Applying for Financial Aid 2009-2010

1. Applying for Financial Aid 2009-2010

2. Sponsors/Partners:Presenter:

3. What Will You Learn Today? Types and sources of financial aid Required financial aid application forms How to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Answers to your individual question

4. 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

5. Federal government State government Colleges and universities Private agencies, companies, foundations, and your parents’ employers Sources of Financial Aid

6. Eligibility for Mass State Aid • File the FAFSA by May 1st • Must be a permanent legal resident of Massachusetts • Enrolled full-time in a degree program

7. Need-Based Grants Federal Grants Pell Grants $4,731 maximum per year Academic Competitiveness Grants $750 for the first year $1,300 for the second year Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG) $4,000 maximum per year

8. Need-Based Grants College Grants • Massachusetts Grant - MASSGrant, CommonWealth Futures Grant, Performance Bonus Grant, Part-time Grant, Tuition Waivers • Independent College Grants - amounts vary

9. Types of Applications • FAFSA • Other applications or forms as required by the college such as • CSS Financial Aid PROFILE • Institutional scholarship and/or financial aid applications • 2008 federal tax returns (along with schedules and W-2s) or other income documentation

10. FAFSA Information & Tips File as soon as possible Use estimated 2008 income information if taxes are not complete at time of FAFSA submission Student and at least one parent whose information is required must complete and sign the FAFSA

11. Federal PIN PIN (Personal Identification Number)serves as the electronic signature on ED documents Both student and at least one parent need PIN to sign the FAFSA electronically May be used to: Check on FAFSA status Verify and correct FAFSA data Add additional schools to receive FAFSA data Change home and e-mail addresses If an e-mail address is provided, PIN will be e-mailed to the PIN applicant within hours Apply for student and parent PINs TODAY at: www.pin.ed.gov

12. Getting Ready Before starting the FAFSA, gather: Student driver’s license Student Alien Registration Card Student and Parent Social Security cards 2008 W-2 Forms and other records of money earned 2008 federal income tax form (even if not completed) Records of untaxed income Current bank statements Business, farm, and other real estate records Records of stocks, bonds, and other investments Create a file for copies of all financial aid documents submitted

13. Getting Started Read all application instructions If planning to submit the paperFAFSA: Use pen with black ink Print clearly in CAPITAL letters Fill in ovals completely Do not leave blanks (unless directed by instructions) Do not write comments or notes anywhere on form Do not use correction fluid

14. FAFSA on the Web The 2009-2010 FAFSA on the Web Worksheet may be used for the January 1, 2009 through June 30th, 2010 federal aid application cycle

15. TheFOTW WorksheetA Five Section Form Section 1 – is about the student 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 Section 5 – allows students to list up to ten schools to receive information from the FAFSA

16. Section 1(page 2)STUDENT INFORMATION

17. Section 1 Your Last Name Jones • The FOTW will ask for the student’s first and last name as well as a middle initial • Make sure to report the student’s name exactly as it appears on the student’s Social Security card

18. Section 1Your Social Security Number 123 4 5 6 7 8 9 Double check your Social Security Number when entering it on the FOTW. Both your name and Social Security Number will be compared through a database match

19. If U.S. citizen, status will be confirmed by Social Security match If eligible noncitizen, status will be confirmed by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) match. This includes: U.S. permanent residents with I-551 Conditional permanent residents with I-551C Eligible noncitizens with I-94 If neither a citizen nor eligible noncitizen, you are ineligible for federal/state aid, but might still be eligible for institutional funds Section 1 Citizenship Status

20. Section 1 Alien Registration Number 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 If eligible noncitizen, write in your eight- or nine-digit Alien Registration Number (ARN) • Precede an eight digit ARN with a zero • Copy of Permanent Registration Card might be requested by the financial aid office

21. Section 1Citizenship Status if you are applying to any public college or university, check to see if you might be eligible for in-state tuition costs check with colleges and universities to see if institutional financial aid is available apply for all private scholarships for which you may be eligible watch for changes in federal and state laws regarding the eligibility of undocumented or under-documented students start inquiring in elementary, middle or high school to see if it is possible for younger students to become permanent residents NOTE: if you are undocumented or under-documented • For more information and a list of scholarships, go to • www.maldef.org/pdf/scholarships.pdfor • www.latinocollegedollars.org

22. Section 1 Your State of Legal Residence MA • Residency relates to your permanent home state • if you are dependent, the state of legal residence is usually the state in which your custodial parents live • State of legal residence is also used • to determine eligibility for state grants • in the need calculation to determine the appropriate allowance for state and other taxes paid by that state’s residents

23. Section 1Selective Service Registration • Male students who are 18 years of age or older must be registered with Selective Service to receive federal and state aid • Answer “Register me” only if you are male, aged 18-25, and have not yet registered. You may also register by going to: www.sss.gov

24. Answer “No” if you have never received federal student grants, federal student loans or federal work-study You should also answer “No” if you have never attended college. If you answer “No” to this question, skip question 23 Section 1Federal Student Aid Question

25. Answer “YES” if you have been convicted of possessing or selling illegal drugs while you were receiving federal student financial aid Answer “NO” if: You have no drug-related convictions of any kind but simply received student financial aid while a college student Conviction was for alcohol or tobacco Conviction was removed from your record or occurred before age 18 (unless tried as an adult) Section 1Drug Conviction Question

26. Section 1Parents’ Educational Level Indicate highest level of schooling completedby your biological or adoptive parents (for state award purposes only) • Use birth parents or adoptive parents - not stepparents or foster parents • This definition of parents is unique to these two questions

27. Indicate your most immediate degree or certificate objective for 2009-2010 Section 1Degree Objective

28. Section 1Your Expected Enrollment Status at the Start of the 2009-2010 Academic Year • Report your enrollment plans for the college you are most likely to attend • If unsure, report “Full-time”

29. Section 1Work-Study and Student Loans If you are interested in either work-study (student employment) or student loans, or both, mark the appropriate box • Indicating interest does not obligate you to either work or borrow, nor will it cause you to lose grants and scholarships • Answering “neither” may restrict some options for limited work-study or loan funds

30. Section 2(page 3)STUDENT DEPENDENCY STATUS

31. Section 2 Determination of Student Dependency Status

32. Section 2 Determination of Student Dependency Status

33. Section 2 Determination of Student Dependency Status • If you answer “no” to all questions in this section, go to Section 3. For FAFSA filing purposes, you are considered a dependent student and are required to provide parental information • If you answer “yes” to any question in this section, skip Section 3 and go to Section 4. You are considered an independent student for FAFSA filing purposes and are NOT required to provide parental information

34. Section 3(page 4)PARENTALINFORMATION

35. Section 3 Parental Information See Page 4 of FAFSA on the Web Worksheet about who is considered a parent Biological or adoptive parent(s) Stepparent (regardless of any prenuptial agreements)

36. Section 3 Parental Information Do not provide information on: Foster parents or legal guardians If the student is in foster care or has a legal guardian, he/she is automatically considered an independent student Grandparents or other relatives The student must attempt to get biological parental information Colleges may use Professional Judgment to allow the student to file as independent

37. Section 3Parental Information , $ 0 , $ 2 (no cents) 1 3 5 6 • If the answer to any question is zero or the question does not apply, enter 0: • Report whole dollar figures: • Recommendation: If your parents have not filed their 2008 federal tax return, use W-2 forms and/or other employment records to estimate total income

38. Section 3 Parents’Marital Status as of Today Month and Year Your Parents were Married, Separated, Divorced, or Widowed MM YYY Y

39. Section 3 Parent E-Mail Address Fill in your parents’ e-mail address that will be valid at least until you start college If you provide your parents’ email address, the FAFSA processor will let them know your FAFSA has been processed PJONES@YAHOO.COM

40. Section 3Father’s and Mother’s SSN, Last Name, and Dates of Birth NOTE: Provide this information for yourparent(s) who complete Section 3 of the worksheet 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 JONES 0 5 0 3 1 9 5 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 PARKER 0 7 1 9 1 9 6 0

41. Section 3Parents’ State of Legal Residence MA M M Y Y Y Y • Indicate the two-digit state code for your parents’ permanent address • Leave question 74 blank if at least one of your parents whose information is used on this form began living in the state before January 1, 2004

42. Section 3Parents’ Tax Return Filing Status for 2008 • Indicate your parents’ current tax filing status for 2008 • Which tax return did or will your parents file for 2008? • Even if your parent(s) did not file a 1040A or 1040EZ, read the instructions to see if they would have been eligible to do so • The FOTW Web site will ask if your parents have completed their 2008 tax return

43. Section 3Parents’ Household 2008 Federal Benefits Indicate if you, your parents, or anyone in your parents’ household received benefits in 2007 or 2008 from any of the federal programs listed

44. Section 3Parent Dislocated Worker A person may be considered a dislocated worker if he or she: is receiving unemployment benefits due to being laid off or losing a job and is unlikely to return to a previous occupation has been laid off or received a lay-off notice from a job was self-employed but is now unemployed due to economic conditions or natural disaster is a displaced homemaker

45. Section 3Parent 2008 Adjusted Gross Income Reminder:If the answer is zero or the question does not apply, enter 0 45,250 • If your parents have not yet filed their 2008 federal tax return information, it is fine to estimate information for these questions • If your parents have completed their 2008 federal tax return, use 2008 tax return information to complete this item. Pay attention to specific line-items on 2008 federal tax return, if completed

46. Section 3Money Earned from Work by Parent(s) in 2008 Use W-2 forms and other records to list all income in 2008 earned from work (including income earned from self-employment) 45,250 40,500

47. Section 3Parents’ Income Tax Paid in 2008 2,130 • What was the amount your parents paid in income tax for 2008? • Use U.S. Income tax paid (or to be paid) • not the amount withheld from your parents’ paychecks

48. Section 3Parents’ 2008 Tax Exemptions 05 • Enter your parents’ exemptions for 2008 Exemptions can be found on their IRS tax return • Be sure to include all persons being claimed on your parents’ 2008 federal tax return, regardless of whether they are included in your parents’ household size question

49. Section 3Parents’ Household Information for 2009-10 05 • Include in your parents’ household: • yourself • your parent(s) • your parents’ other dependent children, if your parents provide more than half their support or the children could answer “no” to every question in Section 2, regardless of where they live • other people, if they now live with your parents and will continue to do so from 7/1/09 through 6/30/10, and if your parents provide more than half their support now, and will continue to provide support from 7/1/09 through 6/30/10

50. Section 3Family Members Attending College in 2009-10 NOTE: Some financial aid offices will require proof that other family members are attending college 2 • Always include yourself even if you will attend college less than half-time in 2009-2010 • Include other household members only if they will attend at least half time in 2009-2010 in a program that leads to a college degree or certificate • Never include your parents