Presented by Financial Aid Services at the University of St. Francis 2017-18 FAFSA Filing Presented by Financial Aid Services at the University of St. Francis

Paying for College Preparing for college can be an overwhelming event, but keep in mind you are investing in your future. There are many forms of financial aid available to help you pay for your education.

What is Financial Aid? Financial aid is both free assistance, such as grants, as well as educational loans. Financial aid can be used to pay educational expenses, such as; Tuition and fees Books Room and board Transportation

What is a FAFSA? FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid By filing a FAFSA, a student expresses his/her wish to be considered for any federal or state grants as well as federal student loans. Some institutions, such as St. Francis, also use the information on the FAFSA to award institutional aid, such as grants and/or scholarships. FAFSA is always FREE never pay to file a FAFSA Application

First Steps: the FSA Student ID Students and parents must create an FSA ID www.fsaid.ed.gov The FSA ID will be used to log into the FAFSA as well as electronically sign the application at the end. Both students and parents should create their own FSA ID and Password.

FSA Student ID

Where to File the FAFSA The website to file your FAFSA is… www.fafsa.gov You will have the opportunity to add up to ten schools to receive your FAFSA information. You can do this by adding a school code (for example, University of St. Francis’s school code is 001664) or by using the “drop down” box to search for a school by name.

School Code Selection

What do you need to file a FAFSA? Student and parent(s) social security numbers 2015 tax information for both student and parent(s) Asset information (bank statements, business value, investment value) student and parent(s) FSA student ID for both student and parent

What do you need to file a FAFSA? What if you have not filed your 2015 tax returns? If you have not filed your federal 2015 taxes yet, you will need to select the “will file” status and manually add the income information requested. Most individuals will have filed 2015 taxes however at this time.

FAFSA Data Retrieval If you have filed your 2015 federal taxes, we recommend that you use the Data Retrieval Tool to upload your income tax information directly from the IRS to your FAFSA You will be required to answer a few questions to determine if you can utilize the Data Retrieval Tool. If so… You will be redirected to an IRS Site

FAFSA Data Retrieval Enter in address EXACTLY how it is on your tax returns and hit submit You will then be re-directed to a final page that will ask you to “transfer the data into the FAFSA” Once it is successfully transferred DO NOT update any tax information on the FAFSA

FAFSA Completion Make sure that student/parent sign the FAFSA (this is done with the FSA ID) in order to ensure that the FAFSA information is sent to the schools listed. It’s beneficial to file your FAFSA as early as possible. Some aid, state or institutional, may have limited funds and are awarded based on the date the FAFSA was filed.

FAFSA On-line Signature Page (Student) The student is NOT the preparer Student information will manually populate Sign with FSA ID Click sign

FAFSA On-line Signature Page (Parent) Select which parent will sign Identifiers will populate Parent will sign with FSA ID Click SIGN Then SUBMIT MY FAFSA NOW

What to expect next? Once the FAFSA has been completed and submitted it will be sent electronically to your school(s) of choice. If you have specific questions about your completed FAFSA or financial aid award letter, please contact the Financial Aid office at the school you will be attending to set up an appointment. If something has changed (employment, income, marital status) since you filed your FAFSA, please contact the FAS office at your prospective school.

2017-18 FAFSA Workshops at USF If you have further questions or need assistance in completing the FAFSA Application, please feel free to stop by one of our FAFSA Workshops at the University of St. Francis in St. Alberts Hall, rooms A102 & A112 on one of the following dates… Monday, October 3 from 3PM-6PM Wednesday, October 12 from 3PM-6PM Thursday, October 27 from 3PM-6PM Please call 815-740-3403 or 866-890-8331 for questions or building location. Representatives from USF Financial Aid Services and our Admissions team will be available for FAFSA completion assistance.

FAFSA Deadline for Illinois Residents The priority deadline, the date that we prefer Illinois residents to have filed the 2017-18 FAFSA by, is November 1st. USF Financial Aid office can be contacted at 815-740-3403, toll free at 866-890-8331 or finaid@stfrancis.edu