FAFSA NIGHTS. Site Coordinator SITE COORDINATOR TOOLKIT Free Application for Federal Student Aid

Transcription

1 FAFSA NIGHTS Free Application for Federal Student Aid SITE COORDINATOR Site Coordinator TOOLKIT 2015 TOOLKIT 2013

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3 Table of Contents Calendar. 2 Free Tax Assist Tools for Counselors.. 5 FAFSA Night Scholarship 6 Student Handouts 7-10 Marketing Timeline.. 11 Event Flow...12 Volunteer Overview.13 Promotional Items 14 Press Release 15 Fact Sheet.. 16 Federal Aid Toolkit 17 Questions

4 Calendar 2

5 Since the FAFSA application uses tax information from the parents and students tax filings, FAFSA Nights has partnered with Free Tax Assist, a service that offers free tax preparation and filing for families who have a family income under a certain level. Families have two options: OPTION 1 OPTION 2 VITA Program Sites: Workforce Solutions: Lower Valley 9am-1pm 8825 North Loop, (915) Workforce Solutions: Northeast 9am-1pm 9740 Dyer St. #190, (915) Workforce Solutions: Fabens 1pm-5pm th St. NE, Fabens, TX, (915) GECU : Resler- 9am-1pm 1500 N. Resler, (915) GECU Operations: Airway- 1pm-5pm 1225 Airway Blvd.,(915)

6 VITA Program Required Documents For Faster Service for parents and students please fill out the Tax Saturday Intake forms. To print the form online: Please visit 4

7 Tools for Counselors Table of Contents Please take advantage of the tools below to track FAFSA submission data for your high school. We will monitor submissions regularly, between the inception of FAFSA Nights and the last date of school for the school year. Apply Texas Software Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board High school counselors have access to verifiable and actionable information to use in increasing FAFSA completion among their students. The THECB recently added a new tool to the Apply Texas software available to counselors FAFSA tracking. Counselors may access this information by logging in to the link below. This tool assists in determining which of your students have completed a FAFSA form. Data for this year s seniors will be populated beginning in February FAFSA Completion by High School U.S. Department of Education The data tracked by the U.S. Department of Education reflects the number of submitted and completed FAFSAs among applicants who are scheduled to receive their high school diploma for the school year. Submissions for the school year may also be reviewed. 5

8 FAFSA Nights Scholarship Log Thanks to the generosity of our 2015 FAFSA Nights Sponsors, the FAFSA Nights Committee has been able to fund the FAFSA Nights Scholarships. We will be awarding 10, $1, scholarships to students who attend a FAFSA Night. They must attend to win a chance for a scholarship. Please help us motivate students to attend this event by promoting the FAFSA Night Scholarship! The scholarship will be awarded to the student and the college of choice. (Enrollment at a post secondary institution is required to receive funds.) The Scholarships will be awarded in late March. (Event will be held.) Students will be notified after the FAFSA Nights events end in mid March. Students must fill out an evaluation form, like the FAFSA Nights Facebook Page and return the form to a FAFSA Night staff member to submit their entry for a FAFSA Nights Scholarship. 6

9 Student Handouts Please make the information below available to your students in anticipation of FAFSA Nights. HOW TO DECIDE WHICH FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION IS RIGHT FOR ME? My Residency Status I am a U.S. Citizen I am a Permanent Resident With an Alien Registration Card (INS # I-551) I am an eligible noncitizen with an Arrival / Departure Record (INS # I-94) showing ONE of the following: FAFSA Requirements FEDERAL TAFSA Requirements STATE OF TEXAS Refugee Asylum Granted Parolee (min of 1-year) Cuban-Haitian entrant I do NOT meet one of the statuses above; I am not a US Citizen or Permanent Resident; however, I have resided in Texas for the over three years and graduated from a Texas High School thereby classifying me as a Texas Resident. Today I will Complete (which one?) OR Free Application for Federal Student Aid Texas Application for State Financial Aid 7

10 Table Table of of Contents Even if you do not have all the necessary documents, please bring what is available to start the FAFSA Process. For the school year, you will need financial information from 2014 Tax Return Your Social Security Number (SSN). Be sure the SSN is correct! Birthdates for: Mom \ Dad [mm/dd/yyyy] ALL 2014 W-2 FORMS (Dad, Mom, Student) and other records of money earned ALL 2014 FEDERAL INCOME TAX RETURN(S). IRS Form(s): 1040 \ 1040 A \ 1040 EZ YOUR PARENTS 2014 FEDERAL INCOME TAX RETURN Include your 2014 Untaxed income records (income that has not undergone taxation) such as not limited to: Veteran benefits records Child support received Worker's compensation Unemployment checks Current bank statements [NOT common] Your current business and investment mortgage information, business and farm records, stocks, bonds and other investment records (if documents are available). Your alien registration or permanent resident card (if you are not a U.S. citizen) Non U.S. Citizens can complete a TASFA [TX App for State Fin. Aid] To organize your information, print and complete a FAFSA ON THE WEB WORKSHEET before you begin entering your information online. Student Handouts Please make the information below available to your students in anticipation of FAFSA Nights. The TEXAS Toll-free Fin. Aid Info. Ctr (888) & the FEDERAL Financial Aid helpline (800) HELP: & 8

11 Table Table of of Contents Student Handouts Please make the information below available to your students in anticipation of FAFSA Nights. FAFSA INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW... [ STEP 1: Fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) ONLINE Register for a PIN (Personal Identification Number) Every family must have two PIN # s: One PIN for the student & One PIN for a parent Electronically sign the FAFSA using your PIN number. Complete the FAFSA application online each year in early Spring [January or February] STEP 2: Scholarships Apply for scholarships: [Check with your High School Counselors or Go Center] Meet all deadlines! [verify the school s priority deadlines] Any scholarship awards must be reported on the FAFSA [not applicable for NEW students] STEP 3: Check ONLINE- for FAFSA Results ( S.A.R. Student Aid Report) Verify information matches what was intended for submission STEP 4: Check school s website Log on to school s website to check for financial aid award(s); Check your status online for award notifications If any additional information is requested be sure to contact the school s Financial Aid Office for instructions and compliance. Use the school s Net Price Calculator to calculate college costs Plan a budget for all of your expenses (dorm room, meal plan, books & supplies, transportation costs, etc.); Options Available in addition to Grants, Scholarships, and Work Opportunities: STEP 5: Apply for Student Loan(s) Apply for a federal student loan to assist with additional expenses: (1) Subsidized Loan (interest rate of 3.4% - paid by Gov t.), or (2) Unsubsidized Loan (interest rate of 6.8% - accrues while in school), Check with school s Financial Aid Office for the required process Step 6: Apply for a Parent-PLUS Loan Parents have the option to apply for a Parent PLUS loan to cover college costs Check with the school s Financial Aid Office for additional requirements to complete the PLUS Loan process {@ interest rate of 7.90%} 9

12 TO REVIEW WHAT YOU VE DONE: Table of Contents So, I did my FAFSA Now What? Applied for and received a PIN number (you and for your parent) PIN Website: Completed, signed (with your PIN) and submitted the FAFSA Printed your confirmation page showing your Estimated Family Contribution [EFC] IF you have done all of the above, then proceed to the next box. IF you are not sure, then log-on to to complete and / or confirm. Your STUDENT AID REPORT (S-A-R) Access your S-A-R online. Student Handouts Please make the information below available to your students at your FAFSA Night. IMPORTANT: Read comments about your FAFSA on your SAR Review all of the information for accuracy. Print if necessary If corrections are needed, or you used guessed about the information, log-on to fafsa.ed.gov and click on make fafsa corrections. Find help, if needed, visit your high school counselor Go Center Specialists to complete and corrections VERIFICATION IF your SAR states you have been selected for verification, you will be required to submit additional documents. These may include: o o Institutional Verification Form (each college has their own form). Turn in any requested documents as soon as possible! Request an IRS Tax Transcript for your parents and you, if you filed. These may be obtained by calling ; Or, log-on to: or visiting your local IRS office. o Follow-up to ensure verification process is complete by: (a) contacting the college financial aid office, (b) logging-in to your FAFSA account to review the status. FINANCIAL AID AWARD NOTIFICATION Review all awards (either letter or online) ACCEPT the award before the deadline Visit - or call - your local Go Center or your High School Counselor 10

13 Table Marketing of Contents Timeline January weeks prior to your FAFSA Night Visibly display FAFSA Night posters 1. Every high school senior classroom 2. Parent Liaison meeting area 3. Break lounge 4. Cafeteria 5. Library Visibly display the FAFSA Night posters throughout school. Promote FAFSA Nights at your respective campus 1. School marquee (English and Spanish 2. Morning announcements 3. Student newspaper 4. Robocall (English & Spanish) 5. Upload digital banner onto your webpage 6. High school e-newsletter 7. Parent Portal (English & Spanish) 8. Online school calendar 9. Scholarship lists 10. Social Media Pages 11

14 Table Table of of Contents Event Flow 3:00PM 3:15PM 3:30PM 3:45PM 4:00PM 4:15PM 4:30PM Place papers with arrows guiding parents/students to the computer lab. Place signage directing parents to the parking lot. Unlock all rooms/doors which will be utilized for the event. Main entrance. Computer Lab. Bathrooms. Set up a Welcome/Registration area directly outside the computer lab. 2 Long draped tables; 4 chairs. Make sign-in sheets and pens available. Collateral material. Ensure internet and printer(s) are fully operational. Review the order of events with volunteers to ensure they understand their role and responsibility. Place greeter(s) at the main entrance welcoming families and directing them to the computer lab. If possible, provide escorts to take parents/students to the computer lab. College Connection Mentor Parent liaison. Welcome parents/students as they arrive. Ask parents/students to sign-in. Verify parents/students have the proper documentation needed to complete the FAFSA. Direct parents/students to a computer to begin filling out the form. 4:45-7:30PM Ensure all parents/students complete an evaluation form to win a chance for a $1,000 scholarship. 12

15 Volunteer Overview Table Table of of Contents You will be assigned business volunteers and College Connection Mentors to assist you at your event. Some schools might not have business volunteers or college connection mentors depending on the size of school and availability of volunteers. All business volunteers have completed a 90 minute training led by financial aid officers from UTEP and EPCC prior to participating in FAFSA Nights. Remember, business volunteers will not be financial aid experts but are there to best assist students and parents. Utilize the Volunteers to greet families and hang any additional signage. See below. Plan to meet your volunteers at least one hour before the event. This will give you time to give instructions and have volunteers situated when families begin to arrive. The Chamber will provide you with volunteer names and contact information at least one week prior to your event. UTEP s Collaborative for Academic Excellence will make College Connection Mentors available to high school counselors at FAFSA Night. Depending on the number of volunteers who commit, we will send them to your respective school. These volunteers may be assigned to one or more of the following roles: Set up and clean up Registration table Putting up signage Runners for additional supplies Greeters Collecting The FAFSA Nights Evaluation and Scholarship applications 13

16 Promotional Items Table Table of of Contents Each site coordinator will receive several promotional items from their district s Office of Public Relations to aid in advertising their FAFSA Night event. These promotional item should be distributed/displayed as soon as possible after they are received. Poster Calendar Each campus will receive up to 27 posters total (English & Spanish) 14

17 Press Release Table of Contents THE GREATER EL PASO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE STRIVES TO MAKE COLLEGE ATTAINMENT A REALITY FOR HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS EL PASO, TX, JANUARY 26, 2015: The Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce (GEPCC) is working with area businesses and schools to increase the number of high school students submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid the spring semester of their senior year through FAFSA Nights, a service provided to students free of charge by UTEP and EPCC annually since Postsecondary access remains a barrier for students due to the cost of tuition and the complexity of the financial aid process. FAFSA Nights eliminates hurdles for parents and students by providing access to financial aid experts and volunteers willing to walk families through the application process. A FAFSA Night will be held at each area high school in El Paso County from 4:30-7:00PM at the high school s computer lab. FAFSA Nights runs from February 2-26, For more information regarding what information you need to bring, specific dates and locations please visit FAFSA Nights has been endorsed as a difference maker for El Paso County students by ADP, El Paso Electric and Texas Gas. The primary goal of the Chamber s Education and Workforce Development Division is to lead partnership development efforts between business and education leaders and advocate for meaningful policy change in order to enhance education and workforce development outcomes in El Paso. For more information, please contact Chris Lechuga at (915) or [email protected] 15

18 Fact Sheet Table of Contents FAFSA Nights, a service provided to students free of charge by UTEP and EPCC annually since 1986, are a series of evening workshops hosted by financial aid officers at area high schools. Families have the opportunity to receive one to one bilingual assistance in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). FAFSA Nights are scheduled to take place starting February 2, 2015 and end February 26, 2015 at 50 high school campuses. Each workshop runs from 4:30-7:00PM at either the computer lab or library. To see when FAFSA Night is coming to your school visit Submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid increases the probability of a student enrolling into a postsecondary program by 350%. Only 65% of the Class of 2013 successfully submitted the FAFSA. In other words, 3,653 high school seniors did not submit the form and lost out on thousands of dollars in financial aid. The Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce (GEPCC) is the newest addition to the FAFSA Nights partnership between UTEP, EPCC, Howard Payne University, Kaplan College, Western Technical and area school districts. The GEPCC decided to support FAFSA Nights with the intent purpose of making improvements at the margins. Reaching an additional 535 students in 2015, would translate into a $963 million impact on the local economy over the long term. One new feature is the addition of tax service assistance days at select high school campuses, leading up to FAFSA Nights. Postsecondary access remains a barrier for students due to the cost of tuition and the complexity of the process. These two free services eliminate hurdles for parents and students. FAFSA Nights has been endorsed as a difference maker for El Paso County students by ADP, El Paso Electric, Chase, and Texas Gas. The primary goal of the Chamber s Education and Workforce Development Division is to lead partnership development efforts between business and education leaders and advocate for meaningful policy change in order to enhance education and workforce development outcomes in El Paso. For more information please visit 16

19 Federal Toolkit In 2014, the U.S. Department of Education's office of Federal Student Aid (FSA), launched this site which consolidates and organizes FSA resources into a searchable toolkit that can be used by organizations and individuals that interact with, support, or counsel FSA's target audiences. The Financial Aid Toolkit provides: Federal student aid information Outreach tools for counselors College access professionals Nonprofit mentors, and others. Please visit: Graphics: Please use any and all graphics when sharing with students. 17

20 Table Table Contact of of Contents For questions concerning FAFSA nights, please contact: Chris Lechuga, Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce / Andrea Kerr, Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce / Raul Lerma, El Paso Community College / Ron Williams, University of Texas at El Paso / Suggestions? Please provide feedback and comments to Chris Lechuga no later than April 15 th. Please share any best practices other counselors may find useful that we may include in the 2016 tool Kit. 18

21 Special Thanks to our FAFSA Nights Sponsors & Partners