Presented By: Melanie Epperson Financial Aid Counselor

  Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid on the FAFSA website allows the student’s information to be processed for federal grant, work-study, and student loan eligibility

  Students and parents may choose to sign the FAFSA electronically with a pin number for faster processing  Both the student and the parent must sign the FAFSA and submit it either by mail or electronically  Request a duplicate PIN if it is lost or forgotten

 You do not have to pay any fees when completing your FAFSA application  It is called a “Free” Application for Federal Student Aid  Some websites charge a hefty fee for “helpful advice” on completing the FAFSA  charges $79.99

 Collect your financial information first  Federal tax returns for both the student (if filed) and the parent  W-2’s  untaxed income statements  Use only legal names on the application, no nicknames  Make sure to enter the correct social security number and date of birth  The name on the application must match the name on the social security card

 FAFSA on the Web question order is different from the paper FAFSA  The FAFSA on the Web worksheet presents the questions in the same order as they are presented on the web  To prepare for submitting FAFSA on the Web, complete the worksheet rather than the paper FAFSA  Worksheets A, B, and C are part of the FAFSA on the Web worksheet

 Grandparents and legal guardians are not parents and their information should not be listed on FAFSA  If your parents are living and married to each other, answer the questions using them  If your parent is widowed or single, answer the questions using that parent  If your widowed parent is remarried as of the day you complete the FAFSA, answer the questions using your parent and stepparent  If your parents are divorced or separated, answer the questions using the parent you lived with more during the past 12 months  If you did not live with either parent, answer the questions using the parent who provided the most financial support

 Roughly one-third of FAFSA applicants will be randomly selected for verification  This is a process through which we compare the information you entered on your FAFSA with your documented financial information  If you are selected for verification, you must supply a copy of the documents used to complete your FAFSA (federal tax returns,W- 2’s, and untaxed income statements) as well as additional verification forms available in the financial aid office

 Your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) number is an estimated measurement of your family’s ability to contribute to your educational expenses and is calculated from the information you report on the FAFSA  Financial aid for some federal programs is based upon demonstrated financial need  Need based: Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Academic Competitiveness Grant, SMART Grant, Work Study, Subsidized Stafford Loan  Non-need based: Parent loan, Unsubsidized Stafford Loan

 Pell Grant  Based on qualifying EFC  Awarded to undergraduate students pursuing their first bachelor’s degree  Academic Competitiveness Grant  Free money based on qualifying EFC  Awarded to first and second year undergraduate students who have completed a rigorous secondary school program  Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant  Awarded to undergraduate students with exceptional financial need

 National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (SMART Grant)  Awarded to third or fourth year students pursuing a major in the physical, life, or computer sciences; mathematics; technology; engineering; or foreign language  Work Study  Qualifying students find and secure on-campus employment and earn a bi-weekly pay check  Perkins Loan  Based on qualifying EFC  Does not accrue interest while in school  Fixed interest rate of 5% upon repayment. This loan can be forgiven (discharged) if going into the teaching or nursing program within the state of Arkansas

 Subsidized Loan  Does not accrue interest while in school at least half time  Current interest rate locked at 6.0% for loans disbursed after July 1, 2008  Unsubsidized Loan  Does accrue interest while in school  Current interest rate locked at 6.8% for loans dispersed after July 1, 2008  Parent Plus Loan  Parent completes application and credit check  Repayment begins 60 days after the final disbursement (normally the spring term)  Current interest rate locked at 8.5% for loans dispersed after July 1, 2008

tuition for your last 8 required semester hours of advanced aerospace engineering: $5,500 supplies to create a scale mock-up of the NASA International Space Station complete with detachable Progress 29 unmanned cargo carrier: $273 coffee for the “all-nighter” finals mega-cram session: $25 PRICELESS the feeling you get when you walk to the stage to receive your hard-earned degree:

 No one can take your education away from you. You will ALWAYS have your degree  EVERYONE is eligible for some type of aid (at the very least a loan) to assist with the cost of higher education  Taking out loans to fund education, even as a last resort, should be considered an invest in your future

Contact information: UCA Financial Aid Office 001 McCastlain Hall Conway, AR