1. Appalachian State University Office of Student Financial Aid
Welcome to Open House
Fall 2016

2. Completing a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
In order to apply for financial aid, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at fafsa.gov.
Before you start the FAFSA, the student and a parent should first create an FSA ID at fafsa.gov.
Be sure to include Appalachian State University on your FAFSA. Our school code is
You SHOULD NOT pay to complete the FAFSA.
Office of Student Financial Aid

3. Office of Student Financial Aid
Completing a FAFSA
The FAFSA will be available on October 1, 2016.
Complete this FAFSA to apply for financial aid for fall 2017, spring 2018, and summer 2018.
You will use 2015 tax information to complete the FAFSA.
You should use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to populate your tax information from the IRS into the FAFSA.
Once the FAFSA is processed by the U.S. Department of Education, and you are accepted for admission, Appalachian will process your FAFSA.
Office of Student Financial Aid

4. Verification of the FAFSA
One in three FAFSAs are selected by the U.S. Department of Education for a process called verification.
If your FAFSA is selected for verification:
The IRS Data Retrieval Tool makes the process easier - no further documentation of tax information is required.
If you cannot use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, you may request a copy of your tax return transcript at irs.gov to verify tax data.
Office of Student Financial Aid

5. Office of Student Financial Aid
Cost of Attendance
In order to award financial aid, our office develops a Cost of Attendance, also called a student budget.
The Cost of Attendance is an estimate and will vary for each student depending on individual needs.
The Cost of Attendance generally includes these components:
Tuition and Fees (actual expected costs)
Room and Board (actual expected costs)
Books (estimate)
Personal and Miscellaneous Expenses (estimate)
Transportation (estimate)
Office of Student Financial Aid

6. Cost of Attendance
Cost of Attendance for a Dependent Student Living On-Campus
Component
In-State
Out-of-State
Tuition & Fees (includes book rental)
$7,416
$21,932
Room & Board
$8,119
Books and Supplies
$700
Transportation
$1,400
$1,500
Personal and Misc.
Loan Fees
$86
Totals
$19,221
$33,837
Office of Student Financial Aid

7. Calculating your Financial Need
With each FAFSA submission, the Department of Education issues a Student Aid Report (SAR).
The SAR includes your Expected Family Contribution (EFC).
The EFC is an estimate of what you can contribute to college expenses, but it is not necessarily what you have to pay.
Your EFC is used to determine your Financial Need at Appalachian.
The SAR also outlines your eligibility for Federal Loans and Grants. Loans are considered financial aid and most students are awarded student and/or parent loans.
Office of Student Financial Aid

8. Calculating your Financial Need
COST OF ATTENDANCE - Expected Family Contribution = Financial Need
Office of Student Financial Aid

9. Office of Student Financial Aid
Award Information
Once your FAFSA is processed, Appalachian will determine eligibility for Federal and State Grants, Scholarships, and Direct Loans.
You will receive a mailed letter as notification that financial aid awards are available on AppalNet.
All subsequent communication regarding financial aid awards will be sent to the student’s appstate.edu and will viewable via the student’s AppalNet account.
Office of Student Financial Aid

10. Sources of Aid: Need-Based
Eligibility for need-based aid is determined by: EFC and Financial Need.
Aid types include:
Federal Programs:
Federal Pell Grant
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
Federal Direct Subsidized Student Loan
Federal Perkins Loan
State Programs:
UNC Need-Based Grant
NC Educational Lottery Scholarship
Office of Student Financial Aid

11. Sources of Aid: Loans and Self-Help
Federal Direct Loan – Subsidized and Unsubsidized
Federal Direct PLUS Loan – Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students
Federal Perkins Loan
Private Loan
Employment (self-help):
Federal Work-Study
Must be eligible for the Federal Pell Grant
Student Temporary Employment
Office of Student Financial Aid

12. Office of Student Financial Aid
Scholarship Sources
Institutional
Private Donors
Popular scholarship databases include:
● ●
Office of Student Financial Aid

13. Student Responsibilities
Check your AppalNet account and Appalachian State account at least twice per week.
All notifications from our office are communicated via those platforms.
Students must grant Parent Access (via the AppalNet account) in order for our office to communicate with parents/guardians. The parent must also be listed on the FAFSA in order for us to discuss specific financial aid information.
We can only answer general financial aid questions if the parent has not been granted access and/or is not listed on the FAFSA.
Office of Student Financial Aid

14. Office of Student Financial Aid
Questions?
CONTACT INFORMATION
Office Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00am – 5:00 pm financialaid.appstate.edu
(fax)
Office of Student Financial Aid