Teresa HarrisonFinancial Aid CoordinatorPaul D. Camp Community College757-569-6715tharrison@pdc.edu

FINANCIAL AID RESOURCES FOR HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELORS

FAFSA 101

GETTING HELP

USE THE RIGHT WEBSITE

DEADLINES

TYPES OF AID

Dates to Remember for FAFSA Assistance:

Super Saturday (Windsor High School) –

Saturday, February 7th from 10 am – 2 pm.

Super Saturday (Franklin Workforce Development Center) – To be announced

One-on-one assistance is available Monday – Friday 8:30-4:30 in Room 125 on Franklin

campus and Room 100A in Suffolk.

NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY!

Always use fafsa.gov - Do NOT use fafsa.com• FREE

Application

• Never need to pay to file

• Required to be on file for most types of aid

• At the end, gives the student the Expected Family Contribution and an estimate of Pell Grant and Stafford Loan amounts.

Important Filing Dates to RememberHARD vs. SOFT DEADLINES

HARD DEADLINE: The only federal deadline is June 30th of the end of the award year (i.e. for the current award year we are in, June 30, 2015)

SOFT DEADLINE: Each school has different priority dates– At PDCCC there are three:

• Fall Semester – June 1st

• Spring Semester - October 1st

• Summer Semester - April 16th

Other schools range from February 15th (ODU and Tech) to March 15th

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE? Priority dates mean if the student files the FAFSA and has all other requirements completed by this date then s/he is eligible for more aid. Schools have unlimited Pell and Loans, but other aid is “first completed – first served” until funds run out. Funds run out quickly!

STUDENTS WHO DO NOT MEET THE SOFT DEADLINE = LOAN HEAVY OFFERS

TYPES OF FINANCIAL AID• GRANTS - • Federal

• State

• LOANS -• Federal• Subsidized

• Unsubsidized

• Parent PLUS

• Alternative

• WORK-STUDY -• SCHOLARSHIPS -• School specific

• Outside

They need answers now– what can a student do

between now and January 1?

ESTIMATORS

FAFSA4casterwww.fafsa4caster.ed.gov

• Receive early estimates, create scenarios based on future earnings, and then establish college funding strategies

Virginia Education Wizard – Award EstimatorTIME SENSITIVE – COMPLETE BEFORE FILING DATE

HOW to GET HELP

TUTORIALS

FAQs

LIVE CHAT

Virginia Education Wizard – FAFSA Tutorial

CLICK ON APPLYING FOR AID – TAB 3

PDCCC Website • Under Featured Links• Click Financial Aid

• On right side, click Financial Aid FAQsFrequently Asked

Questions

FAFSA and FAFSA4caster Live Chat Feature

• Click Help

• Click Contact Us

• Click Live Help button

Studentaid.ed.gov - PublicationsSCROLL TO THE BOTTOM RIGHT, UNDER MORE INFO, CLICK

RESOURCES.

DON’T FORGET THE SCHOLARHIPS!

PDCCC SCHOLARSHIPS

• PDCCC SCHOLARSHIPS OPEN IN F

SUBMIT IN MARCH

WWW.PDC.EDU/ SCHOLARSHIPS• Under Featured Links

• Click Scholarships

• One application,

multiple scholarship cycles

• MUST SUBMIT

ELECTRONICALLY

OUTSIDE SCHOLARSHIPS• Many websites to choose from, students need to avoid scams.• Most college-specific scholarships require students to meet

their on-time FAFSA priority filing date.• One of the largest is FastWeb! It requires a lot of personal

information.• One that allows keyword search is Collegenet.com/mach25—be

sure to look for eligibility = undergraduate and college specific = false

Questions Review

1. What are the common deadlines?2. When do I start the process? 3. Grants vs. Loans?4. What is a Pell Grant?5. Subsidized vs. non-subsidized loans?6. When do I start paying?7. What information do I need to have to apply for financial aid?8. Do I have to be connected to my parents' finances?9. What if my parents are married or divorced?10.Is there anything different for military families?11.Is there a scholarship clearinghouse?

Thank you!!

Any questions?

Email: THARRISON@PDC.EDU

Call: 757-569-6715