Financial Aid How to Apply for Financial Aid

Financial Aid

How to Apply for Financial Aid? Complete the FAFSA Online (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) www. fafsa. gov Make sure to go to. gov and NOT. com. The. com website may charge you upwards of $80 when the application is FREE

FAFSA Online For New students click to “Start A New FAFSA” For Returning students click to “Login”

Deadlines When should I apply? Applications are available January 1 st every year. Federal Deadline – (For 2015 -16) June 30, 2016 State (NJ) Deadline – (For 2015 -16) New Students – Fall 2015 and Spring 2016 - October 1, 2015 Spring 2016 only – March 1, 2016 Returning Students – June 1, 2015

Deadlines, cont. School Priority Deadlines Communicate with your school to find out when the FAFSA and any missing documentation must be submitted. The school deadlines may be prior to Federal and State deadlines (March 1 st) so you want to ensure that you meet all deadlines. For example RCBC has priority deadlines for Fall in July and Spring in November to have FAFSA and documentation submitted.

How does my school get my application? When you submit your FAFSA application you will be able to add up to 10 schools to receive your application You can search by Name, City and State The easiest way is to have the Federal School Code For Example: RCBC’s school code is 007730

Types of Financial Aid Federal Pell and SEOG Grants Federal Direct Student Loans Tuition Aid Grant (TAG) Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) New Jersey Student Tuition Reward Scholarship (NJStars) School based Scholarships and Outside Scholarships Federal Work Study (FWS) Veterans Benefits

Federal Pell & SEOG Grants Up to $5, 775 for the year for Pell (15 -16 school year) Up to $200 for the year for SEOG (15 -16 school year) Free Grant funding – Does not need to be paid back Eligibility is determined based on the students EFC (Expected Family Contribution) The school will notify students of any eligibility or missing documentation.

Federal Direct Student Loans Application is separate from the FAFSA application Complete application at www. studentloans. gov Master Promissory Note Loan Entrance Counseling Interview Student loans have to be paid back Subsidized funding – interest does not accrue until after student stops attending part time. Government pays interest while in school Unsubsidized funding – interest begins accruing immediately and must be paid back by student Amounts are between $3, 500 -$10, 500

Tuition Aid Grant (TAG) Up to $2, 272 (Community College) and up to$12, 000(4 Year Univ. ) for the year for TAG (15 -16 school year) TAG Eligibility is determined by the State of NJ (HESAA) HESAA is Higher Education Student Assistance Authority HESAA will notify the student directly of eligibility or missing information For more information please go to njgrants. org

Educational Opportunity Fund - EOF is funding from The State of NJ (HESAA) Up to $1, 050 for the year for EOF (15 -16 school year) Application is separate from FAFSA and must be completed with the EOF office. Specific eligibility based on income requirements

New Jersey Student Tuition Reward Scholarship (NJStars) Students who have graduated in the top 15. 0% of their graduating class or were listed in the top 15% of their class in their junior year and attend a NJ Community College. Students must show college readiness, NJSTARS does not pay for developmental courses. Covers tuition only for 12 -18 college level credits during Fall and Spring semesters. NJSTARS does not currently cover summer courses. NJSTARS tuition can cover up to 5 semesters of eligibility NJStars is applied towards tuition only, once federal and state grants are applied. Must also meet specific GPA requirements while enrolled in courses.

Scholarships Institutional Scholarships – Each school usually has or offers their own scholarships that are for their students only. For example RCBC offers Foundation Scholarships that can range from $200 - $1, 500 Separate application that is found on the college’s website which usually requires an essay and letters of recommendations. Outside Scholarships – Employers, high schools, clubs, search engines/online – fastweb. com.

Federal Work Study Allows students to work on/off campus. Receives pay checks to help students pay for expenses. Students must be enrolled at least 6 credits. Must also meet all federal requirements (such as meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress, cannot be in default on a student loan/s and must have an eligible major declared). If a student does not qualify for Federal Work Study the college may offer Institutional Work Study. Students go through a Career Services Department for more information

Veterans Benefits Veteran/VA Benefits – Apply at www. va. gov Tuition Assistance, MYCAA, Military Spouses Scholarship For information on any of these programs please contact The Military Education & Veteran Services Department at your School. For Example Rowan College at Burlington County’s Military Education & Veteran Services can be reached by calling 609 -894 -9311 ext. 1299 or by email vets@bcc. edu.

Documentation Some documentation your school may request: Tax Return Transcripts – (From IRS. gov) not your 1040’s W-2 form(s) High School Diploma/GED/Equivalent documentation Proof of Citizenship Selective Service Registration (for males) Social Security Cards, driver’s license, birth certificates, marriage certificates and/or divorce decrees In house forms: Verification Worksheets. Major – Make sure valid eligible majors are declared

Special Circumstances Dependency Appeals – Students who are not able to provide parental information and are not Independent for another reason can submit an appeal for: Abuse, Neglect or Abandonment Professional Judgment Appeal Income Adjustments – Students/Spouses/Parents that have had a significant change in Income from the tax filing year used to complete the fafsa to current year can submit an appeal.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2. 0 or higher. Must pass 66. 67% of the total credits attempted at your school. Cannot exceed more than 150% of your program requirements. What if I become suspended? Schools may potentially offer an appeal process to allow financial aid eligibility to continue given extenuating circumstances are demonstrated. Some schools may offer a one time warning for students.

Communication Mail – The Financial Aid Office will send correspondences to the students home address. (Missing information, award letter, SAP letter) Email – Keep an eye on your school email and personal email. The Office will email the student regarding FAFSA application status, missing information and loan information. Phone – Our office will occasionally call any numbers listed if we have questions or concerns that we need to speak with student and/or parents.

Book Vouchers and Stipend Checks The following options are usually available for students who have remaining funding on their account after tuition and fees are paid: Book Vouchers – Some schools offer a book voucher for students to use a portion of their remaining credit in the college book store to purchase books. RCBC allows up to $600 to be used. Stipend Checks – Stipend check(s) are made available to the student. If financial aid has covered tuition, fees and charges on the student’s account the remaining balance will be given to the student

How can you find out your status? Check your student portal online. RCBC has Web. Advisor for students where you can see award amounts, missing documentation and can register online. Check the Financial Aid Office webpage Each school should have a specific financial aid website which will give you important dates, documentation and general financial aid information. Give the Financial Aid Office a call, send the office an email or stop by. We want to hear from you! Change your schedule, questions about documentation or want to talk about your options…call the financial aid office

RCBC’s Contact Information Phone 609 -894 -9311 ext. 1575 Email financialaid@bcc. edu Fax 609 -894 -0139 Stop By Mt. Laurel Campus

FAFSA Workshops Saturday - March 19 th - Mt. Laurel Thursday - March 24 th - Mt. Laurel Thursday - March 31 st- Willingboro Thursday - April 7 th - Mt. Laurel Saturday - April 16 th - Mt. Laurel

Questions? Please stop by and see us!!