2011-12 FAFSA Workshop for College Goal Sunday

Agenda

Review of the federal aid application process

Walk through the on-line FAFSA

Answer questions

The Application Steps for Federal Aid

Gathering documentation Completing the FOTW (FAFSA on the Web)

Worksheet (if needed) Completing the FAFSA on the web by the college

deadline even if you must estimate Signing the FAFSA Reviewing the results Making corrections as needed Submitting other documents if requested by the

college or university

What Can You Do When There May Be Special Circumstances?The FAFSA submitted by the family must reflect estimated

or actual 2010 income figures and current asset values (if required).

Students and families may have concerns about a variety of situations including independency and other special financial circumstances.

The college/university will need to make an official decision about using a different income or other data. Get in touch with the financial aid office – the earlier the better.

Refer to the actual forms when possible, e.g., the Social Security Card, the federal tax return or W2.

Recheck responses before submitting the application.

Use estimates if tax returns are not completed, but remember to update the figures once the tax forms are done. If possible, utilize IRS transfer process.

For more assistance with the FAFSA contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 800-433-3243.

Other Suggestions

FAFSA Filing Options

Three student options for applying:

Online

PDF FAFSA

Paper FAFSA

FOTW

Improvements Enhanced, interactive tools such as

FAFSA4caster, Student Aid Deadlines, Federal School Code Search and Browse Help

Added commas to financial fields

Added dashes and hyphens to date fields, SSN fields, and telephone number fields

New Question

Added high school question if the applicant reports that he/she received a HS Diploma

– collecting name, city, state (asked only if grade level is “0” or “1” on FOTW

– can select from a list or enter data)

The 2011-12 FAFSA instructed students and parents to include "the first $2,400 of unemployment benefits received" as untaxed income. However, the tax provision allowing the first $2,400 of unemployment benefits received to be untaxed was not extended through 2010. ED is in the process of removing the wording that instructs students and parents to include the first $2,400 of unemployment benefits as untaxed income.

Change to Unemployment Reporting

What Hasn’t Changed…the PIN Process

Can obtain PIN now from www.pin.ed.gov or access from the www.fafsa.gov page

13

PIN RemindersParent and student can create own PINs (remember both parent of a dependent student and the student will each need a PIN), or

Can request FSA to generate a PIN 3 ways

that will display on the screen in real time, request that it be emailed in real-time, or have it sent via postal mail.

Follow up includes a match of name, SSN, and date of birth. If the match is successful, the PIN becomes permanent. If the match is unsuccessful, the applicant is sent a SAR for signatures and the PIN is disabled.

Start Here

» Start a FAFSA» Continue a FAFSA» Complete a FAFSA» Check status of completed FAFSA» View or print processed results» Correct FAFSA information» Print signature pages, or» Review correction history

One Log-in for all Functionality Name re-ordered to first name and full last name.

Reconfirmation of Identifiers New student identify confirmation to reduce incorrect entries

“My FAFSA” page – New Student

Dynamic messaging guides the applicant through all phases of the application

experience

Application Status

PIN Status

“My FAFSA” page - “Continue”

Applicant may Continue to complete a

saved application from where

he/she left off or Start Over

High School Search Results – Matches Found

Student can Select the school attended from the list. If the student does not find the school on the list, the student selects Next to continue and the search criteria are saved.

Definitions Homeless means lacking fixed, regular, and

adequate housing, which includes living in shelters, motels, or cars, or temporarily living with other people because you had nowhere else to go.

Unaccompanied means you are not living in the physical custody of your parent or guardian.

Youth means you are 21 years of age or younger or you are still enrolled in high school as of the day you sign this application.

The applicant should contact the financial aid office for assistance if

“you do not have a determination but believe you are an unaccompanied youth who is homeless or are an unaccompanied youth providing for your own living expenses who is at risk of being homeless. If you are older than 21 but not yet 24, you should also contact your financial aid office if you are homeless or are self-supporting at risk of being homeless. Note that if you answer “Yes” to any of the previous three questions (55, 56, or 57), the financial aid administrator at your college may require you to provide proof of your status.

Answer “No” if you are not homeless, self-supporting and at risk of being homeless, or do not have a determination from a district liaison, director of a cited program, or your financial aid administrator.”

• If your parent is widowed or single, answer the questions about that parent. • If your widowed parent is remarried as of today, answer the questions about that parent and your stepparent. • If your parents are divorced or separated, answer the questions about the parent you lived with more during the past 12 months. (If you did not live with one parent more than the other, give answers about the parent who provided more financial support during the past 12 months, or during the most recent year that you actually received support from a parent.) If this parent is remarried as of today, answer the questions about that parent and your stepparent.

Grandparents, foster parents, legal guardians, aunts and uncles are not considered parents unless they have legally adopted you. If your parents are living and married to each other, answer the questions about them.

Who is the “Parent”?

IRS Data Retrieval

You can begin to use IRS data retrieval process for income questions after January 30 if

– Valid SSN– Filed 2010 federal tax return, and– Unchanged marital status since 12/31/2010

Financial Information

The IRS Data Retrieval continues in 2011-2012 beginning January 30,

2011.

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.

IRS Data Retrieval Once the applicant has

successfully authenticated, tax data will be presented and

the applicant will have the option to

“Transfer” the tax information to the

FAFSA

Transferred data will have a notation -

“Transferred from the IRS”

Dislocated Worker•is receiving unemployment benefits due to being laid off or losing a job and is unlikely to return to a previous occupation;

•has been laid off or received a lay-off notice from a job;

•was self-employed but is now unemployed due to economic conditions or natural disaster; or

•is a displaced homemaker. A displaced homemaker is generally a person who previously provided unpaid services to the family (for example: a stay-at-home mom or dad), is no longer supported by the husband or wife, is unemployed or underemployed, and is having trouble finding or upgrading employment.

•If a person quits work, generally he or she is not considered a dislocated worker even if, for example, the person is receiving unemployment benefits.

Determining Family Size &Number in College

New interactive worksheet will help families determine who can be included in family size

Remember that a family member (not parents) can be considered in college if at least half time in a degree, certificate or other credentialed program.

Asset Net Worth ThresholdParents of dependent students and independent students will be presented with the asset net worth threshold question, if they are not eligible for auto-zero or simplified needs test; and if the student’s state of legal residence allows the applicant to skip the asset question.

Asset Net Worth Threshold If answer is “yes”, the three asset questions will display.

If answer is “no”, the asset questions will not display, they are not needed in the calculation of the EFC.

If They Have to be Reported..which Assets?

For a very thorough list and a review of which assets to include and which assets should not be included, please have “Completing the FAFSA” available for your sessions.

http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/completing_fafsa/index.html

Review & Print Your Responses

Must continue to submit the FAFSA

Sign and Submit

“Print signature page” will appear if

that option is selected.

Signature Enhancements

A student and parent can enter their

PIN and click “Sign” and

the system will retain the signature.

This allows parents and students to

sign and submit

separately.

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

APIRates for each college on the

FAFSA

Making Corrections

•Applicant should review the SAR for accuracy.

•After login – automatically prompted for corrections or other follow up actions if application is complete and processed

•May be able to use IRS data retrieval

•Be sure to include required signatures (PINs)

Processed Successfully – Applicant Can Make Correction

The student would be able to

view the Electronic SAR

or make corrections if

needed.

Corrections Required

The student

would be notified that a

correction was

needed.

PIN and Password Needed for Corrections

FAFSA on the Web Demo Site URL: https://fafsademo.test.ed.gov

User Name: eddemo

Password: Fafsatest

For more assistance with the FAFSA contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 800-433-3243