FAFSA
What is Financial Aid?
Financial Aid is awarded by the state and federal government to help students pay for postsecondary education (college, etc) costs. Students must meet certain requirements in order to be eligible for financial aid. Federal financial aid is based on financial need while California financial aid (Cal Grants) are based on financial need and a student’s GPA. In your senior year, you must fill out the Free Application for Federal Assistance (FAFSA) Application to apply for both federal financial aid (Pell Grant) and state financial aid. In addition, you mist fill out the GPA verification form in order to apply for California state financial aid (Cal Grants). The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) Application and GPA Verification form (CAL-grants) are due on March 2.
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Types of Financial Aid:
•An offer of financial aid from a college or university may include one or a combination of the following:
–Grants Free $
–LoansMoney you pay back 6 months after you graduate or
stop going to school
–Work-Study Money you earn by working at a job the school in which you attend provides for you
Steps for seniors to apply for financial aid:
1. Establish an e-mail address ASAP
2. Apply for a FAFSA PIN # for student and parent in December of your senior year. You will need the student’s and parents Social Security Number. www.PIN.ed.gov
3. Return CAL GRANT GPA AUTHORIZATION (GPA verification form) to Counselor by January of your senior year.
4. Attend a Financial Aid Workshop- see your school calendar
5. Complete the FAFSA application by March 2 @ www.fafsa.ed.gov
Information for AB 540 Students. While undocumented students are not eligible to apply for federal or state financial aid, they may apply for scholarships. The AB 540 law allows students who have attended and graduated from a California high school to pay the same state tuition as other California residents at state universities and colleges. Go to http://www.maldef.org/ab540/ab540.cfm to find out more and to get a list of scholarships for AB 540 students.
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