Financing your Garrett Education Starts Here

What are the steps in applying for aid using the online FAFSA?

GET A PIN
Before beginning the FAFSA, you should apply for a Federal Student Aid personal Identification number (PIN) at www.pin.ed.gov. The PIN will allow you to sign your FAFSA electronically and later to access your processed FAFSA online. After you receive the pin assigned to you, we recommend you change it to something easy to remember. Don't share your PIN with anyone! If you are providing parent information the FAFSA, one of your parents also must sign your application. To sign electronically, your parent must apply for his or her PIN.

GATHER THE INFORMATION REQUIRED TO APPLY

• Your Social Security number and your parents' Social Security numbers if you are providing parent information Be sure it is correct! Your drivers license number if you have one.
• Your W-2 Forms and other records of money earned from the previous year
• Your (and your spouse´s, if you are married) 2007 Federal Income Tax Return.
  • IRS 1040, 1040A, 1040 EZ
  • Foreign Tax Return, or
  • Tax return for Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Marshall Islands, the Federal States of Micronesia, or Palau
• Your Parents´ 2007 Federal Income Tax return (if you are a dependent student)
• Your 2007 untaxed income records:
  • Social Security
  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
  • Welfare
  • Veterans benefits records
• Your current bank statements
• Your current business and investment mortgage information, business and farm records, stock, bond and other investment records
• Your alien registration or permanent resident card (if you are not a U.S. citizen)

BE AWARE OF DEADLINES
Financial aid deadlines for states and schools are usually earlier than federal deadlines.

USE THE FAFSA ON THE WEB WORKSHEET
Your college or high school might have a copy of the worksheet, or you can print one from www.fafsa.ed.gov. This worksheet is optional, but it will help you collect the information you need to fill out your FAFSA online.

COMPLETE YOUR APPLICATION
Enter all necessary information at www.fafsa.ed.gov. If you need help, there are help links on each page of the online application.

SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION
After you submit your application, make sure you receive a confirmation number. This number tells you your application has been successfully submitted. Keep this confirmation number for your records.

FOLLOW UP ON YOUR FAFSA

After you submit the FAFSA, we will send you a Student Aid Report (SAR).

• If we have a valid e-mail address on file for you, we will send you an e-mail, within 3 to 5 days, with instructions on how to access an online copy of your SAR.
• If we do not have a valid e-mail address on file, your SAR will be mailed to you via regular mail within 7 to 10 days.
• The schools that you listed on your FAFSA application will also receive your information electronically as soon as it is processed.

Your Student Aid Report will request additional information or will provide your EFC.

• Request for additional information.
• Complete or correct the requested information by selecting Make Corrections to a Processed FAFSA on the home page or by writing them on your Student Aid Report (SAR).
• Submit your completed or corrected responses online or via your SAR report by mail.
• If your EFC is provided.
• The EFC is a calculation based on the information that is reported on your FAFSA.
• If you are eligible, your school uses the EFC to determine the amount of federal grants, loans, or work-study awards that you can receive.

Your EFC is not the amount of money your family will have to pay for college nor is it the amount of federal student aid you will receive. It is a number used by your school to calculate the amount of federal student aid you are eligible to receive.

**Your school, the state, or the Federal Student Aid may ask you to verify the accuracy of the information you provided on the application.