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Financial Aid
It is estimated that as many as 1.5 million students who probably would have qualified for Pell Grants did not apply for federal financial aid in 2003-04, the last year for which information is available, up 76 percent since 1999-2000, according to a report titled Missed Opportunities Revisited: New Information on Students Who Do Not Apply for Financial Aid by the American Council on Education.
What is it?
FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The
federal government uses this for to determine your eligibility for
financial aid, which includes: grants, work-study, scholarships and
loans. The FAFSA form must be filed by any student who wants to be
considered for college financial aid.The filing period is Jan 1
thru March 2nd of each year.
Why fill it out?
The FAFSA is used to determine how much aid you will receive. Think
of it this way:
FAFSA ® EFC ® Financial Need ® Financial Aid
EFC is Expected Family Contribution, which is the amount of money your
family can be expected to contribute each year to your college costs.
What type of aid can I expect to receive?
Your prospective college will try to meet your financial need through
federal, state, school and private sources, as well as loans, grants and
student employment.
How to apply:
Apply for a federal PIN now by going to
www.pin.ed.gov.
You can use your PIN to e-sign your FAFSA and make corrections later
if needed. Parents need to get a PIN to e-sign the FAFSA. Parents need
to save their year-end payroll stubs if they show earnings for the year.
This information will be necessary to complete the FAFSA. You’ll need a
Social Security number to apply for a PIN and most financial aid. If
you don’t have a Social Security number, find out how to get one at
www.ssa.gov. Complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov or get a
paper form from your school. Undocumented students may contact the
Commission for further instructions.
Cal Grant awards are state funded monetary grants given to students to help pay for college expenses. The awards do not have to be paid back.
In order to qualify for a Cal Grant, you must submit the FAFSA form between January 1 and March 2.
This year, 2006-2007, Senate Bill 1383 provides that, although seniors must continue to apply for a Cal Grant by the March 2 deadline, they have until December 31 to pass the exit exam and still be eligible for an award.
File a verified grade point average (GPA) with your Career &; College Specialist in room 122. The GPA information will be submitted electronically. The form is available in room 122 in early December.
Employment, usually on campus, awarded to needy students as part of a financial aid package through the U.S. government's Federal Work-Study Program.
What is a California Chafee Grant?
The California Chafee Grant Program gives free money to current or
former foster youth to use for career and technical training or college
courses. You don't have to pay this money back and you can use it for
things like child-care, transportation and rent. The Chafee Grant Program,
also known as the Education and Training Voucher (ETV), is a federally
funded program and is subject to availability of federal funds each year.
How do I qualify?
You must be eligible or have been eligible for foster care between your
16th and 18th birthday and not have reached your 22nd birthday as
of July 1 of the award year.
What do I need to apply?
You must be enrolled in either an eligible career or technical school or
college, a course of study at least half time or a course of study that is
at least one year long and maintain satisfactory academic progress
(i.e. get good grades).
How do I apply?
You must file two forms: Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
and California Chafee Grant Program Application
(online application)
Other Resources: