Financial Aid Overview Presented by The East Bay Cash for College Coalition Presenter: ……..

Cash for College $1000 Scholarship Evaluation 2 Complete and turn in the Student Evaluation BEFORE you leave! Location and Date Write Clearly! Scholarship Rules on pg 2 Must submit your FAFSA and Cal Grant GPA by March 2nd Winner will be chosen after March 2nd and announced by your counselor or by a letter mailed to the address provided. Scholarship will be sent to the college.

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 Financial Aid Award Letter All Financial Aid Award letters include the following: Cost of Attendance (or Student Budget) Expected Family Contribution Aid Offered - grants - work-study - loans - scholarships

Types of Applications FAFSA Cal Grant GPA Verification Form Check College Websites for additional forms such as: CSS Financial Aid PROFILE Institutional Scholarship and/or Financial Aid Application CCC Board of Governor’s Fee waiver 5 May need to provide copy of your family’s 2009 Federal tax return

Cal Grant Application Requirements Check with your high school or college counselor for more details on how to file the Cal Grant GPA Verification Form By March 2, 2010, complete and submit: Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Cal Grant GPA Verification Form

Citizenship Status 7 For more information and a list of scholarships, go to: NOTE: if you are undocumented or under-documented A valid social security # (for the student only) is required on the forms for federal and state financial aid. You may be eligible for in-state tuition costs at California public colleges or universities. Check with colleges and universities to see if institutional financial aid is available. Apply for all private scholarships for which you may be eligible

8 Special Circumstances Contact the Financial Aid Office if there is: –Loss or reduction in parent or student income or assets –Death or serious illness –Natural disasters affecting parent income or assets –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 –Any other unusual circumstances that affect a family’s ability to contribute to higher education See presenter for handout on Special Circumstances documentation

9 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 PIN available Real Time on the FAFSA Website:

10 FAFSA on the Web Worksheet Blue = questions for student Purple = questions for parent This is simply a tool to help complete the FAFSA on the web, not all questions are this worksheet!

11 The FOTW Worksheet A Four Section Form Section 1–is about the student and allows students to list up to ten schools to receive information from the FAFSA 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

12 Your First and Last Name Social Security Number (Section 1) List the student’s name and Social Security number exactly as they appear on the Social Security card. Both will be compared through a database match process. HERNANDEZ-GARCIA ANA

13 a.If U.S. citizen, status will be confirmed by a Social Security match. b.If eligible noncitizen, SSN and ARN will be confirmed by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) match.  Write in your eight- or nine-digit Alien Registration Number (ARN) c.If neither a citizen or eligible noncitizen, you are ineligible for federal/state aid, but might still be eligible for state or institutional funds. Citizenship Status (Section 1)

14 Selective Service Registration (Section 1) MALE students will be entered into a database for use if there is a draft. There has not been a draft since If you are not 18 as of the day you submit your FAFSA, you can leave it blank, but remember to select “Register me” on next year’s FAFSA. For more information, go to:

School Information ( Section 1) List up to ten schools to which you are applying Select the housing plan that best describes the type of housing you expect to have while attending each listed school List at least one California college or university first 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 Strategies for Listing Colleges NOTE: Each UC and CSU campus must be listed separately 15

Student’s are asked if they would like to provide information about their college enrollment plans. If the student indicates they would like to provide this information, the enrollment status, types of aid, such work-study and loans School Selection and Federal Aid

17 Section 2 Determination of Student Dependency Status You will need proof for the Financial Aid Office if you check any of the boxes

18 Section 3 – Parental Information See top of Page 3 about who is considered a parent: –Biological or adoptive parent(s) –Stepparent (regardless of any prenuptial agreements) –Use only one parent’s information if divorced or separated DO NOT include information on: - legal guardians - grandparents, or - other relatives See presenter for handout on Special Circumstances documentation

19 Father’s and/or Mother’s SSN, Last Name, and Date of Birth (Section 3) Information should be listed as they appear on the parent/s’ Social Security Card for a database match If parent does NOT have a SSN, enter Do NOT include additional information on parent if single, divorced, separated, or widowed.

20 Parents’ Tax Return Filing Status for 2009 For 2009, have your parents completed their IRS income tax return? - My parents have already completed their return. - My parents will file, but they have not completed their return. - My parents are NOT going to file (will skip AGI questions on the FAFSA)

21 Parents’ Household 2009 Federal Benefits Indicate if you, your parents, or anyone in your parents’ household received benefits in 2009 from any of the federal programs listed.

22 Parent Assets (Section 3) If any of the funds listed above were received: -check all the boxes that apply -A separate box will open to enter the figures for If you parents are required to provide assets, additional income boxes will open in order to fill in amounts

23 FAFSA ON THE WEB Internet application used by students and parents to complete electronic FAFSA at Processed more quickly than paper version Sophisticated on-line edits so that errors are less likely to be made Student and at least one custodial parent should get a federal PIN that serves as an electronic signature at

24 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

25 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!

26 Questions and Answers