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Begin the FAFSA on the Web now.
Every year students and their families must complete the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the appropriate
award year if they wish to apply for federal financial aid
(including student loans).
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Which FAFSA? |
Terms/Semesters |
Award Year |
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2007-08 |
Fall 2007, Spring 2008, Summer
2008 |
2008 |
|
2008-09 |
Fall 2008, Spring 2009, Summer
2009 |
2009 |
You
should submit your completed FAFSA to the federal processing
center as soon as possible after January 1, once federal tax
information for the previous year is available. In order to be
considered for all available need-based aid, the FAFSA should be
submitted by March 1. Forms may be processed throughout the
school year, but funds are limited in many programs. In any
case, forms must be filed in time for application data to be
received by the school from the federal processor in time for
awards to be processed prior to when a student ceases to be
enrolled.
Keep copies of all forms you and your
family used in completing the FAFSA. If you file the paper
version, make a copy of the application also. If you file your
FAFSA electronically, you should print a copy of your electronic
application data for your records.
We strongly encourage you to electronically complete the
FAFSA on the Web or your Renewal FAFSA on the Web. Visit the
FAFSA on the Web home page at
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov for more information. Students and
parents who file via the Web make fewer errors and the process
is much faster than filing the paper FAFSA. We encourage Web
filers to print and complete the FAFSA on the Web Worksheet from
Section 1 of the FAFSA home page.
In order for the Winthrop Office of Financial Aid to receive
your processed FAFSA information, you must list our federal code
number 003456 when requested on the FAFSA on the Web or in Step
6 of the paper FAFSA. You may
request a paper FAFSA if you do not have computer access or choose not to file via
the Web.
Before you begin filing the FAFSA online, make sure you have the
following items:
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Your social security card and driver's license
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Your (and your spouse's, if married) federal income tax return
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Your parents' (if you are a dependent) federal income tax return
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W-2 Forms or other records of income earned
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Records of any untaxed income received, such as welfare benefits, social security
benefits, AFDC or ADC, veteran's benefits, or military or clergy allowances
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Current bank statements
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Business or farm records, if you or your parents own a business or farm
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Records of stocks, bonds, and other investments
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Your alien registration card (if you are not a US citizen)
When completing the FAFSA, use your name exactly as it
appears on your Social Security card. Do not use nicknames,
abbreviations, or middle names as first names. The U. S. Department of Education requires your name on the FAFSA to identically match your
name on Social Security Administration records. You will be
required to submit additional information if there is a name
conflict.
Once the financial aid office has received your application data
from the processor, you may be requested to provide additional
documentation. The federal processor selects approximately 30
percent of all applicants for a verification process. This means
the financial aid office must collect certain documents to
validate the information you provided on your FAFSA.
The Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application process
is considered to be completed when the Office of Financial Aid
has received from the U.S. Department of Education the valid
Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) from the
student's FAFSA, the student/family has completed the
verification process (if selected), and furnished us any other
requested documentation (citizenship, Selective Service
registration, etc.).
After all forms have been received in the financial aid office
and if you are an enrolled student or have been accepted for
enrollment, you will be notified of financial aid programs and
amounts you are eligible to receive. In order to complete the
award process, you should accept or decline each financial aid
program on the award, complete any enclosed forms, and return
these to the
Office of Financial Aid
within two weeks of receipt.
To
be eligible for any form of federal or state financial aid, you
must meet the following requirements.
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You must be
a US citizen or an eligible non-citizen.
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You must be
admitted to the University as a regular degree-seeking
student (i.e. not a visitor, special, or post-bac). One
exception to this requirement is teacher certification;
those admitted to the teacher certification program may
apply for federal student loans.
Begin the FAFSA on the Web now.
Financial assistance you are awarded from federal, state, or
institutional grants or loans will appear as credits on your
statement of account for each semester. Statements for the fall
term are usually mailed in early July. Statements for the spring
term are mailed in November. |
