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Unfortunately, students are unable to receive financial aid through a phone call alone. Application forms of one kind or another are required for all collegiate financial assistance programs. At first glance, these forms may appear confusing and difficult, causing many students to avoid filing for financial aid altogether. Don't be intimidated. If you carefully follow the directions, you should avoid most trouble spots. Additionally, if you have read and understood the information contained in the previous chapters, you can approach these forms with confidence.

To further help you, this page offers some specific tips for completing the forms you most likely will encounter: the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the Financial Aid Profile. Remember, all Title IV programs (federal grants and loans) require that you fill out at least the FAFSA form. No Title IV funds can be released to students who have not correctly filled out the FAFSA. Call the financial aid office at the college or university you attend or plan to attend to find out if additional forms are required. Occasionally, additional supplemental forms will be required that are particular to that school. When you contact the school, also ask these two very important questions:

• What is their financial aid deadline for college aid?
• What is their financial aid deadline for state aid?

If you are filling out paper forms, ask for two copies of any requested form. Students often make mistakes during their first attempt to complete the form or, worse yet, they misplace the form. Photocopy all parts of each form and use these copies as rough drafts. Be sure, however, to send only the original form back to the appropriate address (as listed on the form).

Students with divorced parents often have special concerns when filling out financial aid forms—namely, trying to figure out which parent or step-parent
has responsibility for supplying the parental information. Our experts tell
us that if you are determined to be dependent, and your parents are divorced,
only the income of the parent with whom you have lived for the greater period
of time prior to filing the form should be used. That custodial parent, unless
remarried, should complete the FAFSA as a single head of household, listing only his or her income and an appropriate portion of any joint assets and debts. However, some schools will request information from the non-custodial parent, which may be used in the determination of eligibility for state and/or institutional aid. Remember, your financial aid office can guide you step-by-step through this process and answer any specific questions you may have about your particular home situation.

Before you begin the task of filling out your forms, gather all financial data that may be needed, including:

• Previous year's U.S. income tax return forms
• If your return isn't completed before you apply for aid, estimate your income and expected earnings
• You'll need your tax return, and, if applicable, your parents' return, and your spouse's return information
• W-2 forms and other records of earned income during the previous year
• Records of untaxed income
• Bank statements
• Records of benefits received through Department of Veterans' Affairs, Social Security, and any other federal or state agency
• Records of investments (such as stocks, bonds, property, savings)
• Mortgage information
• Medical and dental expenses for the previous year
• Farm or business records
• Driver's license and social security numbers

Keep in mind that these forms are evaluated using computers. Forms must be neat, clean, and free of stray markings in order to register properly.
The simplest quick tip we know is also one that many applicants don't use: When
completing your financial aid applications, fill in every appropriate blank. If an answer is zero or not applicable, indicate that
rather than leaving the space empty. This will help get your forms processed
faster. Don't forget to sign the forms, either. In addition, financial aid advisors
also recommend that you:

• Use a black ballpoint pen on the FAFSA. Do not use felt-tip pens, markers, or colored pencils. For other forms, read instructions carefully.
• If you make a mistake, start over with a new form or clearly mark over your mistake. Do not use "white-out" or any other correction fluid.
• Use exact figures whenever possible. Do not enter a range of figures, such as $500 to $1,000.
• Never put two separate amounts in one answer blank.
• Do not write in the margins of the forms; stray markings can cause the computer to register incorrect information.
• Be sure that everyone who provided information to you for the completion of the form places his or her signature in the appropriate section.

• Do not return completed forms that have been torn, crumpled, or stained; the computer will be unable to scan them properly.
• Send the original application, but make a copy of the completed form for your own records.
• Do not send any extra materials, such as tax forms or letters, along with the required forms. Send only the form. If you would like to make comments, do so only in the appropriate sections.
• Do not send any form via certified or registered mail. Students (or parents) who do this slow up the process.

The FAFSA is used mainly by students applying for federal, as opposed to state, aid. However, some colleges or universities will allow you to use this form to apply for state aid as well. Contact the financial aid office at your school for their policy.

The FAFSA is processed by the U.S. Department of Education (not by a private company) and is used to determine an applicant's financial need and Pell Grant Index. FAFSA has a very good website that holds your hand through the whole process visit their website at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

To contact them with specific questions or requests concerning the FAFSA you may either use their website to fill out an online contact form, click on their "live chat" located throuhout the online application or call them at (800) 4-FED-AID. The FAFSA needs to be sent in as soon after January 1 as possible, and no later than May 1. Do not miss the deadline which is June 30 (CDT) in 2005.

The college you are applying to may be one of about 600+ private and public universities that now require the Financial Aid Profile Form. This form is designed to reduce the number of financial aid applications you need to fill out when applying to multiple colleges. That's the good news. The bad news is that submitting the Financial Aid Profile Form to your chosen college is a two-step process.

This form grew out of changes made by Congress in 1993 to the federal student aid formula used to figure a family's ability to pay for college. Rather than adopt the new federal guidelines, some private colleges decided to create their own aid application forms. For families applying to several colleges, this often meant filling out the federal FAFSA plus a separate aid application for each college under consideration, often five or six lengthy, complicated applications!

The Financial Aid Profile Form eliminates the need to fill out separate applications by creating a standard form with one customized section. This section contains the additional, non-standard questions from all the schools selected by you on your registration form. Remember, however, that not all schools will require this form (but all will require the FAFSA when applying for federal financial aid.) Be sure to confirm with each school you are considering whether or not it is necessary for you to complete a Financial Aid Profile form.

To start the process, obtain a copy of the Profile booklet from your high school guidance office or college financial aid office. Complete the worksheet included in the booklet before actually registering with the College Board, the organization that processes the forms. When you feel you are ready go to www.collegeboard.com to register for the CSS/ Financial Aid Profile. Registration involves answering sixteen preliminary

questions and paying a fee. (Have your credit card ready.)

It takes approximately one week for your information to arrive to your schools or scholarship programs after you submit your profile. Any revisions you wish to make will have to be sent directly to your school/program at this time.

Once you finish your profile the College Board will send you an online acknowledgement to let you know they received your information. Be sure to contact them with any questions you can view a list of contact information on their web site.

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