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Virtual Financial Aid Night
Virtual Financial Aid Night
Date: Tuesday, September 16 @ 6:30 PM
Learn when and how to complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). The online presentation will also go over how to complete Pennsylvania's State Grant form as well as providing tips for applying for scholarships. Come learn about the updates for the FAFSA.
REGISTER:
REGISTER:
Meeting ID: 235 775 981 031 8
Passcode: JA7Ka2C9
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Unable to attend?
View a recording of the presentation*:
View a recording of the presentation*:
Last Year's Presentation:
2026-27 FAN PPT.EDH.pdfYou and a parent need StudentAid.gov accounts to be FAFSA® form ready
The new 2025–26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form is now available. Submitting the FAFSA form is the first step to getting federal student grants, scholarships, work-study opportunities, and student loans. Who is eligible for federal student aid?
Make your form submission as easy as possible by doing two things. First, create your StudentAid.gov account now. Second, if you’re under 24 years old, have your parent create their account as well.
1. Create your StudentAid.gov account or make sure you can access your existing account by signing in to StudentAid.gov.
2. If you’re under 24, get a parent to create their account. Check this chart to confirm whether a parent or spouse also needs to have an account before you can submit your FAFSA form.
What do I need to create a StudentAid.gov account?
What do I need to create a StudentAid.gov account?
· Name (exactly as it appears on your Social Security card if you have one)
· Date of birth
· Personal email address
· Social Security number (if you have one)
Remember: You’ll have only one StudentAid.gov account to use for the rest of your life, so make sure to use an email address that you’ll have access to even after you graduate from school or change jobs.
How do I know if a parent or spouse also need to create an account?
How do I know if a parent or spouse also need to create an account?
· Check this chart to see whether any other contributors, like a parent or spouse, also need to create an account before you can submit your FAFSA form.
· If you’re still not sure whether you need a parent to sign your form, confirm if you’re an independent or dependent student.
· If you’re a dependent student, you (or your parent) can use the Who’s My FAFSA Parent wizard to figure out which parent, guardian or spouse also needs to create an account.
What if I don’t have a Social Security number (SSN) or my parent doesn’t have an SSN?
What if I don’t have a Social Security number (SSN) or my parent doesn’t have an SSN?
· If you have an SSN, you must provide it when creating an account.
· All students must have an SSN to create a StudentAid.gov account unless you are from the Freely Associated States (Micronesia, Marshall Islands, or Palau). Check eligibility here.
· If you are a parent or spouse who does not have an SSN, you can still create a StudentAid.gov account to contribute to a student’s FAFSA form. When creating your account, leave the SSN field blank and select “What if I don’t have a Social Security number?”
· If only one parent has an SSN, that parent is the one who should create an account and join the student's FAFSA form as a contributor.
Note: if you get a message saying the SSN you entered is already in use when you try to create a StudentAid.gov account, make sure you entered the SSN correctly. If you entered the SSN correctly, then it’s likely you created an account previously or someone else (such as a parent) created an account for you. Try logging in rather than creating a new account. If you have trouble logging in, try resetting your password or using another email address. You can also check with a parent to see if a StudentAid.gov account already exists for you. If you’re sure an account has not already been created, contact the office of Federal Student Aid for more help. Do not attempt to use an ITIN or other value in place of an SSN for online account creation.
Learn more about the FAFSA form at fafsa.gov
Paying for College Tips.pdfScholarship Tips.pdfWebinars by PHEAA
Webinars by PHEAA
View a list of virtual webinars on various Financial Aid topics by clicking the link below.
https://www.pheaa.org/virtual/
There are three categories of federal student aid:
Grants, Work-study, and Loans
Grants:
This is free money that does not need to be paid back
Work-Study:
This is a job on campus where a student can work a number of hours per week in order to earn money to help with tuition. There may be a limit on the number of hours per week that a student is allowed to work. Pay may be sent directly to the student or may be automatically credited to the student's tuition bill.
Loans:
This is money that is borrowed and needs to be repaid. Since loans are considered financial aid and do need to be repaid, students need to carefully review financial aid letters to determine what is being offered and what will need to be repaid. There are a number of different loan options out there, but most fall into two main categories:
Federal Loans: these loans are available to students through the Federal Government and have a fixed interest rate. To qualify for these loans students must fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). There are two main types of Federal student loans:
Subsidized: The federal government pays the interest that accrues while a student is in school.
Unsubsidized: Interests accrues and is added to the principal throughout the life of the loan.
There are also Direct Parent Plus Loans. These loans are available to parents through the Federal Government and have a fixed interest rate.
Private Loans: These are loans issued through banks or credit unions and can help bridge the gap when savings, grants, scholarships, and federal loans do not meet college costs.
Be aware that private education loans are generally more expensive than federal loans. And the rules for paying them back are usually more strict. Generally, it is best to look into other sources of funding (Federal Loans, Grants, Work Study, and Scholarships) before considering private education loans.
FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) - THE FAFSA IS FREE AND YOU SHOULD NEVER PAY TO FILE!
This is the primary document that MUST be filed for a student to become eligible for federal and state aid. This form should be filed as early as possible after October 1 (December 2023 for the Class of 2024). of the student's senior year. Parents and students can fill out the FAFSA by clicking on the following link: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
FAFSA needs to be signed using a FSA ID instead of a PIN, which had been used in prior years. The FSA ID can be created by visiting https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch
It is highly encouraged to file your forms electronically for the fastest, easiest, most accurate processing.
The correct web address for FAFSA forms is https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
We have an annual Financial Aid Workshop, with a guest speaker, our regional representative from PHEAA. Learn more about the aid categories and how to navigate your way through the FAFSA application, etc.
The workshop is open to all students and their parents. However, it is especially encouraged for Juniors and Seniors! Log in to hear the presentation and ask questions!
See above for the date and time of this event
Additional Resources:
https://studentaid.gov/loan-simulator/
Calculate different loan repayment options
Funding Your Education: The Guide to Federal Student Aid
helps students understand the financial aid process. This easy to read publication is a condensed version of previous editions.
additional paperwork required by some colleges/universities - check listing on College Board
Cost of $25 to complete
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