Financial Aid

Applying for Aid

Introduction

We encourage all students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (the FAFSA). The FAFSA is used to determine eligibility for Federal and State grants (free money), loans, work study and for some scholarships. It’s as easy as 1,2,3 !

1. Get Organized

To complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you will need to:

• Use the FAFSA on the Web Pre-Application Worksheet to assist you and your parents in collecting information for questions asked on the online FAFSA. Note: Use the worksheet that corresponds to the school year for which you are seeking aid (i.e. use the 2008-2009 worksheet if you are seeking aid for attending Carthage during the 2008-2009 school year).

2. Submit the FAFSA

Submit the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov

• A paper FAFSA can be downloaded after January 1st at www.fsa.ed.gov. However, by completing the FAFSA online you can be guaranteed a faster turnaround, greater accuracy in your answers, and on-line assistance. The online application is the best and quickest way to apply for financial aid.
• Complete all sections about yourself (and your parents or spouse, if applicable - i.e. if you are required to answer questions related to them)
• List Carthage as a recipient of your FAFSA information. Carthage School Code: 003839.
• Electronically sign your application using your PIN*.
• Have your parents sign your application using their PIN* (if you were required to answer questions related to them).
• Submit your application. Print out and keep a copy of your submitted application for your records.

3. FAFSA Follow Up

After submitting the FAFSA:

• You will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) from the U.S. Department of Education. Check all of the information for accuracy and follow up on any requests for additional information.
• The government will calculate your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from the information you provide on the FAFSA; your EFC will be listed on your Student Aid Report. (The EFC does not represent the actual amount you may be charged at any given college or university. The EFC is used to determine need-based financial assistance by the following equation: Cost of Attendance (COA) minus EFC = Financial Need. The Financial Aid office at each school will award all the types financial aid for which the student qualifies, to reduce the “financial need” gap as much as possible.)
• Notify the Office of Student Financial Planning in the case of special circumstances. A “Request for Consideration of Special Circumstances” form is available online at www.carthage.edu/forms Be sure to provide all the required documentation noted on the form, including the “Verification Worksheet”, which is also available at the above Web page.
• You will receive notification from our office if additional financial information is required.
• Your award letter will be mailed to the home address on record with the Registrar.

*Additional Information about the PIN:

The PIN assigned to you by the Department of Education serves as your identifier to allow you to access your personal information in various U.S. Department of Education systems. It serves as your electronic signature for the FAFSA and can also be used as your signature on a Federal student loan. For these reasons, it is important not to give your PIN number to anyone else.

You can request a PIN at www.pin.ed.gov as early as your senior year in high school; parents should also request a PIN so that both “signatures” will be submitted as part of the FAFSA. Unsigned or partially signed FAFSAs cannot be fully processed.

To get the PIN, you will need to provide your name, Social Security Number, date of birth, and mail or email address, and then submit that information. Beginning with the 2008-2009 FAFSA a PIN will be generated immediately for you, so that you can complete and sign the FAFSA right away.

Your PIN can be used to:

• electronically sign your FAFSA on the Web;
• electronically sign a Master Promissory Note for a student loan;
• access your processed FAFSA data, including your Student Aid Report (SAR);
• make corrections to your FAFSA information online;
• access your applicant data records online: for instance, you can check your student loan history through the Dept of Education’s National Student Loan Database (NSLDS);
• complete your Renewal FAFSA.

Your parents can use their PIN to electronically sign the FAFSA, sign the Renewal FAFSA, and sign corrections to your FAFSA information. If you were required to answer questions about your parents, their signature must be on the FAFSA and on any corrections that you make to your information.

If you have questions about the PIN process, contact PIN Customer Service at 1-800-433-3243.