1. What is Financial Aid?

Financial Aid is made available by federal and state government and private sources in the form of grants, scholarships, loans and employment. The State of California also provides a waiver of enrollment fees (BOG Fee Waiver) for students who qualify.
The basis for such assistance is the belief that students (and the parents of dependent students) have the primary responsibility in meeting educational costs. Financial Aid is available only to help fill the gap between a family's contribution and the student's yearly academic expenses.

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2. When and How often do I need to apply for financial aid?

You need to apply for financial aid once every academic year. You may apply via the web at www.fafsa.ed.gov or with the paper Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The best time to apply for financial aid is between January 1st and March 2nd before the academic year for which you would like to be considered for financial aid. However, you have until the end of that academic year to apply for financial aid provided that you are still enrolled. But we strongly recommend that you apply early because some types of aid are limited and awarded on a first come, first served basis.

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3. Where do I get a Financial Aid Application?

The name of the financial aid application is Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You may obtain a paper FAFSA in our Financial Aid Office located in Room 108, your local public library, your local high school, the Financial Aid Office of any college, or by calling 1-800-4FED-AID.
We recommend that you apply via the web at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

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4. Why does the FAFSA asks for income from the year before I go to school?

Studies have shown that "verifiable income" information from the base year is more reliable and accurate than "projected income", and fairly measures a family's ability to pay for college the next year.

If you are applying early (as recommended), we suggest that you also complete your tax returns as early as possible. If you are not able to complete your tax returns early, you should estimate the prior year's income, taxes paid and current assets (using your W-2s or paystubs and business/investment records) as accurately as possible in order to get your FAFSA in early. You can always make corrections to your information at a later time.

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5. What if the information I am required to provide on my FAFSA does not reflect my family's present situation?

The first step is always to complete the FAFSA accurately, providing the information asked for on the form, and to submit it. The information on the FAFSA is a "snapshot" in time, and is used to measure your household's ability to pay for your education. If you or your family have recently experienced unusual, unexpected circumstances that may affect your ability to pay, you should to request a "Special Condition" form which will be mailed to you in November of the school year for which you applying for aid. When you receive the Special Condition form, make sure that you follow the instructions and provide all requested documentation. Incomplete paperwork will not be accepted. If you need assistance, please contact our Financial Aid Office.

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6. What is EFC (Expected Family Contribution)?x

Students (and the parents of dependent students) are expected to contribute to the students' educational expenses. The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) number is determined from the information reported on the FAFSA and takes into account factors such as income, assets, size of family, number in college, taxes paid, etc.  The EFC number is used to determine a student's financial need and financial aid eligibility.

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7. How is Financial Need determined?

Most financial aid awards are based on demonstrated financial need, which is the difference between the Cost of Attendance (COA) and the Expected Family Contribution (EFC).

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8. What is the Cost of Attendance at Shasta College?

In order to treat all students equally, standardized budgets (or Cost of Attendance) are established and applied to all applicants. This means all students with similar circumstances will receive the same allowance for tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board, personal expenses, and transportation. Other expenses may include, but are not limited to, child care, vocational/technical and handicapped expenses.

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9. What happens if I drop all my classes after I have received financial aid? Do I have to pay the money back?

Possibly. If you withdraw or are excluded from all your classes before the 60% point of any term, you will most likely have to pay part of your "unearned" financial aid back to the federal government. (Federal Work-Study earnings and BOG Fee Waiver are not affected by this.)
You will be notified in writing by the Financial Aid Office of how much you owe and, at the same time, the Department of Education will be notified of the overpayment. Please note that failure to repay will prevent any future financial aid anywhere in the United States. Try your best to avoid a complete withdrawal! Seek the advice of the Financial Aid Office first, and then a counselor and/or your instructors before withdrawing.

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10. I am now a US Citizen but have an Alien Registration Number (ARN). Which box do I check?

Check the U.S. Citizen box; do not check both, as this would cause a problem with the application. If you have attained your U.S. Citizenship, do not give an ARN.

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11. I'm going to get married next month. How do I answer the question that asks if I am married?

Answer according to your marital status the day you sign the FAFSA. Answer "Yes" if you are married on the day you sign the FAFSA; otherwise, answer "No".

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12. What if I live with a girlfriend or boyfriend who pays the rent?

You should not report any information for a friend or roommate unless the two of you are actually married or are considered to have a common-law marriage under the state law. You must report any cash support given by the friend as untaxed income but should not report in-kind support (such as food).

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13. How should I fill out the FAFSA if I have not yet filed a Tax Return?

Ideally, you should complete a FAFSA after you've done your tax return. But DO NOT wait until after April to complete a FAFSA. If your tax returns are not done early, you should estimate as accurately as possible the prior year's income and taxes paid using your W-2s or paystubs. You can always make corrections at a later time.

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14. If I am separated but filed a joint tax return, how do I fill out the FAFSA?

You should only provide your own portion of the exemptions, income, taxes paid, and assets.

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15. If I am an emancipated minor, am I now independent?

The status of emancipated minor is not recognized by the Department of Education for financial aid purposes. An emancipated minor must meet at least one of the listed criteria to be independent:

• Be 24 years of age or older by December 31 of the award year;
• Be a graduate or professional student;
• Be married;
• Have legal dependents other than a spouse;
• Be an orphan or ward of the court;
• Be a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces.

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16. My parents are separated. I live with my mother. My parents filed a joint tax return and claimed me as an exemption. Do I report both their incomes?

No, report only the income and assets of the parent whom you lived with the most during the past 12 months. In the above case, use your mother's income and assets. Use a W-2 form or other record(s) that show your mother's share of the reported income and taxes paid on the tax return.

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17. If my parents are divorced, whose information do I need to report on the FAFSA?

Report the income and assets of the parent whom you have lived with the most during the past 12 months. It does not make a difference which parent claims you as a dependent for tax purposes. If you did not live with either parent or lived equally with each parent, the parental information must be provided for the parent whom you received the most financial support or the parent from whom you received the most support the last time support was given.

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18. What should I do if the parent with whom I live with is remarried?

If you are a dependent student and your parent is remarried, the step parent's information must be included or you will not be considered for federal student aid.

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19. What is the minimum number of units I have to take to receive financial aid?

For the Federal PELL Grant Program and State Board of Governors Fee Waiver Program, you do not have to enrolled in 12 units. The amount listed on your award letter is based on full-time enrollment, but the amount paid out will be based on your active units at the time of disbursement.

We do recommend that you check with the Financial Aid Office when your enrollment has changed.

For Cal Grants, Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) and federal student loans, you must be enrolled in a minmum of 6 units.

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20. I'm enrolled at two colleges. Can I receive financial aid from two different schools at the same time?

No. You may apply for financial aid at any number of schools, but you cannot receive aid from more than one school during the same term. You must decide which school will be the paying, or primary, school.

In certain cases, the primary school you are attending (the home college) may agree to include units being taken at another school (the host college) towards your overall aid payments if the units at the host college are needed to complete your educational objective/goal at the home college. This agreement between schools is called a Consortium Agreement. Shasta College will enter into a Consortium Agreement as the host college only.

 

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21. I plan to go to Shasta College in the Fall and transfer to a different college in the Spring. Will my financial aid transfer with me?

Yes and No. Financial aid doesn't "automatically transfer" from one college to another because each institution may participate in different aid programs and each has its own aid "packaging" policy. It is also the responsibility of each college to determine a student's eligibility for the various aid programs.

A student applies for financial aid only once per academic year. Academic years and terms may also vary from school to school but generally run from July 1st of one year through June 30th of the next. While a student may not get federal aid from two schools during the same terms, a student may get aid from one school during one term and another school during a different term within the same academic year -- as long as the student doesn't exceed the maximum aid amount the student is eligible for in a particular academic year and for a particular aid program!

When transferring mid-year to the new school, the student does NOT fill out a new FAFSA application. (Remember, just one application per year.) Instead, the student simply adds the new school's Federal School Code to the existing FAFSA and the new college's financial aid office will review that aid file, determine eligibility, and award aid, taking into account any aid the student has already received elsewhere that academic year. The new school may require it's own additional forms.

As always, when transferring schools, it is important to plan ahead.

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