Online Community College: Basic Steps for Financial Aid

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Online Community College Basic Steps for
Financial Aid
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Online Community College Financial Aid

• Have you recently decided to enroll at an online
  community college?
• Are you concerned that the high costs of higher
  education will make your educational goals
  unattainable?
• Financial aid is available to assist you in your
  pursuit of higher education.
• This presentation will provide a step-by-step
  guide that will help online community college
  students begin the financial aid process.

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Obtain Your Federal Student Aid PIN

• The first step to receiving financial aid is
  obtaining a Federal Student Aid PIN.
• Your PIN will be used to electronically to apply
  for Federal financial aid and to access your
  records online.
• To get a PIN, online community college students
  can visit www.pin.ed.gov.
• Once, you receive your PIN do not share it with
  anyone in order to maintain your security and
  privacy.

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Submit Your FAFSA Form

• The next step for students is to submit a Free
  Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form.
• Online community college students must submit a
  FAFSA form each year that they are enrolled in
  college.
• The FAFSA form is used to establish eligibility
  for Federal financial aid programs.
• Students electronically sign the FAFSA form
  with their Federal Student Aid PIN. This is why
  you must obtain your PIN first.

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Submit Your FAFSA Form

• To submit a FAFSA form online students should
  visit www.fafsa.ed.gov
• If you a make a mistake while filling out your
  FAFSA form, do not be concerned you can correct
  it online.
• Paper FAFSA forms are also available, in English
  or Spanish, at the Federal Student Aid
  Information Center. Online community college
  students can call 1-800-433-3243 or TTY
  1-800-730-8913.
• Be advised that filing a paper FAFSA form will
  add four-six weeks to the processing time.

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Verify Your Eligibility

• The amount of Federal financial aid you quality
  for and receive depends a variety of factors,
  including
• Your financial need, which is determined when
  you submit your FAFSA form.
• Your enrollment status at the online community
  college, specifically, the number of credit hours
  you will take each semester.

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The FAFSA 4caster

• The United States Department of Education offers
  online community college students a service known
  as the FAFSA4caster.
• The FAFSA4caster provides students with a
  preliminary estimate of their Federal financial
  aid eligibility.
• Students must meet the following eligibility
  requirements in order to receive Federal
  financial aid have a GED certificate, high
  school diploma or pass an approved ABT be
  enrolled in an academic program at a college be
  a United States citizen or eligible non-citizen
  have a valid Social Security number and male
  students (18-25) must be registered with
  Selective Service.

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Finalize Paperwork Select a Program

• Finally, all students must file the proper
  paperwork with their community college in order
  to receive financial aid.
• Additionally, students must be enrolled in an
  eligible degree or certificate program to receive
  Federal financial aid.
• Contact your community college for Academic
  Advising and to update your program of study.

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About the Author

• Jamie Lawry has written these articles on behalf
  of Rio Salado College, an accredited college
  offering online learning and education programs.
  For more information about our Rio Salados
  online community college, please visit
  http//www.riosalado.edu/Pages/default.aspx.