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Financial Aid 101 Valerie Jensen Coordinator, New Students and Outreach. Office of Student Financial Services. What’s happening tonight?. What is financial aid? When and how do I apply? What is an Expected Family Contribution? What is an Award Letter? Financial Aid Timeline.
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Financial Aid 101Valerie JensenCoordinator, New Students and Outreach Office of Student Financial Services
What’s happening tonight? • What is financial aid? • When and how do I apply? • What is an Expected Family Contribution? • What is an Award Letter? • Financial Aid Timeline
What is Financial Aid? • Scholarships • Grants • Loans • Employment Opportunities
How Do I Apply? • FAFSA • Free Application for Federal Student Aid • Calculates student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC) • CSS/Profile • Required by some colleges and universities • Requests additional information • Involves a fee
Where do I Apply? • Web site: www.fafsa.ed.gov • 2015-2016 FAFSA on the Web will become available on January 1, 2015
When Should I Apply? The FAFSA should be completed between January 1 and March 1 of student’s senior year of high school. • Most need-based aid awarded on “first-come, first-served” basis • Plan to submit FAFSA before each school’s priority deadline • FAFSA must be completed each year the student is enrolled
What Can I Do Now? • PIN Registration • FAFSA on the Web Worksheet • Forecast your EFC • Net price calculators
PIN Registration • Web site: www.pin.ed.gov • You can get your PIN before youfile the FAFSA • Student and parent will each need PINs • Will be used by student and parents throughout aid process,including subsequent school years
FAFSA Practice Tools 2014-2015 FAFSA on the Web Worksheet • Four page booklet containing • FAFSA instructions • Four Sections • Student Info • Student Dependency Status • Parent Financial Information • Student Financial Information FAFSA4Caster • www.fafsa4caster.gov • Forecasts a ballpark figure of what EFC may be • Allows families to become familiar with FAFSA Net Price Calculator • Each school required to have within 2 clicks of homepage • Gives better idea of what you’ll pay at each school
How is the EFC calculated? • Federal methodology is the formula created by Congress to determine the EFC • Determined by the Dept of Education, not the individual schools • Uses student and parent income and assets • Includes provisions and exceptions for your family and cost-of-living
Need Varies Based on Cost 1 X 1 2 Y 3 Z EFC Cost of Attendance (Variable) Expected Family Contribution (Constant) Need (Variable)
Award Letter • Lists scholarships, grants, loans, and work opportunities based upon FAFSA • Sent out by schools in earlyMarch
Saint Louis University Merit-Based Scholarship Opportunities • Merit-based • $3,000 to $16,000 • Based upon ACT/SAT scores, GPA • Presidential Scholarship • Full Tuition • December 1st Deadline • Martin Luther King Scholarship • Stackable award for 2015-2016 academic year • February 1st Deadline
Private Scholarship Search Free Internet scholarship search engines: • FastWebwww.fastweb.com • Scholarship Foundation www.sfstl.orgof St. Louis • FinAid on the Web www.finaid.org • College Board www.collegeboard.com • Wired Scholar www.wiredscholar.com • GoCollegewww.gocollege.com • Saint Louis University finaid.slu.edu/scholarships
Avoid Being Scammed To check the legitimacy of scholarship search services or individuals, for information about financial aid scams, and tips to avoid being scammed, visit these websites: • U.S. Department of Education:www.studentaid.ed.gov/types/scams • Federal Trade Commission:www.consumer.ftc.gov/scam-alerts • Better Business Bureau: www.bbb.org
Different Types of Federal Aid • Pell Grant • Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) • Federal Work Study
Federal Work-Study • FWS is an opportunity for students to earn money at an hourly wage. FWS is not immediately applied to a student’s account. • FWS jobs tend to be very flexible and accommodating with student schedules. • Undergraduate, graduate, and professional students may be eligible to earn FWS. • Employment may be on or off campus.
Tackling your remaining balance • Payment Plans • Most schools offer at least one type of payment plan • Parent PLUS loan • Federally guaranteed • Credit-based • Private/Alternative Loans • Do some research now!
Let us help you! Plan to attend a FAFSA Workshop on SLU’s campus January 11, 25, 28, February 8, 15 and March 8 Online Chats January 21, February 3 and 12 www.slu.edu/student-financial-services/outreach
Thank You! Contact us 1.800.758.3678 (Toll Free) 314.977.2350 (Main) 314.977.3437 (Fax) sfs@slu.edu (Email) http://finaid.slu.edu http://slu.financialaidtv.com