Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I photocopy a letter of recommendation for a college or scholarship application? Really, you should not photocopy a letter of recommendation. Ask the person writing it to print you out additional copies on our school letterhead. It looks more professional. Also, make sure that if the name of the college/scholarship is mentioned in the letter, you change the name accordingly before printing/copying. 2. How do I verify club and sports membership (to show that I've honestly been a member)? Do you need to verify for the application? If they don’t ask for signatures or anything don’t worry about it. But…BE HONEST! They may contact our advisors to ask them. 3. How do I report AP scores? You self-report AP scores on your application. Also, you may be asked to photocopy the original score reports and send them in, or you may be asked to have the College Board send your scores in electronically (it depends on what the specific college wants). If this is the case, there should be a phone number on your original score report that you can call to do that. There may be a fee. 4. If they prefer everything being sent electronically, is it possible to send a letter of recommendation electronically as well? You can not send a letter of recommendation electronically. They are aware that this will be sent via regular mail. I would call after a few days to follow up and confirm that they did receive the letter and have added it to your application file, though.
5. What financial forms do I have to submit to colleges with my admissions application?
Some schools will require that you fill out something called the CSS Profile WITH your application…that means NOW. That’s not the same as the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) but it does give the school an IDEA of what you may be awarded by the government. They use that information to offer you additional scholarships, etc. Check with each college to see if they require this form. If so, you can fill it out online at www.collegeboard.com. Click on “Pay for College,” then select the “CSS Financial Profile.” 6. What is financial aid? Also called federal student aid, it is financial help provided by the government if you’re enrolled in four-year or two-year public or private educational institution, a career school or a trade school. 7. Do you have to pay back financial aid? There are three kinds of financial aid. Grants and work studies do not have to be paid back. Grants are like a gift from the government and work studies you are working for during college. LOANS do have to be paid back, with INTEREST. The earlier you apply for financial aid (not available until Jan. for 2007-2008 college year) the more grants you will be offered. You want MORE grants, LESS loans! If you must accept a loan: a. Always go with the government loans (not private). They have lower interest rates and better funding. b. Keep in mind that if you get student loans rather than parent loans the interest rates will be lower. c. The government pays interest on subsidized loans for you while you are in school. You do not actually begin paying back subsidized loans until after you graduate. With an un-subsidized loan you must pay back interest starting NOW. 8. How do you apply for federal student aid?
Complete the paper or online version of the FAFSA. For FAFSA on the Web go to www.fafsa.ed.gov. If you do not have internet access, you can get a paper FAFSA from the CAP advisor, a college financial aid office, a local public library, or by calling 1-800-4-FEDAID (1-800-433-3243).
9. What information do I need when I fill out the FAFSA? You will need the following for yourself and/or your parent/guardian: * PIN number * Social security number * Driver’s license number (if applicable) * Alien registration number if not a US citizen * Federal tax information or tax returns including IRS W-2 * Records of untaxed income (i.e. social security, veteran benefits, etc.) * Information on savings, investments, and business assets 10. What is a US Department of Education PIN number? How do I get a PIN? The PIN is the personal identification number you use when you visit certain federal websites, such as that of financial aid. It is like an electronic signature that verifies the person filling out forms is really you. Go to www.pin.ed.gov and provide a few pieces of information such as your name, social security number and address. Then watch for an email that will give you the link to a site where you can access your new PIN. Keep it in a safe place or memorize it! 11. Do I figure out if I qualify for financial aid before or after I accept admission into college? In most cases students will figure out if they qualify for aid before they accept admission into college. (You still need to apply to college early to make sure you have an admissions offer in your hands.) You can not apply for financial aid for the 2007-2008 university year until January 1, 2007, but if you do it early enough you should receive your financial aid award letters by April or May. Most schools don’t require acceptance decisions until late spring anyway. To make things easier on yourself- apply to college in the fall! Apply for financial aid by February 14th! 12. Say I get 10 scholarships, and I have enough money to pay off college, what can I do with the rest of the money? Is it mine fair and square? And suppose I get financial aid, do I have to return the scholarship money? Some schools will offer you less financial aid depending on the scholarships you receive. This is not the case the majority of the time, though, and other wise the rest of the money is yours!!! You do not have to return it!!! You may use it as you desire… 13. I have Florida prepaid. Suppose I leave the state, what happens to the 120 credits I purchased for a state school? FL Prepaid will, I believe, reimburse your parents their money. It may then be applied towards out of state tuition. I am sure there must be some type of penalty for this, such as a percentage paid to the state or something. You need to have your parent/guardian call the program and ask for specifics on the package they purchased. They should get most of it back, though. 14. If I qualify for the FL Bright Futures Scholarship, do I get any money if I leave the state? What about if I attend a private FL university? Unfortunately you will NOT get any money from FL Bright Futures if you leave the state. You will, however, receive an amount equivalent to the cost of tuition at a public university that can be applied toward the cost of a private FL university if you decide to go that route.