I applied for Financial Aid - now what?

The Department of Education will send you a Student Aid Report (SAR). This is your record of what they received and you should review it to see if there are any errors. At the same time, the Financial Aid Offices you listed on the FAFSA will also receive your information.

Once your file is considered completed (any additional paperwork required has been submitted) at the Financial Aid Office they will review your file and notify you of your eligibility- your Award Letter.

You can get multiple Award Letters from different schools, so you can compare and see what the best is fit for you. Make sure to consider how much of your award is loan and verses what is grant. Then compare those awards with the cost of the school. Once you decide, make sure to accept the one you want and decline at the other schools.


Myth Buster

MYTH:

Students who work are less likely to get good grades.

REALITY:

Research has shown students who work (less than 20 hours per week) will often have higher GPAs than students who don’t work. Federal and state work-study programs provide students with valuable experiences and networking opportunities while providing funds to help cover educational expenses. Students apply for both the Washington State Work Study and Federal Work Study programs by completing the FAFSA/WASFA.
Source: ReadySetGrad