Fill out FAFSA EARLY – Grand Rapids Press

Students, parents told to apply early and often for college financial aid - Article from Grand Rapids Press

College Goal Sunday

College Goal Sunday is February 8th, 2009.  At the event, students and parents can have an expert help them fill out the FAFSA forms.  aims to increase the number of students who complete the FAFSA accuarately and on-time.  For more information about this event, visit www.MICollegeGoal.org.

Financial Aid Info – 2009

As the FAFSA filing season approaches, students and parents can better inform themselves about the application process by viewing Do You Need Money for College?  

Steps to Federal Student Aid explains the FAFSA application and submission process in seven steps.   

 

A personal identification number called a Federal Student Aid PIN can be used to electronically sign the FAFSA, drastically decreasing the application’s processing time. To save time, students and parents should request PINs before students apply for aid. A Federal Student Aid Pin also may be used to sign other forms and to access student information. PINs must be requested online at www.pin.ed.gov.

 

The FAFSA on the Web Worksheet is a useful tool in preparing to complete the online FAFSA. The worksheet lists the FAFSA questions and provides boxes for students’ (and parents’) answers. The order of the questions on the worksheet follows that of FAFSA on the Web, which differs from the paper FAFSA. Students and parents can view and download the worksheet PDF at www.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov/worksheet.

 

Students should visit www.fafsa.ed.gov to complete the online FAFSA.  If a Web site requests credit card information or some other form of payment to complete the FAFSA then that Web site is not the official government (FREE) Web site. 

Provided by National Training for Counselors and Mentors (NT4CM)

WARNING – FAFSA is FREE

Some students have mistakenly gone to www.fafsa.com and been asked to pay $79.99 to submit their FAFSA application.  That site is NOT the site maintained by the federal government.  It is a company that “helps” you complete your financial aid application.  YOU DO NOT NEED TO PAY TO FILE THE FAFSA.  The correct website is www.fafsa.ed.gov . 

Stanford drops tuition for some students

Stanford drops tuition for some students

Financial Aid Documents

FAFSA on the Web Worksheet 08-09- Use this document to help you gather all your information you need to complete the FAFSA on the web.

FAFSA 08-09 Printable Form- Use this form if you do not want to process your FAFSA on the web.  You can also request a paper copy of the FAFSA by calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3242) or 1-391-337-5665. 

FAFSA Website – Here is where you apply for financial aid online. 

To be eligible for ALL State Programs, students must:

1) Take the MME- which includes the ACT
2) Complete the FAFSA by March 1- priority date

Financial Aid Night

January 17, 2008
6:30 – 8:30pm
Mason County Central High School
Rooms C-9 & C-10
Do you need money for college? Not sure where to even begin? Come to Financial Aid Night where we will discuss the financial aid process and specifically answer questions pertaining to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

• How much can you receive?
• What do you qualify for?
• How do you apply?
• When do you apply?
• How does the whole process work?
All seniors and parents of seniors are invited to attend. For further information, please contact Mrs. Hughes.

For other Financial Aid information, please visit the counseling blog at www.mceschools.wordpress.com/category/financial-aid/

Searching for Scholarships

The State of Michigan puts out a great document called Paying for College in Michigan.  The complete guide is available in the guidance office or you can download it by clicking on the name above.  This guide includes a great overview of Searching for Scholarships.  The highlights include:

• Check with the Financial Aid office of the schools where you are applying
• Check out local agencies
• Get a list from your counselor – found here:  Scholarship List 07-08
• Conduct online searches
• Watch out for scams

Michigan Promise Scholarship Information

Click on the following link to find out more about the Michigan Promise Scholarship.

Michigan Promise Scholarship Fact Sheet

FAFSA Update

2008-09 Free Application for Federal Student Aid(FAFSA) Distribution Update

Attention: Change in Distribution for 2008-09

For 2008-09, the number of paper FAFSAs produced will be limited. Students will be able to obtain a paper FAFSA by calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) or by visiting www.edpubs.org. Students may request up to three copies of the paper application and should receive their FAFSAs in three to seven business days.

New for 2008-09 is a PDF version of the FAFSA that students can submit for processing. Beginning in mid-November the PDF will be available for download on various Federal Student Aid Web sites, such as www.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov. Students can access the PDF, complete the form on the computer or by hand, and mail it to the address provided for processing. Schools will also be able to access the PDF from www.FSAPubs.org.

We encourage students to use the online method for filing the application. The FAFSA on the Web Worksheet,the most effective tool students can use to facilitate the online application process, will still be available in the counseling office.

The earliest you may submit the FAFSA is January 1, 2008. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Hughes.