Financial Aid Office - Applying for Financial Aid

Applying for Financial Aid

In order to complete financial aid application process, one must:

Step 1: Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Step 2: Receive and review Student Aid Report (SAR)
Step 3: Complete verification information (if required)

Step 1: Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

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Note: Filing the FAFSA is a FREE process when done directly through the U.S. Department of Education at www.fafsa.ed.gov. There are a number of legitimate companies assisting in filing FAFSA for a fee starting around $50. Such for-fee service is not illegal; however, please be aware that you can complete it for free.
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In order to be considered for all types of financial aid, we recommend filing 2008-2009 FAFSA by UW-O's March 15, 2008 priority date. Please note: You can submit an application beyond the priority date of March 15. Your application will be processed after all on-time applicants are completed. Because funds are limited for the Perkins Loan, Nursing Loan, and Supplemental Grant programs, students are encouraged to apply by March 15, 2008. The application is available online.

We urge our students to apply online, because it shortens the processing time as well as gives access to other important financial aid functions, like signing Master Promissory Notes, viewing loans history, etc.

If FAFSA is to be filed online, students and parents* must apply for a Personal Identification Number (PIN). The PIN is used to electronically sign the application. Please remember and store your PIN at a safe place as you will need it to make any corrections on your FAFSA, reapply for financial aid in the future, and sign Master Promissory Notes! The online FAFSA will not be processed until both students and parents* sign it with their PINs.

Step 2: Receive and Review Student Aid Report (SAR)

After processing your FAFSA, the Department of Education will send you a Student Aid Report (SAR). SAR summarizes the information you submitted on FAFSA. In addition, SAR contains comments alerting you of any incomplete information required for processing your FAFSA. It is very important to review SAR carefully - incomplete information will prevent UW-Oshkosh from awarding your financial aid package.

If all the information on your SAR is correct, you do not need to return it. If your FAFSA information is complete, you will find an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) printed in the upper right hand corner of your SAR. UW-Oshkosh will use the EFC to award your financial aid package.

If your FAFSA information is incomplete, you may mail the corrections to the address mentioned on your SAR or log onto the FAFSA website (you will need a PIN) to make the corrections online.

The fastest way to receive SAR results is to fill out a FAFSA on the web, provide a valid and current e-mail address, and sign the application electronically using a U.S. Department of Education PIN (note, that if you are a dependent student, your parent must also apply for a PIN and sign your FAFSA on the web).

Step 3: Verification (if required)

After your FAFSA information is completed and processed, the federal government may randomly select your FAFSA for a verification process. In that case, UW-Oshkosh Financial Aid Office will request additional student and/or parent information. You will be notified of our request for information via a letter from our office.

Some of the documents requested can be (can be found on our website):

Verification Worksheets (Dependent or Independent)
Signed federal income tax (Form 1040) copies from student, parents, or both
Copies of student and/or parent W-2 forms
Worksheets A, B, C
Additional documentation depending on an individual situation

It is important to provide the requested documents in a timely manner. Please be aware that our policy is to return all incomplete documents to the student and request resubmission. Once all of the requested information is returned to our office, the counselors will review the documents and follow-up if any addition information is needed. Please be patient, as it takes time for our counselors to process the data. After the verification process is complete, the student will be awarded a financial aid package.

TIPS on Applying for Financial Aid:

Apply online!
Apply as early as possible on or after January 2nd for the next academic year
Use completed federal tax returns if possible - Get your federal taxes done sooner! Use estimated returns only to meet deadlines.
Meet filing priority date (March 15th)
Read the instructions carefully - don't assume!
Complete all asset questions
Keep or save a copy of all documents submitted
Respond promptly to any requests for information from the Financial Aid Office

Frequent FAFSA Errors:

Missing signature/PIN - dependent students* must have both student and parent signatures/PINs on the application!
Wrong Social Security Number
Wrong Date of Birth
Divorced/remarried parent information
Income earned by parents/stepparents
Untaxed income
U.S. income taxes paid
Household size
Number of family members in college
Not using real or legal name
Not making sure that the application is complete and confirmed complete
NOT APPLYING AT ALL

* Parent information is only required for the DEPENDENT students. If you DO NOT MEET any of the following criteria, you are a DEPENDENT student:

Was born before January 1, 1984 (if applying for 2007-2008 academic year)
OR
Was born before January 1, 1985 (if applying for 2008-2009 academic year)
Married
Pursuing graduate degree (beyond bachelor's)
Have a child or children who receive more than half of their support from you
Have dependents (other than children and spouse) who live with you and who receive and will continue to receive more than half their support from you through July 2, 2008 (for 2007-2008 academic year) or June 30, 2009 (for 2008-2009 academic year)
You are an orphan or ward of the court (or were a ward of the court until age 18)
You are a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces ("veteran" includes students who attend a U.S. service academy and who were released under a condition other than dishonorable)

Click here to watch a video on how to complete the FAFSA!