Paying for School Checklist

Transcription

1 Paying for School Checklist There is a lot to do to apply for financial aid. Planning ahead will save you time and energy in the long run! Use this checklist to stay on track. Better yet, use it to create a calendar for yourself. Include meetings with your guidance counselor and application deadlines. And be sure to check it often so you don t miss anything! Preparation: Your Junior Year 11 th Grade Talk with your guidance counselor about your financial aid options. Calculate your potential college costs, and estimate your federal student aid eligibility at estimate. If you are interested in an athletic scholarship, talk with your coaches about your options. Then contact college athletic departments at schools you would like to attend. Visit NCAA.org for more info. Summer before 12 th Grade Request financial aid info from colleges you want to apply to. Search in CIS for scholarships you may want to apply for. Ask your parents if their employers offer any financial aid benefits. Create a calendar of all your upcoming financial aid application and scholarship application deadlines. Create your FSA ID at m. You will use it to electronically sign, submit, and edit the FAFSA. Using a FSA ID (instead of mailing in a signature page) will minimize processing time.

2 12 th Grade: Your Senior Year September Meet with your guidance counselor to discuss your financial aid options. Gather important documents you will need to fill out the FAFSA. Complete the FAFSA4caster at estimate or the FAFSA on the Web Worksheet. Save the information. You will be able to use it to complete the FAFSA next month. October Complete and sign the FAFSA at as soon as possible after October 1. Attend College Goal Sunday for help with the FAFSA. More info at Ask for letters of recommendation from respected adults. Give them your resume and an idea of the schools or programs you are applying to. Find adults with a connection: If you are applying for a science scholarship, a letter should be from your chemistry or biology teacher! Some college-based scholarships require you to submit your application materials early. If you are applying for them, be sure to submit your applications in time!

3 November Continue working on applications and essays, and submit them on time. Proofread everything! Your Student Aid Report (SAR) should arrive two to four weeks after you submit the FAFSA by . The will link to the SAR. If there are any errors, make corrections online using your FSA ID or on the form and mail it back. If you do not receive your SAR four weeks after submitting the FAFSA, call the federal processor at FED-AID ( ). If your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) has an asterisk next to it, your application has been selected for verification. You need to submit all requested materials as soon as possible. December Submit scholarship applications by their deadlines. Some schools offer financial aid now, while others do not. You may need to accept the award in writing. January Complete and submit financial aid applications to any of your colleges that require them.

4 Contact your college admissions offices and make sure they have received all of your application materials. February Some scholarship and financial aid decisions begin to arrive. March April Scholarship and financial aid decisions arrive. Compare financial aid packages offered by the colleges you applied to. If your financial situation has changed, you can appeal the college s decision. Now the exciting part: choose which college you will attend! Mail the enrollment form, financial aid acceptance form, and deposit before May 1. May If you will be borrowing from the federal government with a Stafford or Perkins loan, you will need to complete and sign a Master Promissory Note (MPN) and complete online counseling. If you are planning on using a PLUS loan or private loans to pay for part of your college costs, begin checking out your options.

5 Thank everyone who has helped you make it so far! June Summer before College Work to help pay for moving and college costs. If you were awarded money for work-study, you may need to take action to receive a student position. Determine when tuition payments and fees will be due. If you have received financial aid, it will be applied to tuition and fees first, and then any remainder will be given to you.