FAFSA ON THE W EB

FAFSA.GOV HOMEPAGE 2

3 I MPORTANT I NFORMATION WITH H ELP AND H INTS

4 I MPORTANT I NFORMATION WITH H ELP AND H INTS

5 A PPLICATION T IPS Am I Dependent or Independent?  #1 question students have Let’s review these questions:  Who is my “Parent”?  What if my parents do not want to provide?  What if I do not live with my parents?  What if my parents do not want to help pay?  What if I have no contact with my parents?

A PPLICATION T IPS Am I Dependent or Independent? A student cannot be determined independent just because:  The parents do not want to provide information on the FAFSA due to privacy concerns  The parents do not feel it’s their responsibility to provide financial assistance for college  The parents no longer claim the student as a dependent on their taxes; or  The student no longer lives at home 6

The IRS Data Retrieval continues in 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. 7 F INANCIAL I NFORMATION

IRS D ATA R ETRIEVAL 8 IRS Data Retrieval is not available until February 2, 2015 If you filed electronically, you must wait at least 3 weeks to do IRS Data Retrieval If you filed by mail, you must wait at least 7 weeks to do IRS Data Retrieval

IRS D ATA R ETRIEVAL 9 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 Do not forget to add “Income Earned from Work” this does not transfer over

D O NOT FORGET TO SIGN ! 10 Make sure the student and one parent sign at the same time for faster processing.

C ONFIRMATION P AGE 11

V ERIFICATION 12 There are a lot of changes in the verification policy at all schools Here is what you need to know: Verification is not a bad thing--does not mean student is not eligible Department of Education customized verification per applicant Possible documentation you will need for school: 2014 Tax Transcript (IRS document, not Tax Return) 2014 W2’s from all employers 2014 Untaxed Income 2014 Child Support paid documentation 2014 SNAP documentation High school completion status Identity/Statement of Educational Purpose Check with each school that you have applied at to determine what documents are needed to comply with their verification policy.

You Can Afford College Events FAFSA Filing Workshops Monday, February 2 nd — Thursday, February 5 th :00 am to 5:00 pm Friday, February 6 th :00am to 2:00pm in the Dorchester Administration Building, Room D-106 During the workshops, students will be able to: **Complete the 2015/2016 FAFSA **Discover sources of financial assistance **Learn the important application deadlines Please bring the following documentation: * 2013 Federal tax forms * 2014 Federal tax forms (if filed) * 2014 W2’s, 1099’s, or proof of unemployment * Proof of any untaxed income (child support, SSI, TANF, or worker’s compensation) Hosted by Chesapeake College 13

Financial Aid Office Laura Shahan Assistant Director & MD State Scholarship Coordinator Mindy Schaffer Director ext Dawn Smith Specialist & Work-Study Coordinator Katrina Johnson Financial Aid Specialist