FAFSA-Free Application for Federal Student Aid workshop events here!!

FAFSA-Free Application for Federal Student Aid workshop events here!! Click on the link below:

https://collegegoal.az.gov/fafsa-workshop-events

Beware of The Student Financial Resource Center

If you have a child in college or planning to go to college this fall, chances are you recently received an official-looking letter from an organization called the Student Financial Resource Center. It's a convincing document, down to the Department of Education-like symbol on its logo. The Student Financial Resource Center says it can help find "free" money that is "not student loans and do not have to be repaid later". The Student Financial Resource Center urges you to fill out a student aid profile form providing personal information and send it back ... along with a refundable processing fee of $65. For $65, you get a "guidebook" with financial aid information, a list of free merit- and need-based financial aid programs and instructions on how to apply to some of them. In other words, you get information you could have gotten for free. And you will still have to fill out the application forms yourself. The Student Financial Resource Center is not affiliated with any educational institutions or government agencies. The Student Financial Resource Center admits it, but you have to look hard for that disclaimer that states, "SFRC is an independent organization and is not affiliated with any educational institutions, government agencies, or funding sources". The Student Financial Resource Center also states it "can't guarantee results and has no input into the decision to which applicants will be selected to receive financial aid funds." The fee is "refundable," but you won't get answers by calling the Student Financial Resource Center. Answering the phone was a representative named Ray who said he couldn't answer any questions because he was "just an operator at the message center" and those who could answer questions "were not available." The important thing to remember is that students can get information about, and apply for, financial aid and scholarships without spending a dime. - John Garcia, Arizona College Access Network

Beware of websites charging you money for free information. Filling out a FASFA or Free Application for Student Financial Aid is free of charge. Go here to the official website: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

Federal Pell Grants - Up to $5550 a year!

A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid. Federal Pell Grants usually are awarded only to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor's or a professional degree. (In some cases, however, a student enrolled in a postbaccalaureate teacher certification program might receive a Federal Pell Grant.) You are not eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant if you are incarcerated in a federal or state penal institution or are subject to an involuntary civil commitment upon completion of a period of incarceration for a forcible or nonforcible sexual offense. 

Click here: http://studentaid.ed.gov/types/grants-scholarships/pell

How much money can I get?

Amounts can change yearly. The maximum Federal Pell Grant award is $5,550 for the 2012–13 award year (July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013). The amount you get, though, will depend on

• your financial need,
• your cost of attendance,
• your status as a full-time or part-time student, and
• your plans to attend school for a full academic year or less. 

You may not receive Federal Pell Grant funds from more than one school at a time.

If you’re eligible for a Federal Pell Grant, you’ll receive the full amount you qualify for—each school participating in the program receives enough funds each year from the U.S. Department of Education to pay the Federal Pell Grant amounts for all its eligible students. The amount of any other student aid for which you might qualify does not affect the amount of your Federal Pell Grant. 

Click here: http://studentaid.ed.gov/types/grants-scholarships/pell/calculate-eligibility

Check out this video about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid

Check out this video to learn how the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) gives you access to grants, loans and work-study jobs that can help fund your education. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-23SMf5DyQ&feature=plcp

Create This Financial Aid To-Do List for the New Year

The beginning of the school year isn't the only time to be concerned about financial aid. The start of a new calendar year offers a perfect time to conduct a full financial aid review. Read more for a to do list...



source: http://www.usnews.com  JULIE MAYFIELD, LINDSEY MAYFIELD

Securing College Financial Aid:Top 7 FAFSA Tips and Tricks

Applying for grants can be a make-or-break process for those pursuing higher education. Go Financial Aid shares key steps to optimize your eligibility. http://www.bet.com/news/national/2012/01/23/top-7-fafsa-tips-and-tricks.html

Make sure you complete the FAFSA as soon as possible

States, schools, and the federal government each have deadlines for you to meet in order to receive financial aid, so the earlier you complete the FAFSA, the better. http://studentaid.ed.gov/FAFSA

10 tips for getting federal student aid

Here are 10 tips to help you successfully complete the FAFSA: Click on the link

It's financial aid season, which means millions of families will be grappling with the FAFSA in the next few weeks.

Chances are most families are going to make mistakes when completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. These mistakes can be costly, and may even keep you from receiving the financial assistance for which you qualify.

Here are 10 tips to help you successfully complete the FAFSA:

1. Don't provide retirement assets

Families can dramatically hurt their chances for financial aid if they include assets from their 401(k) plans, Individual Retirement Accounts, 403(b) and other qualified retirement accounts on the FAFSA. The financial aid form only requires that you share non-retirement assets.

2. Don't include business assets

Parents who have a family-owned and controlled small business do not have to report the company's net worth on the FAFSA if it has fewer than 100 full-time employees.

3. Skipping deadlines

Colleges impose deadlines on families to submit their financial aid forms, and these dates can be much earlier for students applying through early decision and early action options. Find out what the deadlines are, and don't miss them.

4. File early

Although there are essentially no federal deadlines for seeking financial aid, states do impose deadlines for families who hope to qualify for financial aid through their state programs. State deadlines can be as early as February. In some states, aid is given out on a first-come, first-served basis, so it's best to file your FAFSA well ahead of the state deadline.

5. Seek help

Confused? FAFSA staffers can help. You can contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center via online chat, phone or email. Here's where to find the financial aid contact information.

6. List the most current marital status

You need to provide your marital status -- divorced, separated or married -- on the day that the FAFSA is filed. Separated and divorced parents will sometimes enjoy a financial aid advantage.

7. Have the right parent complete the FAFSA

In families of divorce, the parent who has taken care of the child during the majority of the 12 months dating from the day the FAFSA is submitted is considered the custodial parent. This can be especially advantageous in families when one ex-spouse earns significantly less than the other. Ideally, the child would live with the lower-earning parent for at least six months and a day. This parent would complete the FAFSA, and the other parent's income would not be included. If the custodial parent remarries, however, the income from the new spouse would also be included on the FAFSA.

8. Avoid blank answers

If the answer to a question is zero or not applicable, write "0" or "Not Applicable" on the online form. Leaving blank answers can cause miscalculations.

9. Pay attention to graduation rates

When you complete the FAFSA and designate that the application be sent to specific schools, the FAFSA website will provide you with the graduation rates of each school on your list. Try to avoid schools with low graduation rates.

10. Don't inflate your education

Plenty of schools will give applicants brownie points if they are considered first-generation college students. If parents didn't graduate from college, select "high school" as the highest education attainment.

Bottom Line: Following these tips can help you increase your financial aid award, and every dollar counts.

By Lynn O'Shaughnessy

From : © 2012 CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved.

The FAFSA is FREE!

One thing you don't need for the FAFSA is money! The FAFSA is FREE, so if a website asks you to pay to fill it out, you're not dealing with the original FAFSA site. Remember, the FAFSA comes from the government, so it's on a .gov site: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

The new FAFSA for the 2013-14 school year is available now!

The new FAFSA for the 2013-14 school year is available now! You'll need your Federal Student Aid PIN to complete the FAFSA electronically. If you don't have a PIN, apply for one today at www.pin.ed.gov. Lost you PIN? Request a duplicate: https://pin.ed.gov/PINWebApp/PINServlet?state=100&locale=en_US