College Bound Scholarship Eligibility Apply for funds And other next steps…

Are you still eligible for the College Bound Scholarship? Did you apply for the scholarship in middle school? Will you graduate with at least a 2.0 GPA? Do you have a clean criminal record? (no felony convictions) Do you meet the income requirements?

What does the scholarship cover? Tuition, some fees and a small book allowance at public Washington universities and colleges Scholarship equivalent to public school tuition and some fees at private colleges. 66 in Washington

How do you apply for the College Bound Scholarship? The FAFSA “IS” Your application for the College Bound Scholarship if you are a U.S. Citizen or hold a Green Card. or The WASFA “is” your application if you have DACA Status.

If you are unable to receive the CBS due to immigration status: You should plan to fill out the WASFA (instead of the FAFSA). WASFA = Washington Application for State Financial Aid Students with DACA status are eligible for the College Bound Scholarship. Students without DACA status MAY BE ELIGIBLE for the State Need Grant. See Mrs. Lipscomb for help. Application available on www.ReadySetGrad.org

What is the FAFSA? www.fafsa.gov FAFSA is the “FREE Application for Federal Student Aid.” It is the primary application used for student aid and is used for federal and state grants, work study, and other assistance.other assistance. File the FAFSA even if you are unsure about: Whether you want to attend college. How much financial aid you will need. What other scholarships you may receive. www.fafsa.gov

FAFSA for College Bound Bound Bound Students You must file the FAFSA to determine your income eligibility to receive the scholarship. You may file as early as October 1st. Plan to file prior to the end of November each year. The colleges you applied to may also require additional financial aid forms so check their websites and make sure you meet all their deadlines. Don’t wait until you are admitted to a college to submit the FAFSA. The FAFSA and WASFA now use Prior-Prior Year Financials (PPY). This means you will use information from 2015 and 2015 taxes. You will be given a PIN when you fill out the FAFSA, use that PIN to log-in and update your information.

The FAFSA Flow You Complete your FAFSA The US Dept of Education processes your application *Sends YOU your Student Aid Report (SAR) *Sends COLLEGES you listed on your FAFSA your student data *Sends WSAC (College Bound) your FAFSA data

Confirmation from WSAC: Confirmation from WSAC: **Important: If you do not receive an email from WSAC within two weeks of submitting your FAFSA, call 888-535-0747 or email collegebound@wsac.wa.gov to correct the match. The Department of Education sends your FAFSA data to WSAC and to the colleges your listed on the FAFSA WSAC matches your FAFSA application to your College Bound application and notifies you via e-mail if the match was successful.

Your College Bound Award (Scholarship) 1. WSAC will send your name to the college(s) confirming that you are a College Bound Student. 2. The college’s Financial Aid Office will determine if your family’s current income meets the requirements to receive the Scholarship and other financial aid. 3. The college’s Financial Aid Office will calculate your award and notify you by sending you an Aid Award Letter.

What comes next Beginning October 1st (NOW!!) , you can fill out the FAFSA! www.fafsa.gov Choose the “2017-18 FAFSA” (the date is based on when you will be enrolled in college) You report financial information about you and your family It’s pretty easy to complete! Step-by-step instructions for inputting information into boxes YouTube videos guiding you through it

What do I need to fill out the FAFSA? A FSA ID You can request a FSA ID on the FAFSA website You and your parents must apply for separate FSA IDs Social Security card/number or Alien registration card for you and your parent(s) Income information for you and your parent(s) (Bank statements; a W-2 or pay stub, if you have a job; past tax return, if you filed) Any additional financial information.

Important Information: You use last year’s tax return (2015) to file and submit the FAFSA. Changes can be made to your submitted FAFSA as early as 3 days after submitting You must be a US citizen or legal resident to submit a FAFSA. However, your parents do not need to be citizens or legal residents. (enter 000-00-0000 for their social security number when prompted)

Special circumstances The FAFSA requires you list your biological parents’ information. See www.studentaid.gov for more info about: Living with guardians Being emancipated Divorce (use the information for the parent you live with the majority of the time) Parents’ unemployment

Helpful, local resources! EW College Goal Washington = Hands-on help to complete the FAFSA and WASFA Wednesday, November 16th, 6:30-8:00pm EWHS Library Help from your counselor Help from Mrs. Lipscomb - she has access to a list of students who have successfully submitted their FAFSA.