Office of Student Aid : Priority Dates : Calendar/Checklist for Prospective Students

Calendar/Checklist for Prospective Students

December/January

Make sure you and your parents, if applicable, apply for a Federal Student Aid PIN (Personal Identification Number). If you and your parents sign the FAFSA or pre-filled FAFSA on the Web electronically using a PIN, your FAFSA will reach us ***two weeks faster*** than the paper FAFSA.
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on the Web as soon after January 1st as possible for maximum consideration of all available student aid programs, you may use the FAFSA on the Web Worksheet to assist with this process. First-year undergraduate, graduate and transfer students are encouraged to submit the FAFSA on the Web by February 15th.
You and your parents, if applicable, should complete your federal income taxes before completing your FAFSA on the Web; if you cannot, you may use estimated tax information.
Check with your state grant agency to determine if there are any applications you need to complete. You can also find information about state grants for out-of-state students on the Office of Student Aid Web site. For Pennsylvania residents, the state grant consideration deadline is May 1st.
Research and begin to submit applications for scholarships. You may also want to use scholarship search engines to locate private scholarships.

February

First-year undergraduate, graduate and transfer students--complete the FAFSA on the Web by February 15th for maximum aid consideration. Penn State's Federal School Code is 003329. Use estimated tax information if needed.
Access information on Penn State's payment plan.
Get organized—keep all of your important student aid documents in one folder. Include copies of all application materials, tax information, and letters you receive.
Review financing strategies.

March

The Office of Student Aid begins sending new Penn State students the Student Financial Aid Notification. Carefully review the notification and the information on the Office of Student Aid Web site.
After you have received your aid notification and accepted your offer of admission to Penn State, complete your Federal Direct Stafford Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) using your Federal Student Aid PIN.

April

If you will be attending Penn State this summer, review summer aid information online. You will need to submit a 2008-09 FAFSA to be considered for aid in summer 2009.

May

State grant agencies begin to send aid notifications to qualifying students—watch for yours!
The application deadline for the Pennsylvania State Grant consideration is May 1st (Pennsylvania residents only).

June

Parents of dependent students who are interested in a Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan can access PLUS information on the Office of Student Aid Web site.
Begin to save money for the fall semester. You should come to school with money for startup expenses, such as your books and supplies.
If you need additional funds to satisfy your tuition bill and other costs associated with your education, you can access private alternative loan information and applications online.

July

Fall semester tuition bill arrives in your Penn State e-mail account. Share this with your parents if they are paying the bill.
If you wish to decrease your Federal Perkins, University, and/or Federal Direct Stafford Loan(s) for fall semester, please access Loan Decrease from the "Students" menu on eLion to submit your changes.

August

Fall semester tuition bill is due. Your registration is not complete until you access Bills/Tuition Other from the "Students" menu on eLion and follow the instructions to pay your tuition and fees, and/or confirm your registration. Print the registration confirmation page for your records. This is proof that your registration is complete. Incomplete registration could result in the loss of aid.
If you are a first-time borrower of a Federal Direct Stafford Loan at Penn State, you will need to complete Loan Entrance Counseling from the "Students" menu on eLion.
Remember to bring money for startup expenses such as books, supplies, and off-campus apartment expenses.

September/October

November

December

Spring semester tuition bill is due. Your registration is not complete until you access Bills/Tuition Other from the "Students" menu on eLion and follow the instructions to pay your tuition and fees, and/or confirm your registration. Print the registration confirmation page for your records. This is proof that your registration is complete. Incomplete registration could result in the loss of aid.
Get ready! It's time to begin the student aid application process for next year. See January for instructions.