CLAUDIA WENZEL

DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCEJOHN CARROLL UNIVERSITYCWENZEL@JCU.EDU 216-397-4270

Hands on FAFSA TrainingNovember 4, 2011

THE GUIDANCE COUNSELOR’S ROLE Expert or Resource?

Understanding the Process Preparing Students and Parents Knowing where to find the answers

FINANCIAL AID PROCESS

FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID (FAFSA) A standard form that collects demographic and

financial information about the student and family May be filed electronically or using paper form Available in English and Spanish Information used to calculate the Expected Family

Contribution or EFC The amount of money a student and his or her family may

reasonably be expected to contribute towards the cost of the student’s education for an academic year

Colleges use EFC to award financial aid

FAFSA ON THE WEB

Website: www.fafsa.gov 2012–13 FAFSA on the Web available on

January 1, 2012 FAFSA on the Web Worksheet:

Used as “pre-application” worksheet Questions follow order of FAFSA on the Web

FEDERAL STUDENT AID PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (FSA PIN) Website:

www.pin.ed.gov Sign FAFSA

electronically Not required, but

speeds processing May be used by

students and parents throughout aid process, including subsequent school years

FAFSA ON THE WEBGood reasons to file electronically: Built-in edits to prevent costly errors Skip logic allows student and/or parent to skip

unnecessary questions Option to use Internal Revenue Service (IRS) data

retrieval More timely submission of original application and

any necessary corrections More detailed instructions and “help” for common

questions Ability to check application status on-line Simplified application process in the future

CONTACT US

Feature enables students and parents to obtain support by browsing online help and contacting the Federal Student Aid Information Center by Live Help, Phone, or E-mail.

8

ENHANCED FUNCTIONALITY Help and Hints now have

question labels and question numbers for easier reference.

Formatting on date fields, telephone number, and financial fields.

The system automatically saves the application at the end of each step.

“Clear All Data” allows an applicant delete their data from the system anytime prior to submission.

9

OTHER FILING OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS FAFSA on the Phone (FOTP) The Federal Student Aid

Information Center (FSAIC) representatives assist applicants by filing the FAFSA on their behalf through FOTW Submitted through http://www.fafsa.gov for applicants who call 1-800-4-FED-AID.

FAA Access Online tool that a financial aid administrator (FAA) utilizes to submit a FAFSA. Submitted through http://www.faaacess.ed.gov by a FAA on behalf of an applicant.

PDF FAFSA or Paper FAFSA The paper version of the FAFSA printed by the Department for applicants who are unable to access the Internet or the online PDF FAFSA for applicants who can access the Internet but are unable to complete the form using FOTW

CUSTOMIZED “MY FAFSA” Start Here for all

options –

Initial FAFSA Entry Renewal Application

Entry FAFSA Corrections Providing Signatures Continuing a Saved

FAFSA Viewing Transaction

Hist0ry

11

FREQUENT FAFSA ERRORS Social Security Numbers Divorced/remarried parental information Income earned by parents/stepparents Untaxed income U.S. income taxes paid Household size Number of household members in college Real estate and investment net worth FAFSA.COM

SECTION 1General student information: Social Security Number Citizenship status

Eligible noncitizen (Enter your Alien Registration Number )A permanent U.S. resident with a Permanent Resident Card (I-551); A conditional permanent resident with a Conditional Green Card (I-551C);The holder of an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from the Department of Homeland Security showing any of the following designations: “Refugee,” “AsylumGranted,” “Parolee” (I-94 confirms paroled for a minimum of one year and status has not expired), T-Visa holder (T-1, T-2, T-3, etc.) or “Cuban-Haitian Entrant;” orThe holder of a valid certification or eligibility letter from the Department of Health and Human Services showing a designation of “Victim of human trafficking.”

Drug convictions Selective Service registration

SECTION 2 DEPENDENCY STATUSIf you can check ANY of the following boxes, you will not have to provide parental

information. If you check NONE of the following boxes, you will be asked to provide parental

information

❑ I was born before January 1, 1989 ❑ I am serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces ❑ Since I turned age 13, both of my parents were deceased ❑ I was a dependent or ward of the court since turning age 13 ❑ I am married ❑ I am a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces ❑ I was in foster care since turning age 13 ❑ I am currently or I was an emancipated minor ❑ I will be working on a master’s or doctorate program (e.g., MA, MBA, MD, JD,

PhD, EdD, graduate certificate) ❑ I have children and I provide more than half of their support ❑ I have dependents (other than children or my spouse) who live with me and I

provide more than half of their support ❑ I am homeless or I am at risk of being homeless ❑ I am currently or I was in legal guardianship

WHO IS CONSIDERED HOMELESS?

-Anyone who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequatenighttime residence—– Sharing the housing of others due to loss ofhousing, economic hardship, or similar reason– Living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, campinggrounds due to lack of adequate alternativeaccommodations– Living in emergency or transitional shelters– Abandoned in hospitals-Not in the physical custody of parents-Children and youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence

SECTION 3Information about the parents of dependent students: Parent refers to a biological or adoptive parent. Grandparents, foster parents, legal

guardians, older siblings and uncles or aunts are NOT considered parents on this form unless they have legally adopted you. In case of divorce or separation, give information about the parent you lived with most in the last 12 months. If you did not live with one parent more than the other, give information about the parent who provided you the most financial support during the last 12 months or during the most recent year you received support. If your divorced or widowed parent has remarried, also provide information about your stepparent.

Tax, income, and other financial information Dislocated worker status Assets

SECTION 4

Information about the student (and spouse): Tax, income, and other financial information Assets

IRS DATA RETRIEVAL TOOL•Tentative - February 1st deployment for 2012-2013•The IRS DRT process will be enhanced to more effectively encourage users to link to and transfer data from the IRS.•More applications will have more accurate data, which will contribute to increased accuracy in awarding aid.•2012-2013 FAFSA on the Web will include logic to make the determination for the applicant.

18

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION College and housing information Required Signatures

Student One parent (dependent students)

Format Electronic using PIN Signature page Paper FAFSA

IRS DATA RETRIEVAL TOOL

Upon submission, reminds students that the IRS DRT option is the preferred method of providing tax information and they can return when their application has been processed to use the tool.

Customized messaging displays when the student and/or parent was eligible to use the IRS DRT and didn’t, or the student and/or parent indicated “Will file taxes”

Income Estimator Notifications After the April 15th IRS tax filing deadline, students and/or parents will receive e-mail

reminders to update the student’s FAFSA with filed tax information. Messaging encourages the use of the IRS DRT if the option is available in FAFSA on

the Web.IRS DRT Eligible Filer Notifications Students and parents who were eligible to use the IRS DRT but didn’t will

receive an e-mail notification encouraging them to return to FAFSA on the Web and use the tool.

E-mails will be sent beginning on April 1, 2012, with subsequent messages sent every 45 days until mid-September, and then every 60 days until the end of the cycle. E-mails will only be sent once per student/parent. 

20

Confirmation Page

. Also available in

Corrections Electronically filed tax

return information will be available from the IRS in 1-2 weeks, data from paper tax returns will be available in 6-8 weeks.

21

CONFIRMATION PAGERedesigned for clarity. Includes -

Confirmation NumberData Release Number (DRN)EFC estimatePell Grant and Direct Loan

estimatesOption for parents to transfer

info to an application for a siblingOption to transfer info to a state

application if state participates in API

Rates for each college on the FAFSA

22

FAFSA PROCESSING RESULTSCentral Processing System (CPS) notifies student of FAFSA processing results by: Paper Student Aid Report (SAR) if paper FAFSA was filed and student’s e-mail address was not provided SAR Acknowledgement if filed FAFSA on the Web and student’s e-mail address was not providedE-mail notification containing a direct link to student’s on-line SAR if student’s e- mail was provided on paper or electronic FAFSA Student with PIN may view SAR on-line at www.fafsa.gov Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) sent to colleges

listed on FAFSA approximately 10 to 14 days after FAFSA submitted

College reviews ISIR May request additional documentation, such as proof that a sibling is

enrolled in college

MAKING CORRECTIONSIf necessary, corrections to FAFSA data may be made by: Using FAFSA on the Web (www.fafsa.gov) if

student has a PIN; Updating paper SAR (SAR Information Acknowledgement cannot be used to make corrections); or Submitting documentation to college’s financial aid office

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES Cannot report on FAFSA Send explanation to

financial aid office at each college

College will review special circumstances Request additional

documentation Decisions are final and

cannot be appealed to U.S. Department of Education

Change in employment status

Medical expenses not covered by insurance

Change in parent marital status

Unusual dependent care expenses

Student cannot obtain parent information

Ohio Association of Student Financial Aidwww.OASFAA.orgNational Association of Student Financial

Aidwww.NASFAA.orgFederal Student Aidwww.fsa4counselors.ed.govCollege and University Financial Aid Staff

RESOURCES

www.ohiocollegegoalsunday.org

COLLEGE GOAL SUNDAYFebruary 12, 2012

2 P.M

Find locations and register at: