What is FAFSA?

Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education, plays a central and essential role in America’s postsecondary education community. Our core mission is to ensure that all eligible individuals benefit from federal financial assistance—grants, loans and work-study programs—for education beyond high school. The Federal Student Aid team is passionately committed to making education beyond high school more attainable for all Americans, regardless of socioeconomic status. By championing access to postsecondary education, we uphold its value as a force for greater inclusion in American society and for the continued vitality of America as a nation.

What is FAFSA Eligibility Requirements?

• US citizens and eligible non-citizens (permanent resident, asylum, etc.) are eligible to receive federal financial aid. International students typically are not eligible to receive federal aid. Students who are legal citizens/eligible non-citizens but whose parents are illegal immigrants may qualify for financial aid. These students will likely need the assistance of a financial aid officer.
• Selective Service: Yes, that’s the draft. It is a requirement that males 18 years old or older be registered for the draft. No Selective Service registration equals no financial aid. Women are not required to register for the draft.
• High School completion status: To qualify for federal student aid, you must have completed high school or an equivalent educational course.
• Grade Level, Degree Pursued, First Bachelor’s Degree: Most non-loan federal financial aid for undergraduates is restricted to students pursuing their first degree. If you have already got one undergraduate degree and you are going for a second, you will qualify for substantially less federal financial aid. This does NOT apply to graduate students; that’s handled differently.
• Highest level of education for parents: Highest level of education is important to determine eligibility for “First in the Family To College” type scholarships.

After the basic eligibility questions, you will be asked to choose which colleges and universities you would like to have your FAFSA results sent to.

How to Apply for FAFSA?

Here is a list of steps you need in order to apply for FAFSA

1. Online Account Set Up – Go to FAFSA Online to create your FAFSA Account
2. Get your PIN Number for your FAFSA Online Account
3. Find the school code you would like to attend
4. Fill out all of the demographic, Status, Financial Information including you and your parent tax information at your FAFSA Account.  * Don’t forget to use the previous year’s tax information!
5. When you complete your application, you will get an initial estimate of your financial aid eligibility

What you need to prepare for your FAFSA?

What documentation and paperwork do you need to complete the FAFSA? We have a comprehensive list for you. In addition to gathering financial information, you will need to sign up for a FAFSA account and a FAFSA pin.
All financial information needs to be for the previous financial year. If you are planning to file the 2011-2012 FAFSA you will need documentation from tax year 2010 (January 1, 2010 – December 31, 2010).  Click here to Apply FAFSA Online

• Your Social Security Number
• Your driver’s license or state ID (if any)
• Your W-2 Forms and other records of money earned
• Your (and your spouse’s, if you’re married) 2010 Federal Income Tax Return – IRS Form 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ, 1040TeleFile, foreign tax return, or tax return for Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Marshall Islands, or the Federated States of Micronesia
• Your parents’ Federal Income Tax Return (if you are a dependent student)
• Your untaxed income records – Social Security, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, welfare, or veterans benefits records
• Your current bank statements
• Your current business and investment mortgage information, business and farm records, stock, bond, and other investment records
• Your alien registration or permanent residence card (if you are not a U.S. citizen)

When is the FAFSA Application Deadline?

• AK: AK Education Grant – April 15, 2011 (date received) AK Performance Scholarship – June 30, 2011 (date received)
• AR  Academic Challenge – June 1, 2011 (date received) Workforce Grant – Contact the financial aid office. Higher Education Opportunity Grant – June 1, 2011 (date received)
• CA  Initial awards – March 2, 2011 + * Additional community college awards – September 2, 2011 (date postmarked)CT  February 15, 2011 (date received) # *
• DC  June 30, 2011 (date received by state) # *
• DE  April 15, 2011 (date received)FL  May 15, 2011 (date processed)IA  July 1, 2011 (date received); earlier priority deadlines may exist for certain programs.
• ID  Opportunity Grant – March 1, 2011 (date received) # *
• IL  As soon as possible after January 1, 2011. Awards  made until funds are depleted.
• IN  March 10, 2011 (date received)KS  April 1, 2011 (date received) # *
• KY  As soon as possible after January 1, 2011. Awards  made until funds are depleted.LA June 30, 2012 (July 1, 2011 recommended)
• MA  May 1, 2011 (date received) #
• MD March 1, 2011 (date received)
• ME May 1, 2011
• MI March 1, 2011 (date received)
• MN 30 days after term starts (date received)
• MO  April 1, 2011 (date received) #
• MS  MTAG and MESG Grants – September 15, 2011 (date  received) HELP Scholarship – March 31, 2011 (date received)MT March 1, 2011 (date received) #
• ND  March 15, 2011 (date received) #
• NH  May 1, 2011 (date received)NJ  2010-2011 Tuition Aid Grant recipients – June 1, 2011  (date received)All other applicants- October 1, 2011, fall & spring terms (date received)- March 1, 2012, spring term only (date received)NY  June 30, 2012 (date received) + *
• OH  October 1, 2011 (date received)OK  March 15, 2011 (date received) #
• OR OSAC Private Scholarships – March 1, 2011 (date received) Oregon Opportunity Grant – As soon as possible after January 1, 2011. Awards made until funds are depleted.
• PA  All 2010-2011 State Grant recipients & all non- 2010-2011 State Grant recipients in degree programs  - May 1, 2011(date received) *All other applicants – August 1, 2011 (date received) *
• RI  March 1, 2011 (date received) #
• SC  Tuition Grants – June 30, 2011 (date received)
• SC Commission on Higher Education – As soon as  possible after January 1, 2011. Awards made until  funds are depleted.
• TN  State Grant – As soon as possible after January 1,  2011. Awards made until funds are depleted. State Lottery – September 1, 2011 (date received) #
• WV  April 15, 2011 (date received) #

How to check my FAFSA Application Status?

You can check the status of your application at any time online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/FOTWWebApp/follow003.jspor by calling toll-free 1-800-433-3243.

How Much Aid will receive and when?

Using the information on your FAFSA and your EFC, the financial aid office at your college will determine the amount of aid you will receive. The colleges use your EFC to prepare a financial aid package to help you meet your financial need. Financial need is the difference between your EFC and your college’s cost of attendance (which can include living expenses), as determined by the college. If you or your family have unusual circumstances that should be taken into account, contact your college’s financial aid office. Some examples of unusual circumstances are: unusual medical or dental expenses or a large change in income from last year to this year.

Any financial aid you are eligible to receive will be paid to you through your college.Typically, your college will first use the aid to pay tuition, fees and room and board (if provided by the college). Any remaining aid is paid to you for your other educational expenses. If you are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant, you may receive it from only one college for the same period of enrollment

1. VA plans to roll out several new programs and cooperative efforts in the coming month.
2. VA plans to develop and expand family caregiver support programs.
3. HUD Department to reduce the number of homeless veterans to 59,000 by June 2012.
4. DoD plans to continue expanding educational opportunities for military families (Spouse and Children)
5. DoD also plans to offer military families use of Interior lands and recreational facilities for recovery
6. Childcare availability for military families
7. DOD to expand employment opportunities for military families in conservation

Leaders from the top echelons of the Defense Department and other government agencies have stepped forward to voice their unanimous approval of a groundbreaking new effort to support and strengthen military families.

President Barack Obama announces a whole-of-government initiative to benefit military families as Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, and First Lady Michelle Obama look on during a Jan. 24, 2011, White House event. DOD photo by Elaine Wilson

President Barack Obama unveiled yesterday a new, whole-of-government approach to military family support, with agencies uniting to create new resources and support programs for military families worldwide.

From health care to child care to spouse employment, Obama announced the government has made nearly 50 commitments to improving families’ quality of life and well-being, with numerous agencies — ranging from the Veterans Affairs Department to the Education Department — involved in the effort.

“Through this effort, you now have the entire Cabinet and other agencies literally saying, ‘This is one of our top priorities,’” Sarah Farnsworth, deputy assistant secretary of defense for community outreach, told American Forces Press Service today. “This is not a political discussion. … We all have a responsibility to our military families and our troops.”

This effort opens doors for agencies with a longstanding desire to help, Farnsworth noted. “Some agencies that may not have previously realized they could help make a difference now have a way to get involved,” she said. And in turn, she added, DOD and VA have access to resources they may not otherwise have been able to tap.

“By having military families elevated in some of the other Cabinet agencies, it brings more federal resources to the table,” she said.

While the announcement was made at the government level, Farnsworth emphasized the community-based nature of many of the upcoming support efforts, noting plans for a greater outreach to mayors, business communities and chambers of commerce.

“It’s more about reaching out and empowering communities that may not have understood or had the resources to help support military members and their families,” she explained. “It’s the kind of effort where there’s room at the table for everybody. Military families are part of all of our lives, no matter where you sit across the agency or country.”
VA officials also stepped forward to voice their approval of the family support effort. Tammy Duckworth, VA’s assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs, reiterated in a blog yesterday the department’s longstanding commitment to families.

“War takes a toll on families,” she wrote. “Therefore, to ensure the families of service members and veterans have programs that meet their needs, the Department of Veterans Affairs has joined the White House and other federal agencies to strengthen services for family members.”

VA plans to roll out several new programs and cooperative efforts in the coming months, many of which are outlined in the White House Report, titled: “Strengthening Our Military Families: Meeting America’s Commitment.”

For example, VA plans to develop and expand family caregiver support programs, expand and enhance services to combat suicide in the veteran population, and, working with DOD, implement a multiyear mental health strategy to promote early recognition of mental health conditions.

Additionally, VA will continue working with the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and the Housing and Urban Development Department to reduce the number of homeless veterans to 59,000 by June 2012, and to end homelessness completely by its goal year of 2015.

This governmentwide effort is “something in which we’re very excited to participate,” Duckworth wrote.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan pledged to continue expanding educational opportunities for military families yesterday in a news release.

“The men and women who serve in our nation’s armed forces place a high value on education and the availability of quality educational opportunities for their children,” Duncan said. “The U.S. Department of Education is committed to providing children of military families the support and education they need to thrive, as well as expanding educational opportunities for military spouses and veterans.”

The Education Department will focus its efforts on educational opportunities for military children, particularly during deployments and times of transition, a department news release said. The department also will work to simplify the financial aid application process for military families.

Agriculture Department officials also reiterated their commitment to military families and highlighted some upcoming efforts on behalf of military families.

“Military families face many challenges as a result of their commitment to our country, and I believe USDA’s programs can play a significant role in helping and supporting these families through their sacrifice,” Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan said in a news release yesterday. “We are committed to further strengthening our 25-year relationship with the Defense Department and using the resources of the Cooperative Extension Service to serve the entire military community.”
The 4-H National Headquarters plans to enhance its relationship with active, Guard and Reserve services to support 4-H clubs and activities for military youth, the release said.

And,USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture will work with the Defense, Health and Human Services and Education departments to increase child care availability across the nation.
Ken Salazar, secretary of the interior, outlined some of the Interior Department’s planned initiatives while expressing his full support of the effort in a statement issued yesterday.

“We must honor the remarkable service and sacrifices of our military families by doing all we can to provide them the support and quality of life they deserve,” he said. “As stewards of America’s great natural, cultural and historic treasures, the Department of the Interior can help provide our service members, their families, and our veterans with unique opportunities for recreation, rehabilitation and solitude.”

The department plans to work with DOD to offer military families use of Interior lands and recreational facilities for recovery, the statement said, particularly wounded warriors “in their efforts to regain psychological health, reintegrate with family and rehabilitate.”

Also, the department will work with the DOD to expand employment opportunities for military families in conservation, the release said.

“Under President Obama’s leadership and on behalf of a grateful nation, I look forward to working across the federal family to expand opportunities for military families and to honor their commitment to our country,” Salazar said.

Source: http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=62575

Related Sites:
Special Report: Strengthening Our Military Families
White House Report

• National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship – National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowships are awarded to applicants who will pursue a doctoral degree in, or closely related to, an area of DoD interest within one of the fifteen following disciplines: https://ndseg.asee.org

• Graduate Degree Scholarships for Military Spouses Nationwide – The National Military Family Association (NMFA) offers scholarships for military spouses seeking a professional certification or a graduate degree. The NMFA Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarship Program is awarded in amounts ranging from $500 to $1,000, depending upon available funds. All applicants must complete a short survey and an essay. http://www.militaryfamily.org/our-programs/military-spouse-scholarships/

If you currently have an active MyCAA account, all approved financial assistance documents will be honored. To keep your education on track, spouses with open accounts should note these important dates:

• August 21, 2010: No career plans will be accepted after this date
• September 1, 2010: Starting on this date, spouses may request financial assistance for classes that have a start date up to January 15, 2010
• October 21, 2010: Deadline to request financial aid

Apply now before the deadline!!

1. First of all, all of the scholarships or tuition assistance programs for military spouses are MyCAA – The MyCAA program began in November 2007 as a joint initiative between the Department of Defense and the Department of Labor and was initially available to spouses of junior enlisted members.  Click here to read more about facts about MyCAA.
   

   Military Spouse Tuition Assistance

2. There are lots of private schools or colleges offer scholarships or tuition assistance for military spouses.  While looking for money for school many surviving spouses and their families overlook the over $300 million of military – and veteran – related scholarships and grants. These scholarships programs also can be applied in some cases.  However, Scholarships are too difficult to win and applying requires too much work.
3. Each military branch also offers tuition assistance or educational benefit programs
   For Army Spouses
   • Army Family Education Programs
   • Stateside Spouse Education Assistance Program (SEAP)
   • Spouse Education Assistance Program (EAP)
   For Air Force Spouses
   • General Henry H. Arnold Education Grant Program
   • General George S. Brown Spouse Tuition Assistance Program (STAP)
   • Servicemember’s Opportunity Colleges (SOC)
   For Navy Spouses
   • SOCNAV
   • The Navy Maine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS)
     Spouse Tuition Aid Program (STAP)
   • VADM E.P. Travers Scholarship and Loan Program
   For Coast Guard Spouses
   • Coast Guard Family Education Programs
   • Coast Guard Mutual Assistance (CGMA)
   • VADM E.P. Travers Scholarship and Loan Program
   For Marine Corps Spouses
   • SOCMAR
   • The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS)
   • Spouse Tuition Aid Program (STAP)
   • VADM EP Travers Scholarship and Loan Program

For more info about Benefit Programs for Military Spouses

1. The MyCAA program began in November 2007 as a joint initiative between the Department of Defense and the Department of Labor and was initially available to spouses of junior enlisted members
2. In 2009 the program was extended to include all spouses. Applicants were able to use up to $6,000 to pursue education that would help them attain employment in portable professions.
3. There were approximately 136,000 spouses have enrolled in MyCAA until late 2009.
4. MyCAA program was closed to new spouses in February, 2010 while it assessed its original purpose to offer education that would allow for portable careers.
5. With the new plan, spouses will be eligible if their husbands are in pay grades E1-E5, the lower five of nine enlisted grades, or if their husbands are W1-W2, O1 or O2, the lower ranks of warrant and commissioned officers.
6. However, The programs will be limited to associate degrees, certification and licensures, and the amount has been lowered to $4,000.
7. Offer a maximum financial benefit of $4,000 with a fiscal year cap of $2,000.  Waivers will be available for spouses pursuing licensure or certification up to the total maximum assistance of $4,000
8. DoD will be accepting new application for MyCAA from October 25, 2010

Prepare for your MyCAA program before it is too late.  - Click here to see more about Military Spouse Career Advancement Account.

There was an announcement about MyCAA that MyCAA program is temporarily halting operations. This pause will not affect approved Financial Assistance documents.

Under the Military Spouse Career Advancement Account program, the husbands or wives of military personnel are eligible to receive up to $6,000 to pursue further education.

Last week, the Defense Department abruptly stopped the program, telling students on the MyCAA website that the program was under review.

The Department of Defense says it saw an unforseen spike in applications this winter and the program almost reached its budget threshold.

The DOD says this is a temporary stop to the program until a new plan is in place.

There are lots of Military Spouse Alternative Education Funding Resources

Spouses say they hope the funding comes back so she and other military spouses can finally finish their degrees.

Click here to Visit More information about MyCAA Announcement.

Effective August 1, 2009, the ability, for the first time, to transfer benefits became available. This allows a qualified service member to take their educational benefits and transfer them to immediate family for their use. This would allow 36 months of educational benefits to be used by a spouse or a child of a service member. This applies to all service and service members that qualify Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and other DoD service members. Talk is in the works so that in the future, more Guardsmen may be covered under this policy as well.

The military has long been a staunch advocate of continuing education. Many soldiers that are on a career path have already obtained, or are working on their degrees with the help of programs that the service provides to active duty personnel. They may have enlisted for the educational benefits. They now have the ability to provide that benefit to their family members.

Benefits can be transferred to spouses. Spouses can use the benefit immediately. This means that a military member that is on active duty can transfer their unused benefits to a spouse. That spouse can than immediately start their college education. A spouse has up to 15 years to use the benefit.

A dependent child can also use this program. They have to be 18 or have their high school diploma before they can use the benefit though the service member may transfer to them before that. There is no time limit as to how long they have to use the benefit, but they must use it before reaching the age of 26.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill provides 36 months of education benefits. This provides for tuition and any incidentals that are associated with school. This means, books, computers, software or anything else that may be deemed as needed for the class is covered. When transferred to a spouse or a dependent child, they also qualify for a monthly living stipend.
Transferability does not have to be to a spouse or to a child.

A service member does not have to pick one or the other. The service member can transfer their benefits to one or more qualifying family members. A spouse and several different children can use the educational benefits. Once benefits are transferred, the marriage of a child or the divorce of a spouse does not affect the benefits. The service member however, can revoke them if they desire to do so.

With the many changes to educational benefits the military has seen, GI Bill transferability was the most requested. President Obama stands behind this furthering of commitment to the military.

Delays in Payments - As of August 15, 2009 the VA was reporting a backlog of 211,251 GI Bill claims. That represents a an up tick of more than 10 percent from the previous week and a 480 percent increase over same time last year. According to many reports, including an article posted by WBAL-TV, this will likely result in a 10 week (or more) delay in payments for many veterans whose claims are currently pending. The VA has hired an additional 760 people to help address the overwhelming response to the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

Payment Errors – Several school officials are reporting that they have received payments based on the VA’s 2008-2009 maximum in-state tuition & fees table, resulting in underpayments for many schools. This error doesn’t directly affect the payments made to veterans, but it could potentially affect the amount of money a veteran may be required to pay the school if it is not resolved.

Article Source: http://military-education.military.com/2009/08/new-gi-bill-update-aug-17.html