 Financial Aid is financial assistance to pay education- related expenses at approved colleges.  Financial Aid is given in the form of:  Grants  Scholarships  Work Study  Loans  Financial Aid comes from 4 sources:  Federal  State  Institutional  Private

 Financial Aid may be used for “education related expenses.”  What are examples of education related expenses?  Tuition and Fees  Books  Lab supplies  School supplies  Transportation (car, bus, gas, etc.)  Housing  Food

 Grants  Come from Federal and State Governments  Federal - Pell, SEOG, Work Study, TEACH, SMART, ACG  State  Regents Higher Education Opportunity Award  Leveraging Educational Assistance Program  Special Leveraging Educational Assistance Program  Institutional – Student Fee Generated  Scholarships  Millennium – Nevada Treasurer’s Office  College Foundation – Private sources, need to apply through the college  Third Party – money goes directly to student, not through the college  Loans (You must pay back!)  Federal Government – Stafford (for the students) and PLUS (for eligible parents)  Alternative/Private – directly from the bank/lender

 Two Applications:  FAFSA (online)  Institutional Scholarship Application  Third Party  They have separate applications

 The amount a student is eligible for is determined by information provided on the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) by the Federal Government Cost of Attendance (tuition, fees, typical room and board, books – set by the institution) - Expected Family Contribution (based on income information provided in the FAFSA) =Financial Need

 What is the FAFSA?  Free Application for Federal Student Aid  Why should the FAFSA be completed? Determines eligibility for:  Federal Grants  Federal Student Employment  Federal Student/Parent Loans  State Grants  Scholarships  Need  Non-Need

 Apply EARLY!  FAFSA available early January of each year  Beginning with the Senior year of high school  Request a PIN  Student and parent(s)  Complete the FAFSA online in January  Research institutional scholarship deadlines  Understand Millennium Scholarship Requirements  Respond to requests quickly  Attend financial aid workshops

 PIN Request   At least one parent and the student  Documents Needed  SS#  Driver’s license (if any)  2015 Federal Tax Return and W-2s  Student and Parent  HINT: No taxes = last paycheck stub/2015 Taxes  2015 Untaxed Income records  Social Security  Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)  Welfare  VA Benefits  Current Bank Statements  Miscellaneous (as applicable)  Current business and investment mortgage information  Business and farm records  Stocks, bond, and/or other investment records  Alien Registration or permanent residence card (if you are not a U.S. citizen)

 The Financial Aid office takes the financial need and applies:  Grants students may be eligible for;  Scholarships;  Work Study; and  Loans.  The Financial Aid Office is not allowed to award more money then the need.

To be eligible for an SSOG award, a student must:  Be enrolled in a program of study leading to a degree or certificate;  Enroll in at least 15 credit hours that apply to the student’s chosen program of study;  Be college ready based on placement or completion of entry-level, college-level mathematics and English;  Be classified as a resident for tuition purposes;  Meet institutional Title IV financial aid satisfactory academic progress requirements; and  Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

 How is the award calculated? Average Annual Cost of Attendance --Student Contribution ($5,500) --Expected Family Contribution (EFC) --Federal Contribution (Pell, SEOG, TEACH) ____________________________________ = SSOG Award ($200 minimum; $5,500 maximum)  Distributing Limited Funds ($2.5 million each year of the biennium)  Grants are awarded in ascending EFC* order to the financially neediest students first of to 8500 EFC *EFC=Expected Family Contribution as determined through FAFSA.

 Two sources of scholarships:  Institutional  Private  Students make an additional application for institutional and private scholarships according to the unique application procedures.  Usually a priority deadline for institutional scholarships (typically March 1).  CCSD maintains a database for many scholarships: 

 The Nevada Prepaid Tuition Program enables Nevada’s parents, grandparents and family friends to lock in future college tuition rates at today’s prices. In just a few short years, more than 12,000 residents have invested almost $65 million to guarantee the academic future of the children in their lives.  Options:  Parents can choose to pay a lump sum, spread the payment out over five years with 60 equal payments, or pay each month from the time of enrollment until the child is ready to start college. This program is fully transferable to private or public out-of-state colleges and universities and can be transferred to another family member, including a first cousin.

 What is FERPA?  Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act  Federal law that governs the disclosure of education records  What does FERPA mean to me, as a parent?  Cannot disclose academic records, including financial aid, without a written waiver by the student  If student is claimed as a dependent, we can release financial aid information  Can release directory information

 Financial Aid is an investment in your future!