Understanding Financial Aid

1. Understanding Financial Aid

2. Prior to Financial Aid Brian Peter Neil

3. Financial Aid is financial assistance to pay education-related expenses at approved colleges. • Financial Aid is given in the form of: • Grants • Scholarships • Work Study • Loans • Financial Aid comes from 4 sources: • Federal • State • Institutional • Private What is Financial Aid?

4. Financial Aid may be used for “education related expenses.” • What are examples of education related expenses? • Tuition and Fees • Books • Lab supplies • School supplies • Transportation (car, bus, gas, etc.) • Housing • Food What can I Use financial aid for?

5. Grants • Come from Federal and State Governments • Federal - Pell, SEOG, Work Study, TEACH, SMART, ACG • State • Regents Higher Education Opportunity Award • Leveraging Educational Assistance Program • Special Leveraging Educational Assistance Program • Institutional – Student Fee Generated • Scholarships • Millennium – Nevada Treasurer’s Office • College Foundation – Private sources, need to apply through the college • Third Party – money goes directly to student, not through the college • Loans (You must pay back!) • Federal Government – Stafford (for the students) and PLUS (for eligible parents) • Alternative/Private – directly from the bank/lender What is Financial Aid?

6. Two Applications: • FAFSA (online) • Institutional Scholarship Application • Third Party • They have separate applications How Do I Get Financial Aid?

7. The amount a student is eligible for is determined by information provided on the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) by the Federal Government Cost of Attendance (tuition, fees, typical room and board, books – set by the institution) • Expected Family Contribution (based on income information provided in the FAFSA) =Financial Need How is Financial Aid Calculated?

8. What is the FAFSA? • Free Application for Federal Student Aid • Why should the FAFSA be completed? Determines eligibility for: • Federal Grants • Federal Student Employment • Federal Student/Parent Loans • State Grants • Scholarships • Need • Non-Need FAFSA Basics Increasing financial opportunities

9. Apply EARLY! • FAFSA available early January of each year • Beginning with the Senior year of high school • Request a PIN • Student and parent(s) • Complete the FAFSA online in January • Research institutional scholarship deadlines • Understand Millennium Scholarship Requirements • Respond to requests quickly • Attend financial aid workshops Financial Aid Basics Be prepared

10. PIN Request • www.pin.ed.gov • At least one parent and the student • Documents Needed • SS# • Driver’s license (if any) • 2009 Federal Tax Return and W-2s • Student and Parent • HINT: No taxes = last paycheck stub/2006 Taxes • 2009 Untaxed Income records • Social Security • Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) • Welfare • VA Benefits • Current Bank Statements • Miscellaneous (as applicable) • Current business and investment mortgage information • Business and farm records • Stocks, bond, and/or other investment records • Alien Registration or permanent residence card (if you are not a U.S. citizen) FAFSA Online Before you Begin

11. www.fafsa.ed.gov • Before Beginning a FAFSA, you need: • 2009-2010 Pre-Application Worksheet • PIN • Pre-Application Worksheet • Set aside at least 15-20 minutes to prepare • FAFSA Online • Set aside at least 30-45 minutes to complete • Electronic Signature (PIN) FAFSA Online It’s January, time to complete your FAFSA

12. The Financial Aid office takes the financial need and applies: • Grants students may be eligible for; • Scholarships; • Work Study; and • Loans. • The Financial Aid Office is not allowed to award more money then the need. How is Financial Aid Awarded?

13. Two sources of scholarships: • Institutional • Private • Students make an additional application for institutional and private scholarships according to the unique application procedures. • Usually a priority deadline for institutional scholarships (typically March 1). • CCSD maintains a database for many scholarships: • http://cpd.ccsd.net/guidance/guidance.html Scholarships

14. The Nevada Prepaid Tuition Program enables Nevada’s parents, grandparents and family friends to lock in future college tuition rates at today’s prices. In just a few short years, more than 12,000 residents have invested almost $65 million to guarantee the academic future of the children in their lives. • Options: • Parents can choose to pay a lump sum, spread the payment out over five years with 60 equal payments, or pay each month from the time of enrollment until the child is ready to start college. This program is fully transferable to private or public out-of-state colleges and universities and can be transferred to another family member, including a first cousin. Nevada Pre-paid Tuition

15. What is FERPA? • Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act • Federal law that governs the disclosure of education records • What does FERPA mean to me, as a parent? • Cannot disclose academic records, including financial aid, without a written waiver by the student • If student is claimed as a dependent, we can release financial aid information • Can release directory information FERPA

16. Retirement Brian Peter Neil

17. Financial Aid is an investment in your future! What is Financial Aid?