West Boyd Senior News Update
February 2016
It's FAFSA Time!
If you’re a college-bound senior, you must complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to apply for state, federal and college-based financial aid.
Submit the form before your college’s FAFSA priority date (typically between March 1 and April 1) as some financial aid is awarded first-come, first-served. Check with your college(s) to learn their priority date.
Follow these steps to complete the FAFSA:
Create a Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) for you and one for a parent at fsaid.ed.gov. You’ll use the ID to access the FAFSA and other Federal Student Aid websites, and as your electronic signature for the FAFSA.
Complete your taxes early as the FAFSA requires current tax information. Within three weeks after you and your parents file your tax forms, your IRS data should be available to retrieve and transfer into your FAFSA through the IRS Data Retrieval process (available as of February 7, 2016).
Gather these student and parent items:
- 2015 federal income tax forms and, if applicable, Schedule K-1 (Form 1065)
- 2015 W-2 forms
- Student’s driver’s license number
- Social Security numbers
- Birth dates
- Date parents were married, separated, divorced or widowed
- Current cash, savings and checking account balances
- Current investment values (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, CDs, etc.) excluding your home and retirement accounts
- Value of business (if more than 100 employees)
- Value of investment farm (Do not include the value of a family farm that you or your parents live on and operate.)
- 2015 child support (paid and/or received)
- 2015 Workers’ Compensation
- Other untaxed income in 2015 such as housing/food/ living allowances for military and clergy
- Alien Registration Number for eligible non-citizens
Be prepared to indicate on the FAFSA if, during 2015, you or anyone in your household received Supplemental Security Income, SNAP, TANF, Free or Reduced Price Lunch, and/or WIC.
Complete the FAFSA at FAFSA.gov. The colleges you list on the application should receive the results within 48 hours.
FAFSA Completion Day
Date: February 22 & 23, 2016 '=
Please call EducationQuest at 800.666.3721 to set up an appointment. Appointments are needed to receive assistance that day. Individual appointments from 10 AM TO 7 PM on February 22 and 8:00 AM to 4 PM on February 23.
NeCC FAFSA Completion Days
Thursday, 2/18 9 am-3 pm
Thursday, 3/24. 2016 9 am -3 pm
Where: O'Neill Extended Campus @ 409 East Adams Street, O'Neill, NE
Northeast's Financial Aid Office staff will provide one-on-one assistance in completing the FAFSA for students planning to attend Northeast.
Please call 336.3590 to schedule an appointment.
You will need the following information:
2015 Federal Tax Returns & W-2's
A FSA User Name and Password for both parent and student
ITEMS TO BRING TO YOUR APPOINTMENT INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
*FSA ID for parent and student – apply at www.fsaid.ed.gov
*Parent and student 2015 federal tax returns
*W-2’s and K-1 Form 1065
*Value of checking/savings accounts and investments
*Amount of untaxed income: social security, child support
*Student’s driver’s license number
*Student’s Social Security number
*Alien Registration Number of eligible non-citizens
*Parents’ birth dates
*Student’s birth date
*Parent’s date of marriage, separation, or divorce
*Email addresses for student and parent
Check out these free FAFSA tools
Visit “FAFSA Tools” at EducationQuest.org where you’ll find:
§ College Funding Estimator – estimates your FAFSA results
§ FSA ID Video – shows you how to create an FSA ID
§ FAFSA Demo – walks you through the online FAFSA
§ FAFSA Checklist – provides a list of items you need to gather before you complete the FAFSA
§ FAFSA Tutorial – explains each FAFSA question
Apply for EducationQuest’s Scavenger Hunt Scholarship!
Apply by March 31 for EducationQuest’s Scavenger Hunt Scholarship. You could earn $500 toward your college education! Here’s how it works:
1. If you haven’t already, complete a profile in ScholarshipQuest at EducationQuest.org. ScholarshipQuest is a scholarship search tool with over 2,000 Nebraska-based awards.
2. If you are a Nebraska resident in grades 9-12, you will see the EducationQuest Scavenger Hunt Scholarship as one of the scholarships that will appear on your results page.
3. “Scavenge” around the EducationQuest website to find answers to questions in a survey.
4. EducationQuest will draw a winner from those who answer all questions correctly. The winner will receive $500 to invest in a NEST 529 College Savings Plan.
February “To Do” List
___ Complete student and parent 2015 tax returns.
___ Create an FSA ID for you and one for a parent at fsaid.ed.gov.
___ Complete the FAFSA at fafsa.gov.
___ Continue to apply for scholarships.
For free help with college planning, contact the EducationQuest location nearest you:
Kearney Lincoln Omaha
308-234-6310 402-475-5222 402-391-4033
800-666-3721 800-303-3745 888-357-6300
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