Parent Information
FAFSA: Free Application For Federal Student Aid
by Trujillo and Park
To apply for federal student financial aid and to apply for many state student aid programs, students must complete a Free Application For Federal Student Aid. (FAFSA). The information you provide on your FAFSA determines if you are eligible for financial aid. This aid includes grants, used by most states and schools to award non-federal student financial aid.
Once you complete your FAFSA it is processed and electronically sent to all the schools you listed in Step Six of the form. You are sent a paper report, called a STUDENT AID REPORT, (SAR). It is important for you to review your SAR when you receive it to make sure all of the information is correct and to provide any necessary corrections or additional information. Your information is entered into a formula from the Higher Education Act of 1965 and the result is your EXPECTED FAMILY CONTRIBUTION (EFC). The EFC represents the amount your family is expected to contribute towards the cost of your education. If your information is complete, your SAR will contain your EFC.
The schools get the EFC information also, and use it to prepare a financial aid package to help you meet your financial need. Financial need is the difference between your EFC and your school's cost of attendance (tuition, books, living expenses, etc.). If you believe that you have special circumstances that should be taken into account, such as unusual medical or dental expenses or a significant change in income from one year to the next, contact the financial aid administrator at the schools to which you are applying. When you receive your report in the upper right hand corner of your SAR you will find your four-digit DATA RELEASE NUMBER (DRN). You can use it to report a change of address, request duplicate copies or your of your SAR and to release copies of your SAR electronically to schools you didn't list on your FAFSA.
Financial aid is first used to pay tuition, fees, and room and board and goes directly to the school where you will be attending. Any remaining need is paid directly to you for your other expenses.
The best place for information about student financial aid is the financial aid office at the school you plan to attend. You can also get free information from the US Department of Education's web site at www.studentaid.ed.gov or from www.students.gov.
Filling out the FAFSA and applying for student financial aid is free. You should be wary of mailings or Web sites that offer to submit your application for you, or to find you money for school if you pay them a fee. Some of them are legitimate, and some are scams. Seniors: start this process now to get as much money as you deserve while there is still money available.
What is the PSAT/NMSQT?
Have you heard these letters before but have no idea what they mean? Well, you're in luck because TJ's Counseling Department is here to give you a crash course on the subject. No, PSAT/NMSQT is not a bunch of random letters without meaning. Let's break it down together. The PSAT part stands for the Preliminary SAT and the NMSQT part stands for the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. I bet your next question is what does this mean to you. For 10th graders the test can be an excellent opportunity for you to practice for the SAT. Statistics show that on average, students who take the PSAT score 130 points higher on the SAT than students who don't. Also, taking the test ensures that you will receive feedback on your strengths and weaknesses. Using your test report and the test booklet as a study guide can help improve your test taking skills before you take the SAT.
In 11th grade you would want to take the test in order to qualify for National Merit Scholarships. Also, by carefully filling out the questionnaire part of the test, you'll receive information from colleges and about college majors that are of interest to you. Now you may be thinking what makes up the PSAT/NMSQT? The test consists of two 25 minute Verbal Sections: sentence completions, analogies, and critical thinking; two 25 minute Math Sections: multiple choice, quantitative comparisons and grid-in responses; and one 30 minute Writing Section: identifying sentence errors, improving sentences and paragraphs. Doesn't sound too difficult does it?
Next, when is it and how can you register? The test is given only once a year in October. It is scheduled for October 16th 2004, from 7:30 to 12:30 at Thomas Jefferson High School. You can pay Ms. Luna in the treasurer's office starting October 1, 2004. The test costs about $13.00. PLEASE pay attention to deadline dates because if you miss them you WILL NOT be able to take the test! Listen for announcements and visit the counseling office often for up to date information on tests and other important things you need to know about the college process.
Sincerely,
Alexis Park & Laura Trujillo