Financial Aid Calendar
Organization is imperative! Keep a folder for Fafsa information. Keep another for scholarship materials. This will save you a lot of time.
January - You should be getting tax information ready. Be thinking about completing the FAFSA as soon as your taxes are done. The FAFSA can be completed with the prior year's information but you are required to update the FAFSA when the current year's taxes are filed. By filing your taxes first, you save yourself some time.
The sooner you submit your FAFSA the more aid you are likely to get even if you don't think you will qualify for aid. The Applications are available for the following Fall term on January 1st. Make it a New Year's Day tradition to fill out your FAFSA! Start searching for Scholarships.
February - Send in any scholarship applications you can find. Be aware that all scholarships have different deadlines. However, the earlier your application is submitted, the better it looks to some organizations.
** Save all essays, applications and letters of interest/ recommendation on a computer so that you can tinker with them for the next time you need to submit them. This is a real time saver.
March - Make sure that the FAFSA has been completed and submitted. You should be receiving something from the school within 4 - 6 weeks of receiving your Student Aid Report. If you have received your Student Aid Report, make sure you check for mistakes!
June – This is a busy time for first time students as they are probably going through Graduation exercises, but it is VERY important to make sure that you have submitted ALL Financial Aid Acceptance forms and/or any other financial aid documentation the school has requested (you will be notified of what needs to be sent.)
Complete your Master Promissory Note for loans with the Direct Lending program at http://studentloans.gov
Complete Entrance Counseling. If you have taken out a federal Stafford Loan it is a Mandatory online seminar that takes about 15 minutes. It is styled like a multiple-choice test and informs the student of their rights and responsibilities as a borrower. Complete it here: Entrance counseling (sign in and click "Entrance Counseling").
July - You will receive your invoice. READ EVERYTHING VERY CAREFULLY! If there is no aid listed call us immediately. If you were planning to live on campus and room and board is not listed, call us immediately. If you suspect anything is wrong, call us immediately.
August - Confirm that you do not have anything else that needs to be done. You may want to start looking for books if the list is available (you will be notified); the earlier you buy them, the better the chance you could find a deal or get used editions.
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