FINANCIAL AID OVERVIEW Basic College Process Student has taken ACT/SAT tests Student has applied for and been accepted at the institutions they are looking at Student completes FAFSA Student and school receive FAFSA information from federal processor (student receives the Student Aid Report (SAR), school receives the info electronically) 2 1
Basic College Process School matches admissions record with financial aid application and determines eligibility School sends award letter (February May) Student determines what school they are attending and submits enrollment deposit Student registers for classes and enrolls 3 Financial Aid Applications FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) www.fafsa.ed.gov Promise Application www.cfwv.com Institutional Applications Private Scholarship Applications 4 2
WWW.FAFSA.GOV Available January 1, 2015 Promise deadline March 1, 2015 WV State Grant deadline April 15, 2015 Do NOTuse fafsa.com charges a fee 5 The FAFSA Section 1 -- Student Information Section 2 - Student Dependency Status Section 3 - Parental Information Section 4 - Student Finances Section 5 List of Schools 6 3
The FAFSA 2 step process If 2014 taxes are not completed, then families should estimate their income and complete and submit their FAFSA by the appropriate deadlines Once taxes are completed, families should go back to www.fafsa.govand update their FAFSA with their final tax information 7 Basic Equation of Need Cost of Attendance (COA) Expected Family Contribution (EFC) = Student s Financial Need (eligibility) 8 4
Cost of Attendance (varies from school to school) Tuition and fees Room and board Books and supplies Transportation Miscellaneous personal expenses Loan fees, study abroad costs, dependent or elder care expenses. 9 Income Determining the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) Asset Equity (excluding home equity) Family Size Number of Family Members in College (excludes parent enrolled in college) Age of Parents 10 5
Federal Pell Grant Program Eligible students Undergraduates pursuing first baccalaureate or professional degree Aid administrator determines actual award amount based on enrollment status, and EFC (currently under 5,157 for 14-15) Award amounts Up to $5,850 maximum (estimated for 2015-2016) 11 Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) Eligible students Undergraduates pursuing first baccalaureate or professional degree Awarded first to students with exceptional financial need (i.e., students with the lowest EFCs at that school) Priority to Federal Pell Grant recipients Annual award amounts $100 minimum $4,000 maximum 12 6
West Virginia Higher Education Grant Must be WV resident Awards range from $2,600 to $2,200 depending on the EFC for 14-15. The student must enroll full-time at an approved institution, demonstrate need, and file the FAFSA by April 15, 2015. Students must have a 2.0 high school gpa to be eligible Students must maintain 2.0 gpa and complete 24 semester hours to renew it. 13 Higher Education Adult Part-Time Student (HEAPS) Grant Need-based grant Decentralized administration Contact Institutional Aid Office for more details and to apply Traditional part-time enrollment Maximum award cannot exceed part-time tuition and fee charges or $186 per credit hour at a nonpublic institution for 14-15 7
HEAPS Workforce Grant Application becomes available on July 1; Contact the school for application Student must complete FAFSA and have financial need Can receive up to $2,000 or tuition and fees For Certificate or short-term training programs like certified medical training, mining, gaming, etc. Requirements for the PROMISE Scholarship Core Requirements English 4 credits Mathematics 4 credits Social Sciences 4 credits Natural Sciences 3 credits The core grade point average includes all core classes; grades are calculated using the county grading policy 16 8
Requirements for the PROMISE Scholarship Eligibility Requirements 3.0 GPA in the core and overall coursework 22 on the ACT (minimum of a 20 in each of the subject areas) or 1020 on the SAT (490 verbal, 480 Math) Writing sections NOT included June 6, 2015 last SAT date June 13, 2015 last ACT date 17 2015 Eligibility Criteria and Deadlines For the PROMISE Scholarship PROMISE application deadline is March 1, 2015; Ensure student uses correct SSN Submit thefafsaby March 1, 2015 When students submit PROMISE application, student needs to keep copy of the confirmation page; 18 9
PROMISE Scholarship Tuition and mandatory fees at any West Virginia public or private non-profit college up to $4,750 PROMISE is renewable (for up to 8 semesters for a 4 year degree or 4 semesters for a 2 year degree) as long as the student maintains a 3.0 in college and completes 30 credit hours in a 12 month period. Student may request consideration for deferment if going out of state for up to a year or if other circumstances, please contact our office 19 PROMISE Scholarship Students go to www.cfwv.com Create an account with username and password Allows you to go back and make any corrections to your PROMISE application Allows you to see the status of your PROMISE application 20 10
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Federal Work-Study Employment during school Job may be on or off campus Income is taxable (state and federal) Excluded from student s total income reported on next year s FAFSA Program varies from school to school 24 12
Teach Grant Students can receive up to $4,000 a year; Cannot exceed $16,000 for undergraduates or $8,000 for graduates; Student must have 3.25 gpa; Commit to teach full-time for 4 years within their first 8 years out of school or it becomes a loan; Must teach either math, science, special education, foreign language, reading specialist, or field designated by a state as high-need at at at atitle I school. 25 Teach Grant If student does not fulfill commitment: The grant becomes like an unsubsidized loan Interest from the time grant was disbursed is added to the amount to be paid back. 26 13
Engineering, Science and Technology Scholarship Merit-based scholarship/forgivable loan March 1 application deadline 3.0 overall GPA Enrolled or accepted for enrollment full-time in an engineering, science or technology program (4-yr, 2- yr or certificate) Maximum annual award amount is $3,000 Application at www.cfwv.com Underwood-Smith Teacher Scholarship Merit-based scholarship/forgivable loan March 1 application deadline Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a course leading to a certification as a teacher at the pre-k, elementary, middle or secondary level Must have a 3.25 GPA after completing 2 years of course work (due to limited funding, high school applicants are not eligible) Maximum annual award amount is $5,000 Application at www.cfwv.com 14
Federal Perkins Loan *** Eligible students (priority to those with exceptional need) Annual and aggregate loan limits $5,500 annually for undergraduates $8,000 annually for graduates $27,500 aggregate for undergraduates $60,000 aggregate for graduates Interest rate: 5% Nine-month grace period Deferment and cancellation provisions available ***Subject to change 29 Federal Stafford Loan (Subsidized and Unsubsidized) Annual loan limits Subsidized Stafford: must demonstrate need and up to 150% of the program Unsubsidized Stafford: need is not a consideration Repayment does not begin until 6 months after student drops below 6 credit hours. Loan Fee of 1.073% Interest Rate (variable-fixed) 4.66% until July 1, 2015 for undergraduates 30 15
Federal PLUS Loan Parent borrows on behalf of dependent undergrad Approval subject to credit check Loan limits Annual limit: cost of attendance less other aid Aggregate limit: none Interest rate variable-fixed at 7.21% until July 1, 2015 Loan fee of 4.292% Repayment begins 60 days after final disbursement or 6 months after student drop below half-time; Graduate Students are eligible to apply for a PLUS loan 31 Institutional Aid Academic Scholarships Performance Scholarships Entitlement Scholarships Merit and Need-based Scholarships and Grant Need-based Grants and Loans 32 16
Private Aid Community Organizations Churches Employers and Labor Unions Professional Associations Corporations / Foundations 33 Upromise www.upromise.com Save for college as you spend, or Repay your student loans Rebate from products and services you purchase will automatically be entered into your account. Once you earn $50 quarterly, it will be send to your designated account. 34 17
Additional Financial Resources Inquire about tuition installment plans Spreads tuition payments over several months Low sign-up fees, low to no interest charged Consider alternative loan programs Federal non-need based educational loans Private educational loans Home equity or line-of-credit loans Using Smart529 Plan WWW.SMART529.COM 35 Additional Financial Resources Check into tax benefits for education American Opportunity Tax Credit Lifetime Learning Credit Educational IRAs Deduction for interest payments on educational loans (consult your tax advisor) 36 18
Consumer Protection As a general rule, never pay money to get scholarships or apply for financial aid. You do not have to pay to complete the FAFSA do NOT use www.fafsa.com HEPC and colleges provide free financial aid counseling and assistance 37 Sources of General FA Information Websites www.cfwv.com Financial Aid Information Page (www.finaid.org) U.S. Department of Education (www.studentaid.ed.gov) www.fastweb.com www.collegeboard.com www.gibill.va.gov 38 19
39 February 15, 2015 24 locations throughout the state from 1pm-4pm www.cfwv.com for more information 40 20
CFWV: Shared Statewide Calendar To view: cfwv.com > click calendar (toward the bottom of the page) 41 ANY PROBLEMS: Customer Service Call customer service for Federal Financial Aid: 1-800-433-3243 Call customer service for State Financial Aid: 1-888-825-5707 42 21
Contact Information Brian Weingart Senior Director of Financial Aid WV Higher Education Policy Commission 1018 Kanawha Boulevard, East Charleston, West Virginia 25301 bweingart@hepc.wvnet.edu 304-558-4618 or 888-825-5707 22