HESAA
Memo
To: Secondary School Counselors
From: Heather N. Hillman, Public Outreach
CC: Francine Andrea
Date: 11/14/2011
Re: 2011-2012 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
As we discussed at our annual Secondary School Counselor Training Institute, we will continue to
provide you with the most up to date information concerning the 2011-2012 FAFSA application
and process. NJ Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) is pleased to announce
we have been successful in working with the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) to implement
a link from the 2011-2012 FAFSA on the Web (FOTW) to HESAA’s website. The link is now
“live” and allows your high school seniors to respond to the additional information questions
needed to determine State aid eligibility. Attached is a screen shot of the FOTW confirmation page
from which applicants can link to HESAA’s website
Please advise your students and their parents of the importance of clicking the link, which is
located in orange on the confirmation page, to start their State application. Once the student
clicks the link, he/she will immediately be directed to HESAA’s website to respond to the
additional information questions. As a reminder, applicants who do not click this link will
receive an Applicant Information Request (AIR) form from HESAA if they are required to
report this information.
Below is a screen shot of the FOTW confirmation page from which applicants can link to
HESAA’s website. We and other states have expressed concern to the USDE that the link is
not prominent enough to draw the attention of the student. USDE is considering modifying the
link to the State applications from FOTW. We will update you should USDE make
modifications to the link on the FOTW Confirmation Page.
We are pleased to provide the secondary school counselors of NJ with the most up to date
information concerning the FAFSA application and process. Feel free to share this memo
with your colleagues who were unable to attend.
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