Welcome to the Virtual Academy’s 2016 Financial Aid Workshop! Wednesday, January 20th, 2016 Susana Mayfield Brenda Vargas Special Guests from Folsom Lake College Kim Reed and Amanda Hairston

VA Financial Aid Workshop How To Fill-Out the FAFSA form Websites for Scholarships Loans & Grants https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPq_KYf0YMM&list=PL23B9A23CD8DD82DD&index=4

How To Fill-Out The Financial Aid Form https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPq_KYf0YMM&list=PL23B9A23CD8DD82DD&index=4 Approximately 3:00 minutes How to Fill Out the form : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPq_KYf0YMM&list=PL23B9A23CD8DD82DD&index=4 FSA ID link https://www.youtube.com/user/FederalStudentAid

Websites for Scholarships CALocalScholarships.org (El Dorado County) Scholarships.com Fastweb.com Zinch.com Finaid.org College Connection Scholarships Presidential Freedom Scholarships Collegeview.com California Colleges US College Scholarships and Grants Check Virtual Academy’s Career Center’s website https://www.finaid.ucsb.edu/Media/FAFSASimplification/index.html

Middle Class Scholarship (MCS) Earn up to $100,000 per year to attend a UC or CSU. - Eligible for a scholarship of up to 20 % - 2017-2018 goes to 40% Earn up between $100,001 and $150,000 - May be eligible for a reduced scholarship of no less than 10% MCS scholarships are not set amounts and may vary by student and institution: The award is determined after you are awarded any Federal Aid, State aid and Institutional Aid.

Loans – Subsidized & Unsubsidized Grants & Scholarships = FREE $$ Loans = Pay Back! Subsidized: Direct Subsidized Loans are available to undergraduate students with financial need. Your college/university determines the amount you can borrow, and the amount may not exceed your financial need. The U.S. Department of Education pays the interest on a Direct Subsidized Loan Start payments 6 months after graduation Unsubsidized: Direct Unsubsidized Loans are available to undergraduate and graduate students; there is no requirement to demonstrate financial need. Your college/university determines the amount you can borrow based on your cost of attendance and other financial aid you receive. You are responsible for paying the interest on a Direct Unsubsidized Loan during all periods. 

Sources of Financial Aid Federal government State government Colleges and universities Private agencies, companies, foundations, and parents’ employers By completing the financial aid applications and any other documents required by the colleges and universities to which the students are applying, they may be considered for funds from: - the federal government - the state government, as well as - colleges and universities themselves Private agencies, companies, foundations, and maybe even the parents’ employers provide scholarships for college. Though important, these sources provide less than 6% of the total financial aid awarded to students. Check with each of the private agencies, companies, and foundations to which the students wish to apply about application forms and deadlines. Web sites such as www.fastweb.com and www.finaid.org are good resources for such scholarships.

Cal Grants Cal Grant A Entitlement Awards – for high school seniors and recent high school grads with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.0, family income and assets below the state ceilings, who demonstrate financial need Cal Grant B Entitlement Awards – for high school seniors and recent high school grads with a GPA of at least 2.0, who come from disadvantaged or low income families, whose family income and assets are below the state ceilings, and who demonstrate financial need Cal Grant C Awards - for students from low income families pursuing vocational programs of study Let’s talk about Cal Grants – an important source of grant funds provided by the state of California for California students. Students planning to attend a California college or university may be eligible to receive one of the following Cal Grants. High school Grade Point Average (usually referred to as the GPA) is an important eligibility criterion for these grants. The Cal Grant GPA is calculated using grades from sophomore and junior years of high school and any summer grades after each of those years. Please note: for purposes of the Cal Grant A and B Entitlement Awards, a “recent high school graduate” is defined as a student who is applying for a Cal Grant within 18 months of high school graduation. Cal Grant A - To be eligible, students need a minimum 3.0 GPA - that is a B average on a 4.0 scale - and must demonstrate financial need of at least $1,500 at the college they plan to attend. Their families must also have income and assets that are lower than the state-established ceilings. This grant currently covers system-wide fees at the California State University and University of California campuses and up to $9,223 of tuition and fees at independent California colleges and universities. The grant may be renewable for three additional years if student and family continue to meet state-established income and asset ceilings. Cal Grant B - This grant is for students who have a minimum 2.0 GPA - that is a C average, financial need of at least $700, and who come from very low-income families. Students must also meet the other criteria mentioned already. This grant provides a small stipend of about $1,551 per year for up to four years to help with living expenses at all schools. In addition, the grant covers system-wide fees at California public 4-year institutions and up to $9,223 of tuition and fees at independent 4-year California schools. In most cases, the tuition and fee portion of the Cal Grant B is available to students in their 2nd through 4th years only. Cal Grant C - This grant is for students from low income families attending occupational or vocational schools including community college programs of less than 24 months in length. The Cal Grant C may renewable for one additional year if student and family continue to meet state-established income and asset ceilings. Priority for Cal Grant C now given based on Occupational Goals that meet two of the following: high employment need: high employment growth; and high wages. .

Eligibility for Cal Grants To be eligible for a Cal Grant, the student must also: Be a U.S. citizen, eligible noncitizen, or AB540 student Be a California resident Attend an accredited California college or university at least half-time in 2016-2017 To be eligible for a Cal Grant, the student must also: be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen as defined in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).. If a student qualifies under AB540, he/she may qualify for Cal Grant. We’ll talk more about what this means later in the session be a California resident attend an accredited California college or university at least half-time in the 2016-2017 academic year and each term the student is enrolled.

2016-2017 Cal Grant Application Requirements By March 2, 2016, complete and submit: Cal Grant GPA Verification Form Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) + In order for a student to be considered for a 2016-2017 Cal Grant, the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) requires that he/she submit both the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and the Cal Grant GPA Verification Form by March 2, 2016. Because March 2, 2016. We encourage all applicants for federal and state aid to file as soon as possible after January 1, 2016. The GPA Verification Form must be completed by the student, certified by the student’s high school, and submitted directly to CSAC. Students who may be eligible for Cal Grants under AB540 should complete the California Dream Act application at www.caldreamact.org instead of the FAFSA. Some high schools submit student grade point averages directly to CSAC on behalf of their students. Others require that students complete the student section of the Cal Grant GPA Verification Form. (The student section of the form asks simple information such as the student’s name, address, and Social Security Number). If the paper form is required, it is important to submit it as soon as possible to the high school counselor or registrar because it may take a few days to certify the student’s grade point average. The student can download a Cal Grant GPA Verification Form at: www.calgrants.org. The GPA Verification Form must be postmarked no later than March 2, 2016. Check with the secretary, to see if he/she needs to submit the paper Cal Grant GPA Verification Form or if the high school will submit the GPA electronically on the student’s behalf. If the high school submits the Cal Grant GPA Verification Form electronically, the student may have to authorize the release of his/her Social Security Number. We urge students to file these forms as soon as possible. Don’t wait for the March 2nd deadline and miss out on a valuable grants that, like other grants, does not have to be repaid. Note: The Cal Grant GPA Verification Form for VA students is automatically submitted! Check on-line at Calgrants.org

Summary of the Financial Aid Process Submit the FAFSA no later than March 2 By March 2, submit a Cal Grant GPA Verification Form Keep a copy of all forms submitted Review the electronic Student Aid Report (SAR) Acknowledgement or the paper SAR sent to the student Watch for financial aid award notifications from colleges to which the student has been admitted Be sure to apply for financial aid this year and every year as soon as possible after January 1 to receive the best financial aid award possible! ASK QUESTIONS! To determine what type of SAR you should receive and when you should receive it, visit http://studentaid.ed.gov/fafsa/next-steps/student-aid-report#how-and-when. Summary of the Financial Aid Process Let’s now recap the steps involved in applying for financial aid: Colleges and universities may have their own deadline dates for applying for financial aid. Make sure you know what those dates are and what financial aid forms and documents are required. To make sure students are considered for Cal Grants, as soon as possible after January 1, 2016, but no later than March 2, 2016, they should submit both: the FAFSA, and the Cal Grant GPA Verification Form. Students should keep a copy of all forms they submit and copies of all documentation used to complete those forms. Review the electronic SAR Acknowledgement or paper Student Aid Report (SAR) After students have been admitted to one or more colleges, watch for financial aid award notifications. These notifications are sometimes called financial aid awards or packages and will list the grant, scholarship, work-study and loan amounts the student might be eligible to receive. Remember, students must reapply for financial aid each year. Applying for financial aid by all published deadlines assures that the student is considered for the maximum amount of financial aid. Remember, meet all deadlines. Don’t miss out on any financial aid opportunities! ASK QUESTIONS! If you do not understand what to do next, or what is required of you – be sure to ask for help! Note to Presenters: Remind the group that students should file all their financial aid forms by each college’s published deadline or March 2, 2016 – whichever date comes first

If You Need Help at Any Time FAFSA on the Web – Live Help Phone 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) E-mail the U.S. Department of Education at: FederalStudentAidCustomerService@ed.gov If You Need Help at Any Time The U.S. Department of Education is always willing to provide assistance to students and families completing the FAFSA and to answer questions relating to federal financial aid. The FOTW has help buttons right on the electronic form as you go through the application. In addition, you can use the following: FAFSA on the Web – Live Help; Phone 1-800-4-FED-AID (that’s 1-800-433-3243); or E-mail the U.S. Department of Education at: FederalStudentAidCustomerService@ed.gov

END Thank you!