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www.collegeforalltexans.com
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www.fafsa.ed.gov

Fafsa.ed.gov is the most important and comprehensive one any student needs to apply:
FAFSA

A form completed by all applicants for federal student aid. The FAFSA is also available on the Web, at www.fafsa.ed.gov. In many states, completion of the FAFSA is also sufficient to establish eligibility for state-sponsored aid programs. There is no charge for completing the FAFSA, and you can file it anytime after January 1 of the year for which you are seeking aid.

Application Requirements

• Completed FAFSA (proof of eligibility),
• Recommendations,
• Essay (Two to Three pages),
• Transcript,
• Resume (250-word),
• Any financial need paper that could help!
• Proof of residency!
• SAT/ACT scores

Features of FAFSA

• The FAFSA is the most significant document relating to financial aid for college.
• A required form used to determine your eligibility for different types of financial aid.
• It’s the first step to getting financial assistance for college.
• A form completed by all applicants for federal student aid.
• In many states, completion of the FAFSA is also sufficient to establish eligibility for state-sponsored aid programs.
• You can file it anytime after January 1 of the year, but the sooner, the better because some aid is first-come, first-serve.
• FAFSA is not only to determine which families qualify for financial aid, but also to determine eligibility for particular programs and to estimate the family's own expected contribution to a student's education.
• Some types of financial aid that require a FAFSA:
• Grants, e.g. Federal Pell Grant
• Scholarships, e.g. WV PROMISE
• Work-study for need-based employment
• Loans for both students and parents
• If you don't submit the form by your school's deadline, you may not receive all the aid you are eligible for.
• You have to use your real name when you complete the applications and "You" is the student, the words "you" and "your" on the FAFSA always refer to the student, not the parents.
• Be aware of organizations that charge a fee to submit your application, its free!
• Use estimated figures if you and your family have not completed your tax returns by mid-January. (Note: when you use estimated income, you will need to update your information once you've completed your taxes.)

Deadlines

• Submit FAFSA prior to March 1st to receive full consideration for all aid programs.
• FAFSA is received after March 1st will receive consideration for Federal Direct Loans and Federal Pell Grants.

Who is eligible to receive Federal Student Aid?

• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen,
• Have a valid Social Security number,
• Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student working toward a degree or certificate in an eligible program at a school that participates in the federal student aid programs,
• You must not owe a refund on a federal grant or be in default on a federal student loan,
• You must have financial need,
• You must not have certain drug convictions.
• Certificate or pass an approved ability-to-benefit (ATB) test;
• What is ATB TEST?
• The Ability to Benefit (ATB) Test is the same computerized assessment test offered during the enrollment process. 
• The ATB test is used for students lacking a high school diploma or its equivalent who wish to apply for financial aid.
• This is not applicable to students who are currently enrolled in high school.

• Have a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED)
• What is GED TEST:
• The GED test provides adults at least 16 years of age who are beyond the age of compulsory high school attendance under state law with an opportunity to earn a high school equivalency diploma.
• In order to pass the GED test, a student must pass a series of five tests in writing skills, social studies, science, interpreting literature and arts, and mathematics.
• Successfully passing these sections demonstrates that the student has acquired a level of learning that is comparable to that of high school graduates

What is a PIN?

• A PIN is a 4-digit numeric code or a 6-digit alpha code that you need to:
• The Personal Identification Number (PIN) is the code used by the U.S. Department of Education to identify you online. 
• Obtain before you begin process of online submission.
• Things you can do with your PIN Number: 
• Electronically sign to speed up the process
• Check the status of your FAFSA
• Make corrections to FAFSA
• Fill out an online renewal FAFSA next year

How to Apply for PIN

• To obtain a PIN, eligible students AND parents can visit www.pin.ed.gov
• Click “Apply for PIN” near the top of the page.  Allow four hours for instructions to be sent via e-mail.
• This PIN number is used to electronically sign federal student aid forms and access your information. 
• To change, cancel or retrieve a duplicate PIN, you can visit www.pin.ed.gov  
• You have to protect your PIN!!!! 

Step 1:  Assemble documentation

You’ll need the following documentation to complete the 2007-08 FAFSA:

• 2006 student and parent (if dependent) federal tax returns (estimates are OK on tax questions)
• 2006 W2 forms and other record of money earned
• 2006 untaxed income records (if any)
• Social Security number and driver’s license
• Current bank statements
• Current business and investment records (if any)
• WVU Federal School Code – 003827

Step 2:  Complete the FAFSA

• Complete FAFSA on the Web at  www.fafsa.ed.gov or by using the paper FAFSA
• If you completed the FAFSA last year, you may receive a Renewal FAFSA link via e-mail, which should arrive in early January
• Once finished, print the FAFSA summary as well as the “Submission Confirmation” page (or write down your confirmation number and date).
•  If completing the paper version, make a copy of the FAFSA for your records before mailing.

Step 3: Review Student Aid Report (SAR)

• It contains a breakdown of the information that you submitted on the FAFSA.
• It may ask for additional information to be provided. 
• It will contain the computed “Expected Family Contribution (EFC)”.
• You should receive your electronic SAR in 1-3 days if you signed with your PIN or within 2-3 weeks if you completed the paper FAFSA. 
• It will list the schools that are receiving the FAFSA. 
• Errors or changes can be corrected online at www.fafsa.ed.gov or by using your paper SAR (for paper filers only)
• If you don’t receive your SAR in 3-4 weeks, call 1-800-433-3243 (1-800-4-FED-AID)

What is a Student Aid Report (SAR)?

• A Student Aid Report (SAR) is a document you will receive after your FAFSA is processed,
• Your SAR will list all of the answers you provided on your FAFSA , you should review these answers carefully to make sure they are correct.
• If you need to make any changes, you can do so on the SAR and mail it back to the address provided, or you can go to www.fafsa.ed.gov and select "Make Corrections to a Processed FAFSA" from the FAFSA Follow-up section.
• Your SAR will also contain your EFC (Expected Family Contribution), which measures your family's financial strength, and is used to determine your eligibility for federal student aid.
• Your school will use this number to decide how much financial aid you are eligible to receive based on your school's cost of attendance.
• If you did not provide electronic signatures or paper signature pages with your FAFSA, you must sign the SAR and mail it back to the address provided for final processing.

What is my Expected Family Contribution (EFC)?

• The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) measures your family's financial strength,
• and is used to determine your eligibility for federal student aid during one school year.
• You receive an EFC based on the processing results of your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

What is a Data Release Number (DRN)?

• Your Data Release Number (DRN) is a four-digit number assigned to your application by the U.S. Department of Education.
• The electronic Student Aid Report (SAR) will print on the DRN in the upper right corner; the paper SAR will print it on the lower left corner.
• Do not give out your DRN to anyone unless you have agreed to give them access to your FAFSA information.

FAFSA Questions
1. Where can I get a copy of the FAFSA?
You can get the FAFSA from the financial aid office at a local college, your local public library, or by calling 1-800-4-FED-AID. The online version of the form is available at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov.
2. Are photocopies of the FAFSA acceptable?
No. Only the original FAFSA form produced by the US Department of Education is acceptable. Photocopies, reproductions, facsimiles and electronic versions are all not acceptable.
3. How soon after January 1 should the FAFSA form be sent in? Is it better to wait until the income tax forms have been completed?
Send in the form as soon as possible after January 1. Do not wait until your taxes are done. Although it is better to do your taxes early, it is ok to use estimates of your income, so long as they aren't very far off from the actual values. You will have an opportunity to correct any errors later. If you wait too long, you might miss the deadline for state aid. Most states require the FAFSA to be submitted by March 1 and some even as early as early or mid-February.

4. I sent in my FAFSA over four weeks ago but haven't heard anything. What should I do?
If you haven't received a Student Aid Report (SAR), call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (toll free) or 1-319-337-5665. You must provide them with your Social Security number and date of birth as verification.
You can also write to
Federal Student Aid Programs
PO Box 4038
Washington, DC 52243-4038
To find out whether your FAFSA has been processed or to request a duplicate copy of your SAR.
5. I was born on January 1, when I will be 24 years old. Can I check Yes in the answer to the FAFSA question "Were you born before January 1 ...” to qualify as an independent student?
The official answer is no. If you check yes, your SAR will be flagged for verification. However, most financial aid administrators would use professional judgment to override the default dependency determination for a student born on January 1 who also demonstrates financial self-sufficiency.
6. I qualify for the Simplified Needs Test. Should I fill out Section G anyway?
Yes. Some states and most private colleges require the asset information in Section G to compute their own financial aid awards. Including this information will not affect your eligibility for federal financial aid (it is disregarded by the Federal Need Analysis Methodology if you qualify for the Simplified Needs Test). Even if none of the schools require the information, you should include it anyway, just in case.
Before you submit!

• Make a copy; you should always keep one for your records.
• Just print out the completed online form before you submit it.
• Sign your application (If you don't sign the form, you will still receive a Student Aid Report) but you won't receive aid. Use your PIN to sign the online application.