Financial Aid Information

The online version of the FAFSA allows seniors to:

• apply paperless;
• check status of FAFSA
• view Student Aid Report and Estimated Family Contribution
• make corrections to your application.

Seniors and their parents are encouraged to go online at any time and obtain a PIN at www.pin.ed.gov. However, the FAFSA cannot be filed until AFTER January 1, 2012. The FAFSA requires information from parents' 2011 tax return.

**Consult the Senior Survival Guide for more information [pdf file]

The 2012 - 13 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA) will be available to complete and file via the U.S. Department of Education’s (DE) student aid website after January 1, 2012.

The FASFA is used to calculate a student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which is the amount the student or student’s family is expected to pay toward the cost of attending college. The EFC plays an important role in determining how much financial assistance a student may be eligible to receive.

Prospective and current college students who plan to receive Federal student aid during the 2011-2012 academic year, should be knowledgeable of federal, institutional and state deadline dates pertaining to the FASFA. While the official federal deadline to complete and file the FASFA is June 30, 2012, most colleges and universities designate a deadline that is much earlier than the date designated by the DE. As a result, students are highly encouraged to check with their college's financial aid office to confirm the FASFA deadline for that specific institution.

In addition to meeting institutional deadlines, the FASFA must be completed and filed by April 1, 2012, to be eligible for state financial assistance, such as the Access Missouri Program. Students interested in obtaining additional scholarships and grants should prepare to file the FASFA as soon as possible. Students who have not completed the FASFA in previous years, will need to obtain a FASFA PIN number to complete the on-line process.

If you would like free professional help filling out the FASFA, financial aid advisers will be available at locations throughout the state during College Goal Sunday in February. One $500 scholarship will be given away at each College Goal Sunday location, including the Nichols Career Center in Jefferson City. To participate in College Goal Sunday activities, please make sure to bring the following documentation:

1) Your FASFA PIN number;

2) Your Social Security Number and your parents’ Social Security Numbers if you are under the age 24 and not married;

3) Your driver’s license number if you have one;

4) Your Alien Registration Number if you are not a U.S. citizen;

5) 2010 federal tax information or tax returns (including IRS W-2 information) for yourself and spouse if you are married, and for your parents if you are providing parent information. If you have not yet filed a 2011 income tax return at the time you complete your FAFSA, you can still submit your FAFSA but you must provide estimated income and tax information.

6) Records of untaxed income, such as Social Security benefits, welfare benefits (e.g., TANF), and veterans benefits, for yourself, and your parents if you are providing parent information; and

7) Information on savings, investments, and business and farm assets for yourself, and your parents if you are providing parent information.

To obtain additional information about the FASFA, please contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center at (800) 433-3243.

Attention Students & Parents

FAFSA4caster is a financial aid estimator that students and parents can use before officially applying for financial aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). FAFSA4caster will determine what types of federal grants, loans, and work-study students may qualify for in college. Any student, regardless of age or year in school, may use FAFSA4caster before officially applying for the FAFSA by clicking on www.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov.

Financial Aid Estimator

Fast Web FinAid	College Net
College Answer	College Board
Scholarships.com	College Scholarships.com
Guaranteed Scholarships	Christian Connector
Federal Student Aid

More helpful websites to obtain financial aid

AmeriCorps: Financial Aid for National Service
Employer Tuition Assistance Programs
Financial Aid for African-American Students
Financial Aid for Hispanic Students
Financial Aid for Military Service
Financial Aid for Native American Students
Financial Aid for Study Abroad
State-Based Tuition Breaks

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