APPLYING FOR COLLEGE FINANCIAL AID

Determine what forms your colleges require for a completed financial aid application. Colleges may require the following:
CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE
FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
Institutional financial aid application.

SEPTEMBER - CSS PROFILE Registration Forms are available in the Guidance Office. JANUARY Submit this form as early as possible if it is required by your colleges.

All colleges require the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). It is available in the Guidance Office and should be filed as soon as possible AFTER JANUARY 1

Some colleges have their own INSTITUTIONAL APPLICATION FOR FINANCIAL AID. Check to see if your colleges require such a form.

OCTOBER - Apply for as many scholarships as possible. The Guidance Bulletin regularly lists information about many scholarships. Check often to be sure you are applying for all scholarships for which you are eligible.

DECEMBER Watch for announcements about the Financial Aid Information Program
which will be scheduled for December or January. Review financial aid forms prior to the Financial Aid Information Night.

JANUARY Meet all Financial Aid Application deadlines. Some colleges have a deadline
of February 1! In order to meet this deadline, forms must be filed in early January.

DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY
Information families provide on financial aid forms is used to calculate a number called the Expected Family Contribution or EFC. Financial aid administrators subtract the EFC from the college's annual cost of attendance to determine students' eligibility for aid. Colleges then notify students about their financial aid eligibility through an "award letter," which explains the amount and type of financial aid available to students.

To ensure maximum consideration for all types of aid awarded by colleges, be sure to submit all required financial aid applications before the deadline. All colleges require the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), a federal form which takes a snapshot of families' financial situation to determine eligibility for federal aid; many colleges use the PROFILE, which collects additional financial information to determine eligibility for institutional aid. A few colleges also require institutional applications. The FAFSA form will be available in the high school guidance office in November; it CANNOT be filed before January 1. FAFSA on the Web (www.fafsa.ed.gov) will allow for the completion and transmission of the FAFSA online. The CSS PROFILE registration form is available in the guidance office or online at www.collegeboard.org.