1. EARLY FAFSA & Dollars For Scholars Affiliates
Scholarship America
September 22, 2016

2. Topics/Questions We’ll Discuss
Why & What is Early FAFSA??
Aligning Your App Launch to Early FAFSA
Which Grades/Activities?
Change Notification timelines?
Partnering with high schools, and FAFSA/College Access networks

3. Topics/Questions
Why Focus on the FAFSA?

4. Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
It’s the Universal Form. The FAFSA is required for all federal, state, and campus financial aid… including federally backed loans.
More $$ for Your Students. The FAFSA can mean up to $5,815 per year more in student grant financial aid and up to $5,500 per year in student loan financial aid.
Students More Likely to Enroll. Students who complete a FAFSA are more likely to enroll in classes in the fall.

5. Find FAFSA completion near you
Find your high school or district’s FAFSA submission and completion numbers/rates. Google search or use exact site.
The higher completion is Green, the lower is Red. Data mapped on this slide is from May, 2016.

6. What are the Early FAFSA changes?
Topics/Questions
What are the Early FAFSA changes?

7. Earlier & Easier FAFSA Begins 10/1

8. Earlier & Easier FAFSA – Which Forms?

10. Early FAFSA & Dollars for Scholars
Considerations:
Align to early application start
Which grades/activities to include
When to notify and award students
As with early FAFSA, Affiliates can accept 2015 tax year data

11. What it means for Chapters
Timing is everything. A Nation of students will be applying for financial aid earlier.
Could see an increase in your Scholarship Applications.
Parent Financials collected in ChapterNet to assess need will use 2015 tax year info, which is easier

12. 2016-17 Launch & Notify Timeline

13. Launching an Earlier Application
ChapterNet is ready to launch your 2017 scholarships.
Scholarship America’s Operations staff can help.
Launch in October or early November. Stay clear of launching during Holiday periods (Thanksgiving & Mid-Dec thru New Year).

14. Changes to Fundraising Calendar
May need to align fundraising calendar with an earlier launch date.
If your chapter relies on Fall fundraising to offer Spring Scholarships, may have one gap year.
Reach out to Scholarship America team if you need to formulate a new timeline.

15. Which Grades/Activities?
To launch DFS Application after Oct. 1, Consider:
Using Incoming Senior grades/activities, like what is available for college entrance apps; OR
Having student begin the application in the Fall with the instruction they will need to follow-up with 1st Semester Senior level grades/activities in Early Spring (before beginning scoring/awarding process).

16. When to Notify/Award Students
States, colleges and universities asked not move priority filing deadlines to Fall.
Encourage notification by the traditional May 1 college deadline so that students are aware of all resources before they commit.
No Change to Spring/Summer DFS Chapter Celebrations & Awarding timelines

17. New Resource to Promote your Scholarships
For Affiliate:

18. New National Resources Site

19. We invite you to share your Thoughts and Questions…
Discussion
We invite you to share your Thoughts and Questions…

20. Resources

21. Partner to Increase your Application Numbers
Approach your high school leaders to focus on the FAFSA & DFS Scholarship Applications.
Partner up with College Access Networks (CANs), if organized in your area to promote your scholarships. Look for the National College Access Network Active State Networks, and City FAFSA Challenge:

22. Resources for Affiliate Providers
FormYourFuture.org
National College Access Network (NCAN) Compilation of Resources
Federal Student Aid - Financial aid Tool Kit on FAFSA Changes
Includes Talking Points, Fact Sheets, Table of FAFSA Launch dates and FAFSA years, Info about upcoming webinars, outreach calendar.
Sign up to receive important s
Federal Student Aid – Financial Aid Tool Kit on Resources

23. FALL 2016 WEBINAR SERIES

24. HELP WITH THE NEW FSA ID
An ID Is Needed To:
Sign the FAFSA
Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool
Make any corrections to the FAFSA
NOTE: Dependent Students will need to have ONE (1) Parent get an FSA ID
Don’t need to wait until Oct. 1, Apply for the FSA ID now
PARENT QUICK Tips on FSA ID VIDEO
STUDENT QUICK How to Apply VIDEO

25. Who cannot use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool?
IF:
Parent marital status changed since 2015
Parent is married, but did not file jointly in 2015
Parent filed an Amended Tax Return in 2015.
THEN: The applicant just enters in additional data from 2015 IRS forms requested. Student may need to provide an IRS Tax return transcript to the college financial aid office to verify financial info on FAFSA. Instructions are provided in the FAFSA.

26. Pell Eligibility for your Need-Based Scholarships
Using Pell Eligibility to identify need allows you to spend less time on scoring.
If the student is Pell eligible, they are low income.
ChapterNet allows the student to identify whether they are Pell eligible.

27. Immigrant Student Resources
Interactive State by State Map
Some states have a FAFSA-like state application – including California, Texas, and Washington. In all other states, students should contact individual colleges on how to apply for aid at the campus.
Educators for Fair Consideration e4fc.org/resources/scholarshipproviders.html
I Have DACA and Can I Use the FAFSA?
unitedwedream.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/DACAStepsforFAFSA2014_Final.pdf