# Presentation: 849369

## Session FF-04

**FAFSA**
**Free Application for Federal Student Aid**
- Yolanda Adams
- U.S. Department of Education

## What Is The FAFSA?

- Department of Education’s free application for Title IV aid
- Collects applicant information required by statute
- Processed by Department’s Central Processing System (CPS)
- All students must complete unless parent PLUS loan is only aid requested

## Central Processing System (CPS)

**Central Processing System (CPS)**

- Processes the FAFSA for use in determining student eligibility
- Edits data for errors
- Calculates expected family contribution (EFC)
- Sends output documents
- Paper or electronic output to students
- Electronic file to schools

## Central Processing System (CPS)

- Matches student information with other databases
- Social Security Administration
- Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
- Selective Service
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Department of Justice
- National Student Loan Data System

**Notes:**
On March 1, 2003, services formerly provided by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) transitioned into the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under the Bureau of Citizenship & Immigration Services (BCIS) U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS). In support of the DHS overall mission, the immediate priorities of the new USCIS are to promote national security, continue to eliminate immigration adjudications backlogs, and implement solutions for improving immigration customer services. The USCIS will continue efforts to fundamentally transform and improve the delivery of immigration and citizenship services. 

## Methods For Filing FAFSA

- Student
- Paper application/PDF application
- FAFSA on the Web
- Renewal FAFSA on the Web
- School
-  FAA Access to CPS on-line
- Must have completed and signed copy of paper FAFSA

## www.fafsa.ed.gov

## www.pin.ed.gov

**www.pin.ed.gov**

## www.fafsa.ed.gov/FOTWWebApp/faa/faa.jsp 

## FAFSA InstructionsAvailable online at
http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/completing_fafsa/2008_2009/index.html

- http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/completing_fafsa/2008_2009/index.html

**Notes:**
These links work when you are in slideshow mode.

## Paper FAFSA

- Schools may receive limited number of paper applications
- Students may order paper FAFSA by calling 1-800-4FEDAID
- Students and schools may print PDF FAFSA
- _[http://www.federalstudentaid.ed.gov/](http://www.federalstudentaid.ed.gov/)_
- PDF version is official application for submission to CPS
- PDF version is acceptable as documentation for applications submitted via FAA Access to CPS

## FOTW Worksheet 

- Paper worksheet that follows web version of FAFSA
- Cannot be used as official application for submission to CPS
- Recommended for applicants using FAFSA on the Web (FOTW)

## CPS Web Applications Demo

-  http://fafsademo.test.ed.gov
- User ID – eddemo
- Password - fafsatest
- Demos both FAFSA on the Web and FAA Access to CPS on-line
- Ideal for new staff, demonstrations, or practice
- Demo student information is preloaded

## FAFSA Sections

- General Student Information
- Student and Spouse Income & Assets
- Dependency Status
- Parent Information (parent of dependent student)
- Household Size and Number in College (independent student only)
- College Information
- Signature Block

## FAFSA Data

- Income is “base year” – calendar year prior to award year
- Marital status, household size and assets are reported as of date of application

## Social Security Number

- Student enters incorrect SSN
- Must correct SSN in question 8
- CPS identifier will carry original SSN
- COD will carry corrected SSN
- Student SSN and first two letters of last name match application already in CPS database
- If SSN entered incorrectly, must file new FAFSA
- If SSN entered correctly, must file “correction application”
- Call 703-284-5666

## Student’s Marital Status 

- Question 16
- Marital status at time of application remains for entire award year
- May not change marital status once application is filed
- May not change dependency status or household size because of change to student’s marital status

## Question 23 - Drug Conviction

- An applicant loses eligibility for Title IV aid if was *convicted* for a drug-related offense that occurred while enrolled and receiving Title IV aid
- Date of ineligibility begins on date of conviction

## Questions 24 & 25

- Parent’s education level requested because some states award aid to first generation college students
- Answers not required for EFC processing

## Question 26 – Secondary School

- Four choices
- High school diploma
- GED certificate
- Home schooled
- None of the above

**Notes:**
None of the above has replaced  “other”

## Question 32 - TEACH Grant

- Now on paper FAFSA and FOTW

## Questions 33b & 82b

- Reported estimated income information – tax return not yet completed
- Estimated information is not automatically conflicting information
-  After April 15 prior to start of award year, CPS *requests* that families “correct” information to reflect actual tax information

## Qualified Education Benefits

- Included in asset questions 42 & 92
- Include Coverdell savings accounts, state prepaid tuition plans and 529 prepaid and savings plans
- All are included in assets on FAFSA
- Report as asset of dependent student’s parent if parent or dependent student is owner of the account or plan
- Report as asset of independent student if student/spouse owns the account/plan

**Notes:**
Never report as asset of dependent student

## Family Ownership of Small Business

- Asset Questions 43 and 93
- Exclude from assets on FAFSA any part of a family owned and controlled business with no more than 100 FT employees or FTE’s

## Worksheet C

- Separate worksheet has been eliminated
- Information from Worksheet C is now reported in questions 46 a-e & 94 a-e
- Includes combat pay or special combat pay

## Untaxed Income

- Worksheets A & B are eliminated
- Income now reported in questions 47 a-j & 95 a-i
- CCRAA excluded from untaxed income
- Additional child tax credits claimed
- Welfare benefits
- Earned Income Credit
- Special Fuel Tax Credit
- Foreign Income Exclusion
- Untaxed Social Security Benefits

## Dependency Questions

- Step Three
- 13 criteria set in the law
- Student must be able to answer  “yes” to at least one question to be independent

## Dependency Questions

- Must be age 24 or older by December 31 of award year
- Married as of date of application
- Common law marriage in states where recognized
- Same-sex marriages are not recognized for Title IV purposes
- Separated not divorced answers yes
- Master’s or doctoral program

## Dependency Questions

- Serving on active duty in U.S. armed forces for purposes other than training
- Veteran of U.S. Armed forces
- Served active duty for purpose other than training and discharged other than dishonorably
- Database match with VA
- Have children for whom provide more than 50% support and will continue throughout award year

## Dependency Questions

- Have dependents other than children and spouse for whom provide more than 50% support and will continue throughout award year
- At age 13 or older, were both parents deceased or was student in foster care or dependent/ward of the court
- Emancipated minor as of date of application
- In legal guardianship as of date of application

## Dependency Questions

-  Unaccompanied homeless youth on/after 7/1/08 by high school/school district
-  Unaccompanied homeless youth on/after 7/1/08 by emergency shelter program
-  Unaccompanied youth who is homeless or self-supporting and at risk of being homeless on/after 7/1/08 by director of runaway or homeless youth basic center of transitional living program

## Who Is A Parent?

- Biological and adoptive
- Stepparent *currently* married to above
- Grandparents *cannot* be parents on the FAFSA *unless* they have legally adopted the student

## Questions 63-71

- Parent’s SSN, Name, and DOB
- Would be used if IRS database match begins
- At least one parent’s data must match Social Security administration database
- Parent without SSN must enter all zeroes in SSN field
- Parent’s e-mail address

## Federal Means-Tested Benefits

- Questions 77-81 & 98-102
- Additional criteria for simplified needs test and automatic zero EFC
- Answering these questions will not affect receipt of these programs

## Dislocated Worker

- Questions 85 & 103
- CCRAA added as another criteria for simplified needs test and automatic zero EFC
- Definition in FAFSA instructions

## Step Seven – Signature 

- Certification by student, spouse, and parent
- To use funds for educational purposes
- Student not in default or overpayment
- Student will not receive Pell at more than one school concurrently
- Agree to provide information to verify accuracy of application, including confirmation from IRS
- Privacy of PIN
- Criminal offense to provide false or misleading information

## Contact Information

- Yolanda Adams
- Training Officer
- 404-562-6291
- yolanda.adams@ed.gov

- Your feedback and comments are appreciated.