1. Welcome to the Virtual Academy’s Financial Aid Application You can now submit your application as early as October 1, 2016 for the 2017 academic year!
Wednesday, September 28th, 2016
Brenda Vargas, Internship & College/Career Coordinator
Susana Mayfield, Counselor
Special Guests from Folsom Lake College
Kim Reed and Amanda Hairston

2. VA Financial Aid Workshop
New Benefits Financial Aid Application
Financial Aid Timeline
How To Fill-Out the FAFSA form
Websites for Scholarships
Loans & Grants

3. Benefits to New FAFSA Filing Date
Alignment – Financial aid application process more aligned with the college admission process.
Certainty - Prior year taxes have already been completed. Transfer your taxes data to your application.
Less Pressure - More time to explore and understand your options
Remember – California priority deadline remains March 2nd.

4. 2017-2018 Taxes IF YOU PLAN TO ATTEND COLLEGE FROM
YOU WILL SUBMIT THIS FAFSA
YOU CAN SUBMIT THE FAFSA FROM
USING INCOME AND TAX INFORMATION FROM
JULY 1, 2015 – JUNE 30, 2016
2015–16
JANUARY 1, 2015 – JUNE 30, 2016
2014
JULY 1, 2016 – JUNE 30, 2017
2016–17
JANUARY 1, 2016 – JUNE 30, 2017
2015
JULY 1, 2017 – JUNE 30, 2018
2017–18
OCTOBER 1, 2016 – JUNE 30, 2018
JULY 1, 2018 – JUNE 30, 2019
2018–19
OCTOBER 1, 2017 – JUNE 30, 2019
2016

5. Financial Aid Timeline
Apply Online at
Log in using your FSA ID
Enter your personal information
Enter your financial information
Import your tax information into IRS Data Retrieval tool
Choose up to 10 schools
Sign the document

6. How To Fill-Out The Financial Aid Form
Approximately 3:00 minutes
How to Fill Out the form :
FSA ID link

7. Websites for Scholarships
CALocalScholarships.org (El Dorado County)
Scholarships.com
Fastweb.com Zinch.com Finaid.org College Connection Scholarships Presidential Freedom Scholarships Collegeview.com California Colleges US College Scholarships and Grants
Check Virtual Academy’s Career Center’s website

8. Middle Class Scholarship (MCS)
Family income and assets earn up to $156,000 per year to attend a UC or CSU.
- Reduces fees scale 10 and 40%
- $100,00 or less receive a 40 % fee reduction
- $125,000 (the middle of the scale) receive % reduction
- $150,000 (maximum) receive a 10% reduction
MCS scholarships are not set amounts and may vary by student and institution: The award is determined after you are awarded any Federal Aid, State aid and Institutional Aid.

9. Loans – Subsidized & Unsubsidized
Grants & Scholarships = FREE $$ Loans = Pay Back!
Subsidized:
Direct Subsidized Loans are available to undergraduate students with financial need.
Your college/university determines the amount you can borrow, and the amount may not exceed your financial need.
The U.S. Department of Education pays the interest on a Direct Subsidized Loan
Start payments 6 months after graduation
Unsubsidized:
Direct Unsubsidized Loans are available to undergraduate and graduate students; there is no requirement to demonstrate financial need.
Your college/university determines the amount you can borrow based on your cost of attendance and other financial aid you receive.
You are responsible for paying the interest on a Direct Unsubsidized Loan during all periods. 

10. Sources of Financial Aid
Federal government
State government
Colleges and universities
Private agencies, companies, foundations, and parents’ employers
By completing the financial aid applications and any other documents required by the colleges and universities to which the students are applying, they may be considered for funds from:
- the federal government
- the state government, as well as
- colleges and universities themselves
Private agencies, companies, foundations, and maybe even the parents’ employers provide scholarships for college. Though important, these sources provide less than 6% of the total financial aid awarded to students. Check with each of the private agencies, companies, and foundations to which the students wish to apply about application forms and deadlines. Web sites such as and are good resources for such scholarships.

11. Cal Grants
Cal Grant A Entitlement Awards – for high school seniors and recent high school grads with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.0, awarded to students from low and middle income families who demonstrate financial need
Cal Grant B Entitlement Awards – for high school seniors and recent high school grads with a GPA of at least 2.0, who come from disadvantaged or low income families, whose family income and assets are below the state ceilings. First year of eligibility it provides $1656.
Cal Grant C Awards - for students from low income families pursuing vocational programs of study.
Let’s talk about Cal Grants – an important source of grant funds provided by the state of California for California students. Students planning to attend a California college or university may be eligible to receive one of the following Cal Grants. High school Grade Point Average (usually referred to as the GPA) is an important eligibility criterion for these grants. The Cal Grant GPA is calculated using grades from sophomore and junior years of high school and any summer grades after each of those years.
Please note: for purposes of the Cal Grant A and B Entitlement Awards, a “recent high school graduate” is defined as a student who is applying for a Cal Grant within 18 months of high school graduation.
Cal Grant A - To be eligible, students need a minimum 3.0 GPA - that is a B average on a 4.0 scale - and must demonstrate financial need of at least $1,500 at the college they plan to attend. Their families must also have income and assets that are lower than the state-established ceilings. This grant currently covers system-wide fees at the California State University and University of California campuses and up to $9,223 of tuition and fees at independent California colleges and universities. The grant may be renewable for three additional years if student and family continue to meet state-established income and asset ceilings.
Cal Grant B - This grant is for students who have a minimum 2.0 GPA - that is a C average, financial need of at least $700, and who come from very low-income families. Students must also meet the other criteria mentioned already. This grant provides a small stipend of about $1,551 per year for up to four years to help with living expenses at all schools. In addition, the grant covers system-wide fees at California public 4-year institutions and up to $9,223 of tuition and fees at independent 4-year California schools. In most cases, the tuition and fee portion of the Cal Grant B is available to students in their 2nd through 4th years only.
Cal Grant C - This grant is for students from low income families attending occupational or vocational schools including community college programs of less than 24 months in length. The Cal Grant C may renewable for one additional year if student and family continue to meet state-established income and asset ceilings.
Priority for Cal Grant C now given based on Occupational Goals that meet two of the following:
high employment need:
high employment growth;
and high wages. .

12. Eligibility for Cal Grants
To be eligible for a Cal Grant, the student must also:
Be a U.S. citizen, eligible noncitizen, or AB540 student
Be a California resident
Attend an accredited California college or university at least half-time in
To be eligible for a Cal Grant, the student must also:
be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen as defined in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).. If a student qualifies under AB540, he/she may qualify for Cal Grant. We’ll talk more about what this means later in the session
be a California resident
attend an accredited California college or university at least half-time in the academic year and each term the student is enrolled.

13. 2017-2018 Cal Grant Application Requirements
By March 2, 2017, complete and submit:
Cal Grant GPA Verification Form
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) +
In order for a student to be considered for a Cal Grant, the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) requires that he/she submit both the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and the Cal Grant GPA Verification Form by March 2, Because March 2, We encourage all applicants for federal and state aid to file as soon as possible after January 1, 2016.
The GPA Verification Form must be completed by the student, certified by the student’s high school, and submitted directly to CSAC.
Students who may be eligible for Cal Grants under AB540 should complete the California Dream Act application at instead of the FAFSA.
Some high schools submit student grade point averages directly to CSAC on behalf of their students. Others require that students complete the student section of the Cal Grant GPA Verification Form. (The student section of the form asks simple information such as the student’s name, address, and Social Security Number). If the paper form is required, it is important to submit it as soon as possible to the high school counselor or registrar because it may take a few days to certify the student’s grade point average. The student can download a Cal Grant GPA Verification Form at: The GPA Verification Form must be postmarked no later than March 2, 2016.
Check with the secretary, to see if he/she needs to submit the paper Cal Grant GPA Verification Form or if the high school will submit the GPA electronically on the student’s behalf. If the high school submits the Cal Grant GPA Verification Form electronically, the student may have to authorize the release of his/her Social Security Number.
We urge students to file these forms as soon as possible. Don’t wait for the March 2nd deadline and miss out on a valuable grants that, like other grants, does not have to be repaid.
Note: The Cal Grant GPA Verification Form for VA students is automatically submitted!
Check on-line at Calgrants.org

14. Summary of the Financial Aid Process
Submit the FAFSA no later than March 2
Virtual Academy submits an electronic 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
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 October 1 to receive the best financial aid award possible!
ASK QUESTIONS!
To determine what type of SAR you should receive and when you should receive it, visit 
Summary of the Financial Aid Process
Let’s now recap the steps involved in applying for financial aid:
Colleges and universities may have their own deadline dates for applying for financial aid. Make sure you know what those dates are and what financial aid forms and documents are required.
To make sure students are considered for Cal Grants, as soon as possible after January 1, 2016, but no later than March 2, 2016, they should submit both:
the FAFSA, and
the Cal Grant GPA Verification Form.
Students should keep a copy of all forms they submit and copies of all documentation used to complete those forms.
Review the electronic SAR Acknowledgement or paper Student Aid Report (SAR)
After students have been admitted to one or more colleges, watch for financial aid award notifications. These notifications are sometimes called financial aid awards or packages and will list the grant, scholarship, work-study and loan amounts the student might be eligible to receive.
Remember, students must reapply for financial aid each year. Applying for financial aid by all published deadlines assures that the student is considered for the maximum amount of financial aid.
Remember, meet all deadlines. Don’t miss out on any financial aid opportunities!
ASK QUESTIONS! If you do not understand what to do next, or what is required of you – be sure to ask for help!
Note to Presenters: Remind the group that students should file all their financial aid forms by each college’s published deadline or March 2, 2016 – whichever date comes first

15. If You Need Help at Any Time
FAFSA on the Web – Live Help
Phone FED-AID ( )
the U.S. Department of Education at:
If You Need Help at Any Time
The U.S. Department of Education is always willing to provide assistance to students and families completing the FAFSA and to answer questions relating to federal financial aid.
The FOTW has help buttons right on the electronic form as you go through the application.
In addition, you can use the following:
FAFSA on the Web – Live Help;
Phone FED-AID (that’s ); or
the U.S. Department of Education at:

16. END
Thank you!