1. FAFSA

3. http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/  Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Completing and submitting the FAFSA is free and easier than ever, and it gives you access to the largest source of financial aid to pay for college or career school.  The office of Federal Student Aid provides grants, loans, and work-study funds for college or career school.  FASFA offers more than $150 billion each year to help millions of students pay for higher education.  In addition, many states and colleges use your FAFSA information to determine your eligibility for state and school aid, and some private financial aid providers may use your FAFSA information to determine whether you qualify for their aid.

4. Are You Eligible?  Be a citizen or eligible noncitizen of the United States.  Have a valid Social Security Number.  Have a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) certificate, or have completed homeschooling.  Be enrolled in an eligible program as a regular student seeking a degree or certificate.  Maintain satisfactory academic progress.  Not owe a refund on a federal student grant or be in default on a federal student loan.  Not have a conviction for the possession or sale of illegal drugs for an offense that occurred while you were receiving federal student aid (such as grants, loans, or work-study). If you have such a conviction, you must complete the Student Aid Eligibility Worksheet to determine if you are eligible for aid or partially eligible for aid.  Many types of federal student aid, such as the Federal Pell Grant or subsidized loans where the government pays the interest while you are in college, also require you to have financial need.

5. What You Will Need  Your Social Security Number  Your Alien Registration Number (if you are not a U.S. citizen)  Your most recent federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned. (Note: You may be able to transfer your federal tax return information into your FAFSA using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.)  Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable)  Records of untaxed income (if applicable)  A Federal Student Aid PIN to sign electronically. (If you do not already have one, visit www.pin.ed.gov to obtain one.)www.pin.ed.gov  If you are a dependent student, then you will also need most of the above information for your parent(s).dependent student

6. How Long Does It Take?  Estimated averages for filling out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) using FAFSA on the Web are as follows:  55 minutes to complete and submit an initial application  45 minutes to complete and submit a renewal application  10 minutes to make FAFSA corrections  These averages include time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering the data needed, and completing and reviewing the application.

7. When To apply  It is highly recommended that you fill out the FAFSA as soon as you can after January 1 to ensure that you do not miss out on available aid.  One thing to consider, however, is that the FAFSA asks for your tax return information for the current year. Often, this information might not be available until the end of January, at the earliest. Keeping this in mind, you can choose to either wait until you or your family files income taxes for the year or complete your FAFSA using estimates derived from the previous year’s tax returns and other documentation.

8. YOU MUST  FILL OUT FASFA EVERY YEAR!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRyXfUStHO0

9. Guide to Financial Aid  http://studentaid.ed.gov/sites/default/files/2012-13- funding-your-education.pdf

10. 11 th Grade To Do List  All Year  Explore careers and their earning potential in the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Or, for a fun interactive tool, try the U.S. Department of Labor’s career search.Occupational Outlook Handbookcareer search  Learn about choosing a college and find a link to our free college search tool. Learn about choosing a college  Go to college fairs and college-preparation presentations by college representatives.  Fall  Take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). You must take the test in 11th grade to qualify for scholarships and programs associated with the National Merit Scholarship Program.Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT)  Spring  Register for and take exams for college admission. The standardized tests that many colleges require are the SAT, the SAT Subject Tests, and the ACT. Check with the colleges you are interested in to see what tests they require.standardized tests  Use the U.S. Department of Labor’s scholarship search to find scholarships for which you might want to apply. Some deadlines fall as early as the summer between 11th and 12th grades, so prepare now to submit applications soon.scholarship search  Summer Before 12th Grade  Narrow down the list of colleges you are considering attending. If you can, visit the schools that interest you.  Contact colleges to request information and applications for admission. Ask about financial aid, admission requirements, and deadlines.  Decide whether you are going to apply under a particular college’s early decision or early action program. Be sure to learn about the program deadlines and requirements.  Use the FAFSA4caster financial aid estimator, and compare the results to the actual costs at the colleges to which you will apply. To supplement any aid FAFSA4caster estimates you might receive, be sure to apply for scholarships. Your goal is to minimize the amount of loan funds you borrow.FAFSA4casterapply for scholarships

11. 12 th Grade To Do List  All Year  Work hard all year—second-semester grades can affect scholarship eligibility.scholarship eligibility  Stay involved in after-school activities, and seek leadership roles if possible.  Fall  Meet with your school counselor to make sure you are on track to graduate and fulfill college admission requirements.  If you haven’t done so already, register for and take the standardized tests required for college admission. Check with the colleges you are interested in to see what tests they require.standardized tests  Apply to the colleges you have chosen. Prepare your applications carefully. Follow the instructions, and PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO DEADLINES! Apply to the colleges you have chosen  Well before your application deadlines, ask your counselor and teachers to submit required documents (e.g., transcript, letters of recommendation) to the colleges to which you’re applying.  Winter  Encourage your parent(s) to complete income tax forms early. If your parent(s) has (have) not completed tax forms, you can provide estimated information on your federal student aid application, but remember to make any necessary changes later.complete income tax forms  As soon as possible after Jan. 1, complete and submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), along with any other financial aid applications your school(s) of choice may require. You can complete the FAFSA online or on paper, but completing the application online is faster and easier. You should submit your FAFSA by the earliest financial aid deadline of the schools to which you are applying, usually by early February.Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)  After you submit the FAFSA, you should receive your Student Aid Report (SAR) within three days to three weeks. Quickly make any necessary corrections and submit them to the FAFSA processor.Student Aid Report (SAR)make any necessary corrections  Complete any last scholarship applications.  Spring  Visit colleges that have invited you to enroll.  Review your college acceptances and compare the colleges’ financial aid offers.compare the colleges’ financial aid offers  Contact a school’s financial aid office if you have questions about the aid that school has offered you. In fact, getting to know your financial aid staff early is a good idea no matter what—they can tell you about deadlines, other aid for which you might wish to apply, and important paperwork you might need to submit.  When you decide which school you want to attend, notify that school of your commitment and submit any required financial deposit. Many schools require this notification and deposit by May 1.

12. Scholarships—Start Now!  Avoid Scams  http://studentaid.ed.gov/types/scams http://studentaid.ed.gov/types/scams  Try these free sources of information about scholarships:  the financial aid office at a college or career school  a high school or TRIO counselor  the U.S. Department of Labor’s FREE scholarship search toolFREE scholarship search tool  federal agencies federal agencies  your state grant agencystate grant agency  your library’s reference section  foundations, religious or community organizations, local businesses, or civic groups  organizations (including professional associations) related to your field of interest  ethnicity-based organizations  your employer or your parents’ employers