to apply to one scholarship per week. There’s tons of free money, but you can’t get it unless you apply. Make scholarship applications your focus while you wait for your financial aid offer. The applications may take some time, but the possible pay out makes it all worth it.
• The FAFSA form is available on Oct. 1 each year. Even if you submit it early, that doesn’t mean you’ll get an aid offer right away. Each school has a different schedule for awarding and paying out financial aid.  Remember that your school disburses your aid, not the “FAFSA people” (Federal Student Aid). Contact your school’s financial aid office for details about when they send out aid offers. If you want to see an estimate of your school’s average annual cost, use the College Scorecard. If you want to report significant changes in your family or financial situation, contact your school’s financial aid office. (TIP: After your FAFSA form has been processed successfully, it’s a good idea to make sure the schools you listed on your FAFSA form have received everything they need. You should find out if your school requires additional applications or documentation and submit any required documentation by the appropriate deadlines.)
• Lastly, after your FAFSA form has been processed (which takes about 3 days), you can go back and submit a correction to certain fields. This includes correcting a typo or adding another school to receive your FAFSA information. Log in with your FSA ID, and then click “Make FAFSA Corrections.” You can add up to 10 schools at a time. If you’re applying to more than 10 schools, follow these steps.  (NOTE: Parents of dependent students cannot initiate a FAFSA correction. Students have to begin the correction process by logging in with their FSA ID, clicking “Make FAFSA Corrections,” and creating a Save Key they can share with their parent.)

Am I eligible to fill out a FAFSA?

Part-time students are eligible for most types of aid, but some colleges will not offer aid to part-time students. You need to confirm your situation with each school. For many schools, full-time students must be taking at least 12 credits in a semester.

If you are not a naturalized citizen, you can apply for FAFSA assistance as long as you and/or your parent(s) have green cards.

12 Common FAFSA Mistakes

Who is Considered a Family Member When it Comes to Filing for Financial Aid

Confusion is common in the areas of divorced vs. separated parents; adoptive vs. biological parents; legal guardians vs. foster parents; grandparents; and dependent vs. independent students for financial aid applications.  The legal relationship of those in the student’s household is strategic in regards to whose income and assets are reported on the FAFSA, and whether or not the student qualifies as a dependent or independent student. Here is a simple explanation of how to determine each one of these family categories:

Married Parents

If the student’s parents are married, their income and asset information must both be listed on the financial aid application. If the student’s parents are living together and have not been formally married, yet meet the criteria in their state for a common-law marriage, then they should report their status as married on the FAFSA and report their income and assets. If the state of residence does not consider the relationship to be a common-law marriage, then the parents should file as if they are separated.Step-Parents

Step-Parents

If the student has a stepparent, the stepparent’s income and asset information must be included on the financial aid application, even if the stepparent was not married to the natural parent prior to signing the application. Prenuptial agreements do not affect this rule.

If the biological parent has died and the stepparent survives, then the student is considered an “independent student” (assuming the student is not dependent on the surviving parent), unless the stepparent legally adopted the student.

Divorced or Separated Parents

If the parents are divorced or separated, the income and asset information of the parent with whom the student lived the most in the last twelve months must be listed. The separation need not be a legal separation. The student’s parents may consider themselves separated if one of the parents has left the household for an indefinite period of time and no longer makes a substantial contribution to the finances of the household.

If the student did not live with one parent more than with the other (as in the cases of joint custody), the income and asset information of the parent who provided the majority of financial support during the last twelve months must be listed. Support includes money, gifts, loans, housing, food, clothes, car, medical and dental care, payment of college costs, etc.

Widowed or Single Parents

If the parent is widowed or single, only that parent’s income and asset information is listed on the financial aid application.  If a parent dies before the application is signed, only the surviving parent’s income and assets are listed on the application.  When a joint tax return has been filed, the surviving parent’s income and corresponding tax liability is separated out and only these amounts are listed on the application. The surviving parent must list only his/her income and assets at the time of signing the application.  Should both the student’s parents be deceased at the time the student signs the application, the student is considered an “independent student.”

Adoptive Parents

Adoptive parents are treated in the same manner as biological parents. Their income and assets are reported on the financial aid application forms.

Foster Parents

If the student has foster parents, the foster parents’ income and assets are not reported on the financial aid application forms, unless the student is legally adopted by the foster parents.

Legal Guardians

If the student has a legal guardian, the guardian’s income and asset information are not reported on the financial aid application, unless the student is legally adopted by the guardian(s).

Grandparents

If the student is living with grandparents, the grandparents’ income and asset information are not reported on the financial aid application, unless the student is legally adopted by the grandparents.

Number Of Household Members

The number of people in the student’s household is used in the calculation of the financial aid formula/FAFSA. The household number is reported on the FAFSA as of the date the FAFSA form is signed. Specifically, the “number of household members”, includes:

• The student (even if the student does not live with the parents),

• The student’s parents, including guardians or custodians,

• The student’s siblings, if they received or will receive more than half of their support from the student’s parent(s) between July 1st and June 30th of the upcoming college year or if they would be required to report parental information on the financial aid application,

• The student’s children, if they received or will receive more than half of their support from the student’s parent(s) between July 1st and June 30th of the upcoming college  year (even if the children do not live with the student’s parent(s), they must  be counted if they meet this criteria),

• The student’s parents’ unborn child  and/or the student’s unborn child, if that child will be born before or during the upcoming college year and the student’s parents will provide more than half of the child’s support from the projected date of birth until the end of the college year (if there is a medical determination of a multiple birth, then all expected children can be included), and

• other persons, if they live with and receive more than half of their support from the student’s parent(s) at the time of signing the application and will continue to receive that support for the entire upcoming college year.

Other Questions About FAFSA

Is my FAFSA confirmation page the same as my financial aid award.

After you complete the FAFSA online and click “SUBMIT,” you’ll see a confirmation page. This is not your award package. You’ll get that separately from the school(s) you apply to and get into. Your school(s) calculate your aid.

The confirmation page provides federal aid estimates based on the information you provided on your FAFSA. It’s important to know that these figures are truly estimates and assume the information you provided on the FAFSA is correct. To calculate the actual amount of aid you’re eligible for, your school will take into account other factors, such as the cost to attend the school. Additionally, these estimates only take into account federal aid and not outside scholarships or state and institutional financial assistance you may also be eligible for.

TIP: Each school you are accepted to and include on your FAFSA will send you a financial aid award. Until you receive this award letter/notification from a school, it may be difficult to know exactly how much aid you might be eligible to receive from that specific school. To get an idea of how much aid schools tend to give depending on your family’s income, visit CollegeScorecard.ed.gov

How is my Expected Family Contribution (EFC) used to calculate my aid?

The information you report on your FAFSA is used to calculate your EFC. It’s very important to note that the EFC, in most cases, is not the exact amount of money your family will have to pay for college.  Instead, the EFC is an index number used by financial aid offices to calculate how much financial aid you would receive if you were to attend their school. The formula they use is:

• Cost of attendance
• Expected family contribution
• Your financial “need”

Each school will then do its best to meet your financial need. Some schools may meet 100% of your financial need, and other schools may only meet 10%–it just depends on the school and the financial aid they have available that year. You should complete the FAFSA annually because there are many factors that can change each year you plan to be in school.

NOTE: Contrary to popular belief, the EFC formula considers more than just income. Factors such as dependency status, family size, and the number of children in your family who are attending college are just a few of the additional factors considered.

How will I know that my FAFSA has been processed?

You will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) generated from the information you provided on the FAFSA from the federal government. Within seven to ten days after you receive the SAR, FAFSA will receive the same information electronically. Keep the SAR for your records or a copy of the SAR if you must submit corections. Receiving your SAR does NOT mean that your FAFSA was accepted or that you are elgible for financial aid.  The SAR is a number that is calculated totally based on numbers.

What should I look for in my SAR?

Check your SAR for your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) – this will be in the top right corner of page 1.  Check also for any errors in your SAR – if there are errors you need to get them corrected or your EFC will be wrong.  If you were selected for verification – you will find an asterisk (*) after your EFC and instructions on what you need to do.  (A number of applications are selected randomly each your for verification.)  Be sure you keep copies of all documents used for your FAFSA so if you are selected for verification you will have these for reference.

If there were mistakes on my SAR, what do I do?

Correct these mistakes immediately.  You just log into FAFSA.gov, enter your pin, and make the corrections.  You will need to start over if your social security number is incorrect.  If you have an extenuating circumstance (such as a death of a parent, a loss of a job, etc.), then contact your school immediately.  They may be able to reevaluate your application.

How do the schools I listed on my FAFSA find out about my application?  

The school(s) listed on your SAR will notify the student if any other information is required to complete the financial aid process. (Some WILL want additional information – so don’t ignore this request!)  Each school will determine your eligibility for financial aid and notify you in writing or electronically. The notification you receive is commonly known as an Award Letter or Notification of Financial Aid Eligibility.  It can be very helpful to increase your state aid if you list in-state schools FIRST on your list of colleges.  The state will see the list of schools to which you are applying.  If you put in-state schools at the bottom of that list, the state may assume you would prefer schools out of the state and give you less aid.  So always list in-state schools FIRST, no matter your preference!  See this article which explains more. 

What if I decide to apply to an additional school that was not listed on my original FAFSA? 

You MUST get this school added – otherwise it will not know to offer you any aid.  To do this – you just go to FAFSA.gov, use your pin and log into your account, and add the school code online.  (You can get the school’s 6-digit Federal School Code at FAFSA.gov as well!)

I’m going to be married during the school year for which I am applying for aid. Can I fill out my FAFSA as “married”?

No. You must indicate your marital status as of the date you are completing the FAFSA. You can update your marital status once you have filed your FAFSA.

I’m a student and I’ve had a job.  Do I combine my income with my parents’ income on the FAFSA?  

It is not combined, but both the parents and the student’s income will be included.  The FAFSA includes two separate sections – one for the parents’ income and one for the student’s income.  Just like the parents, the student will need to also have filed a tax return and include his/her information on the FAFSA form.

Can an adult apply for FAFSA support if he/she is going to go to college?

If an adult is interested in going back to school but needs some help with the expenses, he/she is perfectly able to apply to FAFSA for support, just the same as an 18 year old would apply.  He would apply as an independent so there would be no reason for “parent information”  on the application.

What if I’ve been selected for verification?  What does that mean?

Verification is a process used to verify certain information on the FAFSA to ensure its accuracy. Some students are selected for verification by the U.S. Department of Education. Others are selected by the school. Usually only a certain percentage of students are selected for verification (but keep in mind that some schools choose to do 100% verification so every student file is verified).  For more details on verification go to https://www.ecampustours.com/for-students/paying-for-college/financial-aid-the-FAFSA/have-you-been-selected-for-fafsa-verification.aspx#.VL6yuS7F82B

⇒Here is a good video on verification for a specific school – ignore the school – the information works for all schools.⇐

Will I receive my school’s award letter as soon as my FAFSA is submitted?

Even though the FAFSA is available in October each year, that doesn’t mean you’ll get an award letter earlier. Some schools may send you an award letter earlier, while other schools may stick to the timeline they have used in the past.

Remember that your school disburses your aid, not the FAFSA, and each school has a different schedule. Contact your school for details about when they send out award letters. If you want to see an estimate of your school’s average annual cost, use the College Scorecard. If you want to report significant changes in your family or financial situation, contact your school’s financial aid office.

TIP: After completing your FAFSA, it’s always a good idea to double-check with the financial aid offices at the schools you applied to. You should find out if they need additional paperwork or have other deadlines.

If I qualify for federal loans, will they be the same no matter what school I attend?  

The total of the loans may be the same, but the way the loans are broken down may be different.  You might receive more subsidized loans from one school, and more unsubsidized loans from another school.

Can I call FAFSA if I have a question?

If you’d prefer to call to ask a question to FAFSA – call 1-800-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243), Monday through Friday – 8am-midnight; Saturdays 9am-6pm.  You can also go to https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/filling-out/fsaid

PHEAA Assistance

Besides applying for FAFSA assistance – many colleges also have programs through PHEAA, especially Pennsylvania Colleges.  Below is information explaining these options.

What is PHEAA and how is it different from FAFSA?

PHEAA stands for Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.  PHEAA administers the PA state grant program, which offers financial aid (in the form of grants) to qualifying students.  You must have filled out the FAFSA first to become eligible for a PHEAA grant.  These grants have higher awards if you are attending a college in Pennsylvania.  Go to http://www.pheaa.org/index.html for MUCH more information about PHEAA.

Does PHEAA offer any summer school tuition assistance?

PHEAA can offer summer grants for some students.  Students must be taking at least 6 credits, be a PA resident, making satisfactory academic progress, and have the FAFSA form filed.  Students will have to make the payments first as the grants may not be known prior to the time the bills are due.  To apply go to www.pheaa.org – under “most popular places” click on PA State Grant Program – then Summer State Grant.  Complete the grant on-line.

Would the amount you receive from PHEAA be the same for every school to which you apply?

It is not!  The state grant is dependent on the cost of the school to which you attend.  The state offers the biggest amount of PHEAA assistance to students attending private schools where the tuition is highest.  State school students receive a little less, and students at community colleges will receive even less.  The amount of the PHEAA aid to students at a PA state school was around $2700 for the 2018/19 school year.

CSS Profile

What is the CSS Profile?

The College Scholarship Service CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE^® is the financial aid application service of the College Board. More than 400 colleges, universities, graduate and professional schools, and scholarship programs use the information collected on the CCS Profile to determine eligibility for non-federal student aid funds, such as institutional scholarships, grants, and loans. This is money that the college may have from endowments or other special forms of funding. The CSS Profile is a fully Web-based application system that provides students a secure and efficient method for reporting their financial data to higher education institutions. The CSS Profile is a more detailed questionnaire than the FAFSA, focusing on information about the specific programs at schools to which you are applying.  For more information go to CSS Profile.

Does it cost any money to apply for a CSS Profile?

Yes, there is a cost for filing your CSS Profile. In 2017 the fee was $25 for the first college, and $16 for each additional college. Students who are from low-income families with limited assets will automatically receive fee waivers. Almost 300 colleges and scholarship programs require the CSS Profile.

How do I find out if my college requires the CSS profile, and if they do, what is the deadline?

Go to your college website. Under admissions/financial aid locate the college priority filing deadline for FASFA.  In that same location you should also be able to determine whether your college uses the CSS Profile for purposes of awarding other scholarship funds. You should register for CSS Profile as soon as you’re sure about where you are applying for aid.  This should be, at the minimum, at least two weeks before the earliest college or scholarship program priority filing date you need to meet. The priority filing date is the date by which the college or program tells you that you must have submitted a completed PROFILE Application.

How do I complete the CSS Profile?

PROFILE applications are customized for each student, based on information you supply during registration. Customization allows the PROFILE to respond to the unique needs of each applicant and provides a streamlined application process, by asking only the questions that pertain to you, your family and your financial situation. Register at PROFILE Online, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Registration requires a College Board online account.

•  Go to PROFILE Online.
• Create a College Board online account.