Office of Student Aid : Parents of Students : Parent Newsletter

Penn State Office of Student Aid Parent Newsletter

January 2008

Frequently Asked FAFSA Questions

When should we complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)?

The 2008-09 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA on the Web) is now available. Penn State recommends new students complete the FAFSA by February 15, and returning Penn State students by April 15 for maximum consideration of all available aid programs. The Department of Education will send out "Renewal Reminder" e-mails to continuing students with valid e-mail addresses between mid-January and mid-February, 2008.

State grant agencies have application due dates, too. For Pennsylvania residents, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) must receive your student's completed FAFSA by May 1 for state grant consideration. If your student is not a resident of Pennsylvania, check with your home state's grant agency for application and reciprocity information.

How can I prevent errors on my student's FAFSA?

Completing the FAFSA on the Web is the best way to reduce errors. Additionally, it cuts down processing time dramatically.

It is important to carefully review all the answers you and your student provided on the FAFSA to assure the accuracy of the information being submitted. The applying information on our Web site will help guide you through the process.

My student does not have time to complete the FAFSA, can I take care of that for him/her?

Absolutely not! The U.S. Department of Education provides explicit instructions that forbid people from sharing their Federal Student Aid PIN (Personal Identification Number) with anyone. Please review our PIN information to learn more.

Do both parents need to obtain a Federal Student Aid PIN?

No. Only one parent will need to sign the FAFSA on the Web.

What if our 2007 Federal Income Tax Returns are not ready by the recommended FAFSA completion date?

Although we encourage you to use actual tax data when you complete the FAFSA on the Web, if you do not have your 2007 tax information available, you may use estimated figures to submit the FAFSA on the Web by the recommended completion date. This will ensure that your student receives maximum aid consideration. When your taxes are finalized, you and your student can "Make Corrections to a Processed FAFSA" on the FAFSA Web site.

How do I know if my student needs to provide parental information on the FAFSA?

The FAFSA asks eight very specific questions to determine whether parental information needs to be included on the application. The criteria have been established by the federal government. The eight questions your student needs to answer are:

• Were you born before January 1, 1985?
• At the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year, will you be working on a master's or doctorate program (such as an MA, MBA, MD, JD, Phd, EdD, or graduate certificate, etc.)?
• As of today, are you married? (Answer "Yes" if you are separated but not divorced.) This refers to the date the FAFSA is signed.
• Do you have children who receive more than half of their support from you?
• Do you have dependents other than your children or spouse who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you, now and through June 30, 2009?
• Are both of your parents deceased, or are you (or were you until age 18) a ward/dependent of the court?
• Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?
• Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training?

If your student answers "no" to all the above questions, you must provide parental information on the 2008-09 FAFSA--even if you do not claim your student on your taxes.

I am remarried. Does my current spouse have to provide information on the FAFSA?

Yes. If you are married (even if you weren't married in 2007), your student will need to submit information about you and your current spouse on the FAFSA if you are the responsible parent.

I am divorced. How do we know which parent's information to submit on the FAFSA?

If your student is completing the FAFSA on the Web, he or she will receive an explanation of how to determine the responsible parent. If your student is completing the paper FAFSA, the notes on page 7 will help determine responsibility.

In general, students are advised to answer the questions with information pertaining to the biological or adoptive parent with whom they lived most for the 12 months prior to completing the FAFSA.

I am married but my spouse and I are not living together due to marital differences, how should I complete the parent information?

If you and your spouse are not living at the same residence due to marital differences, you should indicate "separated" as the parent marital status. Only report information for the parent your student lived with more in the past 12 months.

My student does not consider his or her parent to be his or her primary means of support. Can someone other than the biological parent complete the FAFSA with the student?

No. Legal guardians, foster parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or other relatives are not considered to be a student's parents--even if the student has been living with them (unless they have been legally adopted).

What is Penn State's school code?

Penn State's Federal School Code is 003329 for most campuses.

How do I know if my student's FAFSA on the Web is complete?

It is important that you and your student continue the online application until you reach a confirmation page. The FAFSA on the Web Submission Page will indicate a confirmation number. It is important to print and retain the page for your records or write down the complete confirmation number, date, and time. The confirmation number is proof that your student's FAFSA on the Web application was received by the Department of Education. If your student exits the application process before the confirmation information is reached, his or her application will be incomplete.

What happens after we submit the FAFSA?

The U.S. Department of Education will forward the completed FAFSA to the schools your student authorized to receive the information. If your student's e-mail address was included on the FAFSA, the Department will provide a Student Aid Report (SAR) notification via e-mail. If no e-mail address was supplied on the FAFSA a paper SAR acknowledgment will be mailed to your student. You and your student should review the SAR for accuracy and be sure it has not been rejected due to incorrect or incomplete information.

Penn State provides Student Financial Aid Award Notifications to new undergraduate, graduate, and transfer students beginning in March. Current undergraduate and graduate students can expect to receive award information in June on eLion.

Where can I get help?

If you don't understand a question or are having trouble completing the form, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243), or contact us.