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MCC Daily Tribune Archive

Let your student know: FAFSA Don'ts


The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA, and the resulting Student Aid Report (SAR) help college financial aid officers determine a student's eligibility for federal financial aid programs such as Pell Grants, Stafford Loans and federal work-study. It’s also the basis for determining eligibility for other state and college-based scholarships and aid programs.

If you have a college-bound student or you know of an MCC student with financial aid concerns, these FAFSA “don'ts” may be helpful:


DON’T

Assume you are ineligible for financial aid. Many scholarships and grants are available based on merit and other factors, but still require a FAFSA to be considered for them.

Procrastinate – schedule time to complete the online FAFSA as soon as possible after Jan. 1, 2009. Many colleges have earlier deadlines for consideration of scholarships, grants and other forms of financial aid. Check your college’s Web site for specific deadlines and special application forms.

Use decimal points when completing financial sections. Decimals are not recognized during processing, so $500.00 will be misread as $50,000.

Forget to sign the forms. Make sure your parents sign in the appropriate locations. When filing online, make sure to use the correct federal PINs for you (the student), and your parents.

Include anything with the form when you mail the paper FAFSA; any additional paperwork will be discarded. If there are unusual family circumstances, contact the college financial aid administrator to ask for a professional judgment review. Do not make any extraneous marks or notes on the paper form. Make a copy of the entire form before you submit online or mail it. If you filed electronically, don’t mail any copies of your forms.

Remember, the first word in FAFSA is “Free,” so beware of anyone charging you to file the FAFSA for you. There is no “secret” method of filling out the FAFSA to qualify for more aid, nor do you have to pay to file it. Many schools and libraries offer free workshops and help in completing the FAFSA, should you need it.

The HYPERLINK
https://www.hesc.com/content.nsf/ExternalPage?OpenFrameset&a=&u=https://www.studentaid.ed.gov/>> Federal Student Aid Information Center provides a free hotline, 1-800-4 FED-AID (1-800-433-3243 or TDD 1-800-730-8913) for questions about federal student aid, including questions about completing the FAFSA. The hotline and Web site are operated by the U.S. Department of Education, so these sources can provide definitive answers to questions about federal student aid and filing procedures.

The FAFSA is your key to federal student financial aid, so file as soon as possible and take advantage of the maximum federal funding for which you qualify.


Ramon L. Rodriguez
Financial Aid
02/09/2009