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The high cost of a college education is a top concern for nearly every student and his/her family. It is extremely important to begin discussing what your family can afford with regards to a college

education as soon as you begin considering college options. Once the financial conversation has begun, you can begin to assess what types of financial assistance are available and what types you may qualify for. Financial Aid funds come from the federal government, state government, the institutions themselves, and from private sources.

In order to best serve ECHS students, this section synthesizes some of the best and most reputable financial aid information. Take the time to find out: a) what is available to help finance your education, b) what you are eligible for, c) what documentation you will need to gather in order to apply for aid.

Common Myths About Financial Aid:

a) Assuming you will not qualify for aid. Unless you apply, you will never know if you qualify for aid.

Filling out the FAFSA and CSS profiles or other aid applications are not difficult. Take the time to apply. Every student should apply for financial aid!

b) All colleges have the same aid. False! Each college’s financial aid office addresses their aid

packages differently, so do not assume that what one college does applies to all the schools to which you are applying. Contact financial aid offices at colleges and ask questions about how they provide aid. Utilize net-price calculators on college websites and the FAFSA4CASTER on the www.fafsa.gov website to get a general idea of what you may qualify for.

c) I can’t apply to private/independent colleges because they are too expensive. While it is true that private colleges often cost much more than public universities in California, many private colleges often offer much greater aid packages and can often make the cost of attending equal or less than attending a public, in-state college. Do your research!

Types of Financial Aid:

1. Need-Based Aid: This type of aid is based on your family’s financial resources and is calculated through sources such as FAFSA or CSS. This type of aid includes Federal, State and College-Funded grants as well as student loans or work-study.

2. Merit-Based Aid or Non-Need-Based Aid: Some colleges offer financial scholarships for students who have special academic, athletic or other skills (forensics, music, art, etc.). These types of awards can be: institutionally funded, state funded, or given by private organizations. Please note that these types of awards may require additional applications and/or earlier submission deadlines.

3. Reward-Based Scholarships: these are often awarded without regard to GPA and are given for volunteer or other special acts by the student.

Important Financial Aid Terms:

• Grants: Monies generally based on financial need. Does not have to be paid back.

• Scholarships: Generally based on Merit. Does not have to be paid back.

• Loans: Money borrowed to help with paying college costs. Must be repaid with interest. Loans can be subsidized (by the federal government) or unsubsidized (offered by private loan firms).

• Work Study: Offered to the student to work on campus to use for day-to-day college expenses.

COLLEGE COST BREAKDOWN: Each college lists the costs of attending their school on their website and in published materials. Anticipate an increase in costs each year. The Cost of Attendance (COA) at a specific college is comprised of the following line items:

a. Tuition

b. Room and Board

c. Fees (student health, activity fees, etc.) d. Books and Supplies

e. Personal Expenses

f. Travel (to and from college) and parking (if applicable).

Selected and Recommended Resources on Financial Aid:

• FAFSA  (Free  Application  For  Federal  Student  Aid):  www.fafsa.gov

• The U.S. Department of Education at www.studentaid.ed.gov: helpful videos and tools, including the FAFSA4CASTER, a tool that estimates your eligibility for financial aid.  

• CSS Profile: application and information can be found at www.collegeboard.org

• Net-Price Calculator: available on each college’s website. If not on the homepage, type in “net price calculator in the site’s search bar or Google the “name of the college and net price calculator”.  

• FinAid at www.finaid.org: Aid resources and tools to compare financial aid award letters.

• College Board: www.collegeboard.org has helpful resources to help you determine which schools will offer financial aid that will meet your needs. On the College Board’s home page, type in the name of a college and then click on its profile. Next, click on the “Paying” tab to see the school’s sticker price. Finally, click the “Financial Aid By the Numbers” tab to see how a school distributes their financial aid and how much financial need is met. If you are a student looking for need-based aid, look for schools that meet a higher percentage---some even meet 100% of need! If you don’t qualify for much need-based aid, look for merit or non-need-based aid for each college.

• College Completion (Graduation) Rates—Part of the Chronicle of Higher Education:

Find out the graduation rates for public and private colleges and universities throughout the country and why graduation rates matter from a financial perspective. The longer it takes to graduate, the more it will cost for your college degree. Go to:

http://collegecompletion.chronicle.com/

• Fastweb.com at www.fastweb.com is a terrific scholarship and aid clearinghouse.

• Middle Class Scholarship: www.csac.ca.gov

• California Dream Act Information: www.caldreamact.org

• Cal Grant Information: www.calgrants.org

• For information about federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA):

www.uscis.go, www.e4fc.org, or www.weownthedream.org

• WCCUSD sponsored “Cash For College Nights” offered in high schools throughout the district in January and February each year will help students and families complete the FAFSA.

• www.meritaid.com is a comprehensive website where you can search for colleges and universities that offer merit awards. Includes community colleges as well.

BEWARE! Never ever pay a fee for aid information!!!!! There are organizations that advertise their services, claiming they will guarantee aid for you. DON’T use these organizations--they are scams.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN FILLING OUT YOUR FINANCIAL AID APPLICATIONS MAKE SURE THE FOLLOWING MATCH-UP TO AVOID DELAYS:

• The name on your school records (your transcript) should be the same as the name on your FAFSA, CSS and Cal Grant forms.

• The name on your transcript should be the same as the name on your Social Security Card.

• The name to be printed on your diploma should be the same as the name you will use on your college applications and your college correspondence.

• The name on your school ID card, your passport and driver’s license should all match-up.

• Your address must be consistent on your transcript, college applications, college

correspondence, financial aid forms, and your high school diploma. If you move, make sure to inform the ECHS registrar. If you move after you have already applied to college, contact the schools directly to make the necessary corrections. It is your responsibility to do this.

FAFSA--The Free Application for Federal Student Aid:

The FAFSA is required for financial aid at all public and private colleges. ALL students applying for financial aid should complete the FAFSA and there is no charge to apply. You may begin filing the application January 2^nd of the year you are applying to college. In order to receive your financial aid package from colleges in a timely manner and if you want to be considered for a Cal Grant, students should submit their FAFSA no later than March 2^nd.

To create an account and complete your FAFSA application, go to www.fafsa.gov. The website also has helpful videos and tools to help you complete the application. To get an estimate of what your financial award might be, utilize the FAFSA4CASTER.

Prior to filling out the application, you will need to create a PIN, or “personal identification number”.

Your PIN will act as your electronic signature for your FAFSA application. You only need to create a PIN once and you will use it to renew your FAFSA each year. Your parents or guardians will also need a PIN since they are submitting financial information on your behalf.

Student Aid Report (SAR):

Once you submit your FAFSA, you should receive a SAR via email within 3-5 days after submitting the forms online. The SAR will provide a summary of the information you gave on your FAFSA

application and will let you know what your EFC (Expected Family Contribution) will be. This same SAR report is also sent electronically to the schools to which you applied and the financial aid offices at these colleges will determine an EFC and subtract that amount from the cost of attending their particular school; the result being your financial need for that school. Be aware that if your EFC equals or is more than the cost of attendance, you are not eligible for need-based aid and you will have to look for alternative funding sources such as loans or merit scholarships.

Ø You may only list 10 schools at a time on your FAFSA application. If you are applying to more than 10 schools you should submit the application with the first 10 and, after you receive your SAR, go back into your application, delete a few schools and add your remaining schools. If you are applying to UCs or CSUs, you will need to list each college on your FAFSA form as each campus creates their own financial packages.

Ø List your schools in alphabetical order so that colleges won’t know what your top choices are.

Ø If your current year taxes are not ready by the time you submit the FAFSA, use last year’s taxes for submission. Once your current year tax information is available, you will have to go into the application at a later date to update your tax information.

Helpful Tip: When getting ready to fill out the FAFSA, it is advised to have the following documentation at hand:

a. Social security number

b. Driver’s license and/or permanent resident card (if available)

c. Student and parent W-2 forms and other records of earned income.

d. Student federal tax return.

e. Parent federal income tax return if you are a dependent.

f. Untaxed income records (child support, workers’ comp, veteran’s benefits, etc.) g. Current bank statements.

h. Current investment information, mortgage records, business records, stocks/bonds/other, retirement account information.

i. Attend a WCCUSD “Cash-for-College” night to get help with the FAFSA application.

CSS PROFILE:

More than 400 private and some public colleges require this financial aid application form to

determine eligibility for institutional aid awards. The CSS, which is administered by the College Board, is filled out in addition to the FAFSA. The CSS, although a financial aid application like the FAFSA, analyzes additional pieces of information including: home ownership, cost of living in various geographic areas, K-12 private tuition, and larger medical expenses. Your financial aid award may be quite different through the CSS than through the FAFSA. Note: you should file the CSS as soon as the application opens in October of each year. Go to www.collegeboard.org for help filling out the application, or email [email protected]

Ø NOTE: All students applying to colleges that accept the CSS Profile should complete the

application! Students should check the CSS due dates for each college on their list as deadlines can vary.

Cost: Unlike the FAFSA, which is free, the CSS charges a fee for filing. There is an initial $25 fee for the application and program report and additional reports are $16 each. Fee waivers are granted automatically based on information entered on the profile section of the application.

Helpful Tip: When getting ready to fill out the CSS, it is advised to have the following information handy:

a. Social security number b. Driver’s license

c. Student and parent W-2 forms and other records of earned income.

d. Student federal income tax return

e. Parent federal income tax return if you are a dependent-current and previous year.

f. Untaxed income records (child support, workers’ compensation, veterans’ benefits,).

g. Current bank statements

h. Current investment information, mortgage records, business records, stocks/bonds/other investment records, retirement account information.

i. Your parents’ housing status (own, rent, etc.)

j. If your parents receive TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) or SSI (Supplemental Security Income) have that information available.

CAL GRANTS: Cal Grants are financial grants funded by the State of California and administered by the California Student Aid Commission. Go to www.calgrants.org for detailed information and helpful tips about the application process. Students can be awarded up to $12,192 a year to pay for college expenses at any qualifying California college, university or career or technical school. Depending on which Cal Grant you receive (A, B, or C), the money can be used for tuition, room and board, even books and school supplies.

IMPORTANT: In order to apply and to be considered for a Cal Grant, you must submit the FAFSA between January 2^nd and March 2^nd and submit a verified Cal Grant GPA. Beginning in 2013, WCCUSD became one of the few school districts in California to upload GPAs for all of their graduating seniors. Check with the College and Career Center to verify that your GPA has been properly uploaded.

File the FAFSA + GPA Verification Form by the March 2^nd deadline! You should receive notification by April 30. If you do not hear by that time, call 1-888-224-7268.

**Important: To be competitive for the most Cal Grant funds, be aware that it is your GPA at the end of your junior year which determines (should you qualify for funds) your Cal Grant award.

GPA’s below 2.0 do not qualify.

AB540 Students: The California Dream Act allows certain students to apply and receive state financial aid at California public and private colleges and private scholarships from California public colleges. Go to www.caldreamact.org or call 1-888-CA-GRANT for more information and application details. See below for additional resources and websites.

For Help With the Cal Grant, Go To:

• Your counselor

• The ECHS College and Career Center

• Attend a Cash-For-College Workshop at ECHS or at another WCCUSD high school. Find workshop locations and dates at www.calgrants.org.

• For information on the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA):

www.uscis.gov, www.e4fc.org, or www.weownthedream.org.

• Email: [email protected] or call 1-888-224-7268