IMPORTANT THINGS HAZLETON AREA HIGH SCHOOL COLLEGE PREPARATORY SENIORS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FINANCIAL AIDHAHS Guidance

GET YOUR PARENTS IN THE LOOP.

It is important to discuss your college goals and costs with your folks. They play an integral role in determining whether or not you have enough money to cover your educational costs.

Share your plans, THE PHEAA GUIDE, scholarships, and other important information.

TYPES OF FINANCIAL AID Scholarships (merit-based money) and

Grants (gift money) Come from a variety of sources, including

federal and state governments, colleges, organizations, foundations, etc.

This money does not have paid back. Loans

Need to be repaid, some after college graduation

TYPES OF FINANCIAL AID Work Study

Federal and state program money can be used for a variety of college expenses

School-sponsored job program; work on- or off-campus

Apply for via the FAFSA Summer jobs Savings

COMPLETE THE FAFSA ON THE WEB.

F FreeA Application (for)F FederalS StudentA Aid

FAFSA DETAILS Complete this application online at

www.fafsa.gov www.fafsa.ed.gov www.studentaid.ed.gov DO NOT GO TO www.fafsa.com !!! www.fafsa.com is a fee-based site, and

the FAFSA is FREE!

FAFSA DETAILS The application is completed with

income from 2013 tax information It checks for eligibility for federal and

Pennsylvania State Aid. List most expensive Pennsylvania

school FIRST. You will receive notices from the

government and financial aid packages from the schools you listed on the FAFSA. Follow instructions.

IRS Data Retrieval Tool*

BE MINDFUL OF DEADLINES! The deadline for submitting the FAFSA on the

WEB for Pennsylvania residents is May 1, 2014. Some program deadlines are August 1, 2014.

The school you plan to attend might have an earlier deadline.

PSU Priority Deadline is March 1, 2014 Bloomsburg, etc. Deadline is March 15,

2014 LCCC’s Scholarship Deadline is April 15, 2014

A TALE OF TWO APPLICATIONS… In addition to completing the FAFSA,

Pennsylvania residents must also complete the requirements for the Pennsylvania State Grant.

Either Watch for the LINK at the end of the

FAFSA application process -- or – Go to www.pheaa.org to complete the

application. Remember to mail the signature page to

the PHEAA Office in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

OTHER IMPORTANT DETAILS Some schools require other financial aid

applications. They might have their own forms, etc. Some schools require the CSS Profile,

available from the College Board website.

FAFSA4CASTER DETAILS Another useful website to predict your

family contribution www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov

SPECIAL FINANCIAL AID PROGRAMS

Be aware of special federal and Pennsylvania financial aid programs. Loan forgiveness for particular majors

(certain education majors, nursing, armed forces, etc.)

Awards for certain science and technology majors

Grants for foster children, 9/11 children, etc.

Read the PHEAA GUIDE and share it with your parents!

FINANCIAL AID NIGHT AT HAHS Date: January 28, 2014 Time: 6:30 P.M. Location: HAHS Library Bring your FAFSA PIN with you! Get your PIN at www.pin.ed.gov.

The date for 2015 will be determined soon. Listen to announcements for further information.

FINANCIAL AID NIGHT A local university financial aid officer will

present “How to apply for financial aid with the FAFSA.”

It’s free In-depth review of financial aid types

and sources Includes FAFSA tutorial

FAFSA COMPLETION HELP Although the annual “FINANCIAL AID

NIGHT” has passed, there are several options available to help you complete the FAFSA. College Financial Aid Office PHEAA Regional Representative Local FAFSA Completion Sessions SPARC Representative Your tax preparer or accountant Your high school guidance counselor

SCHOLARSHIPS Visit the STUDENT RESOURCE

CENTER in the guidance office. Available LOCAL scholarship details

and application materials are updated WEEKLY.

LOCAL versus NATIONAL

SCHOLARSHIPS This is money that can be used for

educational purposes Tuition Room and Board Transportation Books Entertainment Etc.

OTHER USEFUL WEBSITES There are several NATIONAL websites

available where you can apply for additional scholarship money. www.questbridge.org www.fastweb.com www.meritaid.com www.gocollege.com www.scholarships.com

KEEP YOUR PARENTS PROUD! College acceptances are published in the

Standard-Speaker weekly column each Tuesday.

To get your name on the list, see your counselor.

SENIOR CLASS SURVEY In the latter part of May 2014 counselors will meet

with seniors to finalize their post-high school plans.

The “SENIOR CLASS SURVEY” accomplishes several things – Informs the guidance staff where to send final

transcripts Reports demographic information to the state Assists the school in compiling the most recent profile

data Tallies the total scholarship money awarded to the

Class of 2014

GOOD LUCK! We wish you the best of luck with

finalizing your college plans! We will always do our best to fulfill your

requests and answer your questions. Keep in touch with us!