Financial Aid Check List

BEGIN

⇒ Apply for Admissions. You must be accepted into a financial aid eligible program at Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) to recieve aid. You can complete the application at anytime, however, your FAFSA will not be processed until you are accepted into a financial aid eligible program.

Programs not eligible for financial aid consideration include Dental Assistant, Nursing Assistant, Criminal Justice - Law Enforcement Academy, Truck Driving, Farm Business and Production Management, Central Service Technician, Youth Options, or any short-term certificate program.

⇒ Get Organized! Click "Before Beginning a FAFSA" at www.fafsa.ed.gov to check out the following time saving suggestions before beginning a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid):

Gather the following documents: Social Security Number, driver's license, income tax return (if required by law to file) for student and parent (if student is dependent), bank statements, and investment records.
Print a FAFSA worksheet.
Determine how to sign your FAFSA - sign electronically with PIN or mail a signed signature page.
Apply for a PIN (Personal Indentification Number) from the Department of Education. Student and parent (if student is dependent) need a PIN to sign the FAFSA electronically. To request or re-request a PIN, go to www.pin.ed.gov. Students and parents can create a PIN (PIN must be four numbers) and have it available immediately or request that the Department of Education create the PIN and display it now, send it via e-mail, or send it U.S. postal mail. After the PIN is received, the applicant can proceed with applying for financial aid online. PIN numbers are very important, they allow students and parents to sign FAFSAs online, make corrections, and sign Master Promissory Notes for student loans.

⇒ Submit your FAFSA! Apply online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Submit the appropriate year FAFSA or renewal FAFSA and be sure to insert CVTC's school code - 005304 on the FAFSA. When completing the FAFSA, after providing your identifying information, you will be asked if you want to "pre-fill" your FAFSA. If you have not submitted a FAFSA recently, select "No". If you submitted a FAFSA for the previous year, select "Yes" and the information from the previous FAFSA will be brought forward into the current FAFSA.

Parent(s) of dependent students must report their income and asset information and sign the FAFSA with a parent's PIN number. If you have questions or need help completing the FAFSA, call 1-800-433-3243.

NEXT STEP

⇒ Review your Student Aid Report (SAR). When you receive your SAR from the Department of Education, read it carefully. If your SAR is rejected because it was not signed, sign it electronically with your PIN at www.fafsa.ed.gov. This must be done before you can make any needed corrections to your SAR at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

⇒ Return your forms. Return any forms or documents requested by the Financial Aid Office within two (2) weeks of receiving the request. Label the top of parent and spouse tax returns (if required) with the student's name and CVTC Identification Number. Sign and date the copies of the tax forms. Financial aid applications will not be processed if the information requested is not returned.

END RESULT

⇒ Receive your Financial Aid Award Letter. Your award letter will list the financial aid for which you were qualified. Inform the Financial Aid Office of any funds on the award letter you want to decline or reduce.

⇒ Complete a Master Promissory Note (MPN). If a student loan is included on your financial aid award letter and you do not have a valid MPN on file with the Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation (GLHEC), you must complete an MPN on line at http://www.cvtc.edu/pages/687.asp and sign it on line with the PIN you requested to sign your FAFSA.

⇒ Complete Loan Entrance Counseling. If a loan is included on your award letter and you are a first time borrower, you must complete Loan Entrance Counseling on line at http://www.cvtc.edu/pages/687.asp by selecting "Entrance Counseling Website". A confirmation message will display after successful completion of the couseling, and CVTC will receive electronic confirmation as well.

* A dependent student, for financial aid purposes, is defined by these conditions: Student (1) did not turn 24 by December 31st of the most recent year; (2) is not married; (3) is not currently on active duty for purposes other than training; (4) is not a verteran of the U.S. Armed Forces; (5) does not have children or dependents that receive more than one half of their support from the student; (6) since the age of 13 was not in foster care; (7) is not an orphan; (8) is not an emancipated minor or a minor in legal gaurdianship, and (9) has not been verified as an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or are at risk of homelessness.