Thank you for choosing FCTC for your education!

 

 

 

1.     Determine if you are a dependent or independent student

·        If you are 24 or older, you are an INDEPENDENT student.

·        If you are under 24 years of age, you are a DEPENDENT student. Your parents MUST sign your application electronically online, sign your forms, disclose their income, & provide a signed copy of their tax return.

·        Students under 24 who feel they qualify for a “dependency override” must contact our office to discuss whether or not you can be considered independent. *Applicants will be required to provide documentation to justify their request for dependency override.

 

2.      Paperwork – You need all income information, for all household members

·        Complete the verification worksheet, student contract & certification statement.

·        You will need all of your income information for 2010.

 

·        Forms of income documentation are: federal tax return; all W2’s and/or 1099’s; social security statement; child support – received or paid; any bills paid on your behalf by others.

·        If you are submitting an application & you have low or no income, you must document how you are able to live on reduced or no income. Extra forms will be required for this purpose.

·        If you do not have a copy of your tax return, you may call 800/829-1040 to have it faxed to you. *You must be by a fax machine when you call the IRS.

·        If you are/were a single parent, you will be required to provide us with a statement from the Dept. of Revenue, showing your payment history for each child. If you claim you do not receive child support, you must give us a letter from the DOR verifying this. All statements must have the name & telephone number of the person providing this information.

3.      Application – Do your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online

·        Go to www.pin.ed.gov to get your PIN (personal identification number). *Note for students under 24, your parents will need a PIN also.

·        Go to: www.fafsa.ed.gov to do your application.

 

·        Select the 2011-2012 school year.

·        FCTC’s Federal School Code is 012544. (Enter this number instead of searching by name.)

·        If you don’t have a computer, you can use one at our office or the library. If you want to do your application here, please make an appointment to ensure a computer is available.

 

4.      Check your EFC

·        After you finish your FAFSA, you will receive your student aid report (SAR) via email, or postal mail if you did not give an email address. Your SAR has your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) number. This number is basically a measurement of your financial strength and is used by the Financial Aid Office to determine your eligibility.

 

þ     If your EFC is 5275 or less, you may be eligible for the Federal Pell Grant.

þ     If your EFC is 5276 - 9275, you may be eligible for a Florida State grant.

þ     If your EFC is above 9276, you are not eligible for the grants we administer.

 

5.      “Like” the Financial Aid page on Facebook – THIS IS THE MOST DIRECT WAY TO STAY INFORMED ABOUT DEADLINES, PAYOUTS, UPDATES, ETC.

·        Login to Facebook. Search for “FCTC Financial Aid Office”. Click the “Like” button.

·        You can also sign up to have posts automatically sent to your phone. Contact Rebecca for instructions.

 

6.      Submit your paperwork.

·        Bring in your documents to FCTC’s Financial Aid Office at the Main St. Augustine Campus, or the Registration Desk of the Putnam County Center. You can also fax to “Attention Financial Aid” at 904.547.3506.

Please be advised that it can take up to two weeks to complete the application & verification process. We cannot finalize your financial aid application until every step is complete, correct & verified. Please double check each item on this guide to ensure you’re ready for your appointment.