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How to Apply
Veterans
Gainful Employment 2010-2011 |
How to Apply for Financial Aid |
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| General Information | Each
year the Free Application for Federal Aid (FAFSA) is made available on the
federal web site www.fafsa.gov on January
1st. Students who wish to apply for financial aid should use resources
available on the Web.  |
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In addition to completing a FAFSA each year, students must meet enrollment and satisfactory academic progress standards. |
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| The
FAFSA (Free Application for Federal
Student Aid)
is the first step in the financial aid process. You use
it to apply for federal student financial aid, such as grants, loans
(Subsidized and Unsubsidized), and work-study. It is also used for state
programs, such as the Board of Governors Fee Waiver and Cal Grants.
Cuesta College will use the information you provide on your FAFSA to
determine your eligibility. For each school year, new applicants for Cal Grants (including entering freshmen) must submit a GPA Verification Form as well as the FAFSA by the March 2nd early filing deadline. GPA Verification Forms are available from your high school counselor or any California college financial aid office and can be submitted directly to the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC). |
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| Please Remember |
Incorrect addresses are the number one reason students do not receive their financial aid in a timely manner. It is YOUR responsibility to avoid potential problems associated with inaccurate addresses. It is critical that you immediately update your address with the Financial Aid Office and federal processor (FAFSA), as well as the Admissions & Records Office any time you move, and that you give accurate forwarding instructions to the U.S. Post Office each time you move. It will not be possible to immediately reproduce checks that become delayed or misrouted in the mail. If you have already filed your FAFSA, be sure to log into FAFSA to check your Financial Aid status. |
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| Important Tips |
Don't disqualify yourself! If your family's income is too high, you may not receive need-based aid, but you could still qualify for scholarships, work-study or low-interest loans. We still encourage you to file the FAFSA. You must reapply each year to continue receiving federal and state financial aid. This includes Cal Grants, The Board of Governors Fee Waiver (BOGW), Pell Grants, Work-Study, Stafford Subsidized and Unsubsidized Student Loans, and other grants. You must update your address with the FAFSA, as well as the college you are attending. Our Financial Aid Office uses the address on the FAFSA to send your award letters and loan guarantees. Continuing financial aid applicants will be emailed or sent either a Renewal FAFSA or a PIN (Personal Identification Number) during December or January each year. Be sure to keep your email and permanent address current with the federal processor because your Renewal FAFSA or PIN will be emailed/mailed to the address on file as of September. If you do not receive a Renewal FAFSA or PIN by the end of January, go to www.fafsa.ed.gov and complete a FAFSA online. You may also make address, phone number, and college choice corrections on the WEB using your PIN. To request a PIN or a duplicate PIN, visit the web site at www.pin.ed.gov. |
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| Who is Eligible for Financial Aid? |
Generally, financial aid eligibility is established once a student has shown that the following criteria are satisfied:
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| The Application Process |
Apply on-line at www.fafsa.ed.gov. If you can’t apply online, you may obtain a paper FAFSA from all high schools, colleges, and universities across the U.S. Our school code is: 001192. Be sure to list Cuesta College when completing Step 6 of the FAFSA. The fastest and easiest way to apply is on-line. It is a two-step process;
Approximately two weeks after electronically filing your FAFSA, the U.S. Department of Education will email or send you a Student Aid Report (SAR), summarizing the information reported on your application. Review your SAR carefully for any errors. If application information has changed, follow the instructions on the SAR to make corrections and return it to the address provided or correct it online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Be sure Cuesta College (School Code: 001192) is listed as an institution authorized to receive your application information. If no updates or corrections are required, keep the SAR for your reference. The FAFSA application is only the beginning of the federal student aid process. Before you are awarded a financial aid package, the Cuesta College Financial Aid Office will send you a letter asking you for additional information to complete your file for a preliminary review. It is your responsibility to give us the information or documentation needed to process your application. Until we receive all of the information requested, we will be unable to offer you financial assistance. Students who do not qualify for payment at the beginning of a term will be processed for payment as soon as their award and/or registration status qualifies them for a disbursement. Changes in your enrollment status or enrollment level, receipt of outside aid, etc. may cause a reduction in your financial eligibility and delay payment. You must report all such changes promptly to the Financial Aid Office. |
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| Verification Worksheet. |
The Department of Education selects 30% of each school's applicants to provide a Quality Control Review. Verification review takes into account your family income and assets, taxes paid, household size, number in college and untaxed benefits. IRS Federal Income Tax Transcripts and W2's transcripts. Please submit ONLY if you have been selected for Verification (see above). Attach COPIES of your federal (1040, 1040A, 1040EZ IRS transcripts) tax forms with ALL transcript attachments. |
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| BUDGETS / FORMS / TESTING /LINKS / FERPA | |||||||||
| Comments or suggestions regarding the Financial Aid Office web site, contact the Financial Aid Technology Specialist at pkubiak@cuesta.edu | |||||||||
