Completing the 2007-2008 Paper FAFSA
A line-by-line guides
You can do this!
There is help here for every question on the paper FAFSA. To ease readability, all references to “you” or “your” in this guide refers to the student.
We encourage you to use the FAFSA on the Web, rather than the paper FAFSA form. The web product offers skip logic to save you time by leaving out many questions that do not apply to you. It is also the quickest way to file your FAFSA. If you wish to do so, start by getting a PIN Number at www.pin.ed.gov. Then use a FAFSA on the Web Worksheet from www.fafsa.ed.gov to organize your answers. Finally file your FAFSA at that same web site. The paper FAFSA may also be used to file your application before the March 1st priority deadline. This guide helps you complete the paper form and these instructions
compliment the federal government‟s FAFSA guidance. This is intended as a helpful tool, but it does not override federal requirements or set any precedent standards. Answers below are numbered according to the 2007-2008 Paper FAFSA: 1-3 Write your legal name as it appears on your Social Security card. If your card does not show your legal name, it is very important to get a new Social Security card with your proper name shown. There are multiple data matches that are performed by the federal government with your FAFSA data against other government data bases. If your legal name doesn‟t match in every set of records, your aid application can have significant delays. Give your permanent mailing address. This assures you will get the information back that you need this year and that the government can make Renewal FAFSA data available to you easily next year. Carefully enter your Social Security Number. Parents, if you are helping your student complete this application please be careful to use their Social Security Number, not their sibling‟s or yours. Do not enter your ISU ID number. List the date you were born in the format Month, Day, Year. Give your permanent telephone number. This is a primary means of communicating with you. Notify the ISU Office of Student Financial Aid in writing if this number changes.
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11-12 List your driver‟s license number and the state in which it was issued. If you do not have a driver‟s license leave these questions blank.
An ISU Office of Student Financial Aid Publication
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Give your email address. If you have multiple addresses that you use, list the one that is most permanent for you. The federal government will use this to communicate with you.
14-15 Indicate your current U.S. citizenship status. U.S. citizens should skip question #15. Notify our office if this status changes during the school year. Individuals who are not U.S. citizens or seeking U.S. citizenship are not eligible for federal financial aid. Some federal aid programs require recipients to be U.S. citizens already, but most are open to eligible non-citizens as well. 16-17 List your current marital status. This answer cannot be updated after you file your FAFSA form. If you are getting married soon, you should consider whether it is better for you to file now or to wait until after you are married. Consult with your financial aid counselor with any detailed questions. If your marital status is currently anything other than single, list the date of your most recent marital status change in question #17. 18-20 Write the abbreviation for your state of legal residence and the date you became a resident of that state. If you were born in that state and have always lived there, your date of legal residence is your date of birth. 21-22 The federal government requires male students to be registered with Selective Service in order to be eligible for federal student aid. If you are between the ages of 18-25 you can complete the registration requirement by answering “Yes” to question #22. You can also meet the requirement by registering at the Selective Service web site: www.sss.gov. If you are male and over the age of 25, you must go onto the internet at www.sss.gov/FSmen.htm for guidance on how to apply for an exemption of this law. 23. Enter “1” if you are pursuing your first bachelor‟s degree, “2” for second bachelor‟s degree. Teacher Certification students should answer this question with “7”. Graduate students should answer this question as “8”. Other possible answers are listed on page 2 of the FAFSA instructions. Enter “0” if you have never earned college credit. Enter “1” if you have earned between 1-31 hours of college credit. Enter “2” if you have earned between 32-62 hours. Enter “3” if you have earned between 63-93 hours. Enter “4” if you have earned your 94th hour in the past year. Enter “5” if it has been more than a year since you earned your 94th hour or if you are working on additional undergraduate studies since completing your first bachelor‟s degree. Students pursuing a Teacher Certification answer “5”. Enter “6” if you are a first year graduate student. Enter “7” if you are a continuing graduate student. This includes students pursuing a second graduate degree.
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Enter the enrollment status that you currently plan to have when you start school for the academic year. Answer “1” if you plan to attend college full-time. Use “5” if you don‟t know what your enrollment status will be yet. If you are sure you will attend only part-time, answer “2” if you will take 9-11 credit hours, “3” if you will enroll in only 6-8 hours or use “4” if you will take less than 6 hours. This question helps us estimate what your costs will be for classes. The answer you give now can easily be updated later if needed, but it is best to estimate high or indicate that you are “Not sure” if you believe your plans may change. We always try to award grants and scholarships first. If those alone do not fill your financial need, indicating an interest in Work Study and/or federal student loans opens the opportunity for us to tell you about your qualifications for these types of aid so you can have all the information you need to make good financial decisions relative to your education. You always have the right to decline any aid offered, so there is no obligation attached to this question. Answer “1” if interested in Work Study, “2” if interested in student loans, “3” if you want to know about your eligibility for both, “4” if you have no interest in either or “5” if you don‟t know which funds you are interested in. Enter “Yes” if you will have earned your high school diploma or will earn your GED before starting college classes for the 2007-2008 academic year. If you will not earn either a high school diploma or GED by the time you start your classes enter “No”. If you will have earned your first bachelor‟s degree by July 1, 2007 enter “Yes”. If not, enter “No”. Please note that earning a bachelor‟s degree is significant because it eliminates your eligibility for federal grants. If you earn a bachelor‟s degree during the academic year and continue into graduate studies, please see a financial aid counselor. Your aid for graduate school will need to be calculated separately from the aid you received as an undergraduate student. Answer for the highest school level completed by your natural father. Do not answer for adoptive or step-parents. Answer for the highest school level completed by your natural mother. Do not answer for adoptive or step-parents. If you have never been convicted of possessing or selling illegal drugs during a period of college enrollment when you were receiving federal financial aid, answer “No”. If you have had a drug related conviction while receiving federal student aid answer “Yes” and go to: www.fafsa.ed.gov/q31wksht78.pdf to complete the 2007-2008 Drug Worksheet to determine when your eligibility for federal student aid will resume. Indicate whether you have already completed, will complete (file) or are not required to file a federal tax return. If the tax information has been completed, but has not yet been sent to the federal government, answer “Already completed”, indicating the FAFSA questions will be completed using actual figures.
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An ISU Office of Student Financial Aid Publication
If a tax return has not been completed yet, but will be, answer “Will file” and you should give your best estimates on all tax related questions that follow. Do not leave the questions blank. Once the tax return (returns if married) is prepared, update any incorrect answers on the FAFSA with the federal government. To confirm whether or not you are required to file a federal tax return go to: http://www.irs.gov/publications/p501/ar02.html#d0e585. 33. Answer which type of federal tax return you have or will complete. If you are not required to file a tax return, skip questions 33-37. Answer “Yes” if you filed a 1040 return, but could have legally completed a 1040A or 1040EZ. There is a provision in the law that allows a special calculation of aid if certain conditions are met. One of those conditions is that neither the parent nor the student were required to complete a 1040 tax return. This question is asked to help determine if you might qualify for the special calculation of aid eligibility. Consult with your tax preparer if you are unsure about your answer. List your Adjusted Gross Income from your federal tax return for 2006. If married, add in the amount of your spouse‟s Adjusted Gross Income if they filed (or will file) separately, even if you were not married last year. If you are currently separated, divorced or widowed, but filed a joint tax return, answer with only your AGI. It may be necessary to use information from the W-2 forms to do this. If estimating, it is better to estimate a little high so corrections to actual figures later on will be in your favor for aid eligibility. The AGI is located on the federal tax return at: 1040 line 37 1040A line 21 1040EZ line 4 Enter your federal income tax paid for 2006 as listed on: 1040 line 57 1040A line 35 1040EZ line 11 If married, but filed separately, add in the amount of your spouse‟s income tax as reported on the lines shown above. Currently married students must include their spouse‟s tax paid on this year‟s application even if you were not married last year. If you are currently separated, divorced or widowed, but filed a joint tax return, answer with only your tax paid. Enter the number of exemptions claimed on your federal tax return as listed on: 1040 line 6d 1040A line 6d For 1040EZ filers, if you answered “Yes” to line 5, use 1040EZ Worksheet line F to determine the number of exemptions claimed. $3,300 equals one exemption.
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An ISU Office of Student Financial Aid Publication
If you answered “No” on line 5, enter “01” for the number of exemptions claimed if you are single, or “02” if you are married If married and your taxes were filed separately, add the number of exemptions for both you and your spouse together. 38. Enter the amount you earned from working in 2006. Include all wages, salaries, tips, combat pay and other money paid for your work efforts. Include all earnings even if you were paid cash. Legally this should match the amounts you reported on your federal income tax form (if you were required to file) on: 1040 lines 7 + 12 + 18 + Box 14 of IRS Schedule K-1 (Form 1065) 1040A line 7 1040EZ line 1 If you are single, skip this question. If you are married, report the amount your spouse earned from working in 2006. Include all wages, salaries, tips and other money paid for their work efforts. This must include any amounts in which they were paid cash. Legally this should match the amounts they reported on their federal income tax form on: 1040 lines 7 + 12 + 18 + Box 14 of IRS Schedule K-1 (Form 1065) 1040A line 7 1040EZ line 1
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40-42 Worksheets A-B-C are supplemental information necessary to calculate aid eligibility. Don‟t be intimidated by the worksheet. Most of your answers will likely be “0”, but don‟t assume all are. Read each question carefully and give annual amounts for every answer. Include your spouse‟s totals if you are currently married. 43. Enter the total amount of your (and your spouse‟s if married) cash, savings, and checking account values. Do not include money that was from student financial aid. A close estimate is acceptable. List the net worth of your (and your spouse‟s if married) investments. Net worth equals the current value if sold or cashed in today, minus any debt on the investment. If negative, answer “0”. If over $1,000,000 answer “999,999”. Include: 529 college savings plans 529 state prepaid tuition plans - refund value Bonds Certificates of deposit Commodities College savings plans Coverdell savings accounts Installment and land sale contracts (including mortgages held) Money market funds Mutual funds Other securities
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An ISU Office of Student Financial Aid Publication
Real estate, other than the home you live in Stock options Stocks Trust funds UGMA and UTMA accounts Don’t include: The home you live in Life insurance policy values Retirement plans Pension funds Annuities Non-educational IRAs Keogh plans or cash, savings and checking amounts already reported in question 43 45. List the net worth of your business and/or investment farm net worth, if you own such. Net worth equals the current value minus any debt specific to the business or investment farm. Add in those of your spouse, if married. Include: The market value of land, buildings, machinery, equipment, inventory, etc. Don’t include: A farm you live on and operate A business if it employs 100 or fewer full-time equivalent employees (this exemption is new this year) 46. Write in the number of months during your expected school enrollment this academic year that you will be receiving veteran‟s educational benefits. If you are not receiving this type of aid answer “00” or leave blank. List the amount of veteran‟s educational benefits you expect to receive per month. If none, answer “0” or leave blank. If married, do not list benefits your spouse will receive. If you were born before January 1, 1984 answer “Yes”. If not, answer “No”. If you will be fully admitted into a graduate degree program when you start classes for the 2007-2008 academic year, answer “Yes”. If not, answer “No”. If you are married or separated on the day the FAFSA is completed answer “Yes”. If you are single, divorced or widowed answer “No”. Marital status cannot be updated the FAFSA form is filed. If your marital status is likely to change between now and the end of the 2007-2008 academic year, you should consider what the best timing is filing your FAFSA. Aid eligibility is calculated very differently for a married couple than for a dependent student. It is possible for a student who has been
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An ISU Office of Student Financial Aid Publication
independent solely because of being married, to return to a dependent status if they get divorced. 51. If you have children who receive more than half of all their financial support from you, answer “Yes”. If you do not, answer “No”. The government implies that you must pay for your own expenses entirely and have sufficient funds remaining to pay for more than 50% of all the needs for a dependent child. Students who have children, but live in housing provided by someone else (like your parent, fiancée, friend, etc.) usually must answer “No” to this question. Students with children can include amounts received from federal or state assistance programs (welfare, TANF, subsidized housing, etc.) as money they pay on their own and/or their children‟s benefit though. If you have dependents other than a spouse or your own child who receive more than 50% of all their support from you and will continue to do so through June 30, 2008, answer “Yes”. If not, answer “No”. The government implies that you must pay for your own expenses entirely and have sufficient funds remaining to pay for more than 50% of all the needs for a dependent in order to answer this question as “Yes”. Roommates, boyfriends, girlfriends and siblings are usually not acceptable for inclusion in this category as dependents. If both of your parents are deceased, or if you are (or were until the age of 18) a „ward of the court‟, answer “Yes”. If not, answer “No”. Students who reside in juvenile detention are not considered „wards of the court‟ for this purpose. These students typically are considered dependents of their parents by the government‟s definition and must give parental data on their FAFSA application. If you are currently serving on military active duty for purposes other than training, answer “Yes”. This is a new provision recently enacted by Congress. If you are a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces, or will be a veteran by June 30, 2008, answer “Yes”. If not, answer “No”. To be considered a veteran for this purpose you must have engaged in active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or US Coast Guard) for more than training purposes, or were a cadet at one of the service academies and were released under a condition other than „dishonorable‟. Give the current marital status for the parent the student lived with most in the past 12 months. If the student did not live with either parent, answer for the parent who gave the student the most financial support in the past 12 months, or during the most recent year that they received financial support from a parent. To be considered a parent, a person must be a natural or adoptive parent. Grandparents and legal guardians cannot be considered parents on the FAFSA unless they have legally adopted the student. If the student‟s parent‟s marital status is “Remarried”, stepparent information is also absolutely required on the FAFSA. There are no exceptions to this federal rule.
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An ISU Office of Student Financial Aid Publication
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Give the month and year the parent whose data must appear on the FAFSA started their current marital status. Enter the Social Security Number for your father or stepfather who is required to enter their data on their FAFSA. If your mother is the parent whose data you must reported and she is currently single, widowed, divorced or separated, leave this question blank. Write the last name as shown on the Social Security card of your father or stepfather who is required to enter their data on your FAFSA. If no father or stepfather information is needed because your mother is the parent whose data must be reported and she is currently single, widowed, divorced or separated, leave this question blank. Write the initial of the first name as shown on their Social Security card for your father or stepfather who is required to enter their data on the FAFSA. If no father or stepfather information is needed because your mother is the parent whose data must be reported and she is currently single, widowed, divorced or separated, leave this question blank. Give the date of birth (in month, day, and four-digit year format) for your father or stepfather who is required to enter their data on this FAFSA. If no father or stepfather information is needed because your mother is the parent whose data you must report and she is currently single, widowed, divorced or separated, leave this question blank. Enter the Social Security Number for your mother or stepmother who is required to enter their data on their FAFSA. If your father is the parent whose data you must reported and he is currently single, widowed, divorced or separated, leave this question blank. Write the last name as shown on the Social Security card of your mother or stepmother who is required to enter their data on your FAFSA. If no mother or stepmother information is needed because your father is the parent whose data must be reported and he is currently single, widowed, divorced or separated, leave this question blank. Write the initial of the first name as shown on their Social Security card for your mother or stepmother who is required to enter their data on the FAFSA. If no mother or stepmother information is needed because your father is the parent whose data must be reported and he is currently single, widowed, divorced or separated, leave this question blank. Give the date of birth (in month, day, and four-digit year format) for your mother or stepmother who is required to enter their data on this FAFSA. If no mother or stepmother information is needed because your father is the parent whose data you
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An ISU Office of Student Financial Aid Publication
must report and she is currently single, widowed, divorced or separated, leave this question blank. 66. Enter the number of people in your parent‟s household. Include the parent(s) whose data must be reported on the FAFSA. Include yourself, even if you do not live with your parents. Also include your parents other children if your parents will provide more than 50% of their support from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008, or if the children could answer “No” to every dependency question on the FAFSA (see questions Q48 – Q55). You may also include other people who now live with your parents, for whom your parents provide more than 50% of their support and will continue to do so from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008. Enter one for you as a college student plus add the number of other children counted in the household who are attending at least half-time in a program that leads to a college degree or certificate. Do not count any parents who attend college.
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68-70. Enter the parent‟s state of legal residence and indicate the date in which they became of resident of that state. If the parent was born in that state and has always lived there, their date of legal residence is their date of birth. 71-75. Check off each program that anyone in your parent‟s household received at any time in 2006. Even if the funding was only received for a brief period, check it on the list. This is a new set of questions which relate to rules that allow for a simplified calculation of financial need. 76. Indicate whether your parents have already completed, will complete (file) or are not required to file a federal tax return. If the tax information has been completed, but has not yet been sent to the federal government, answer “Already completed”, indicating the FAFSA questions will be answered with actual figures. If a tax return has not been completed yet, but will be, answer “Will file” and your parents should give their best estimates on all tax related questions that follow. Do not leave the questions blank. Once the tax return(s) are prepared, update any incorrect answers on the FAFSA with the federal government. To confirm whether or not your parents are required to file a federal tax return go to: http://www.irs.gov/publications/p501/ar02.html#d0e585 77. Answer which type of federal tax return your parent(s) have completed or will complete, if they are required to complete a tax return. Answer “Yes” if your parent filed a 1040 return, but could have completed a 1040A or 1040EZ. There is a provision in the law that allows a special calculation of aid if certain conditions are met. One of those conditions is that neither your parent nor you were required to complete a 1040 tax return. This question is asked to help
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determine if you might qualify for the special calculation. If you are unsure about the answer, consult your tax preparer or answer “Don‟t know”. 79. List your parent‟s Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) from their federal tax return for 2006. If currently married, but they filed taxes separately, add your parent‟s spouse‟s Adjusted Gross Income, even if they were not married last year. If your parent is currently separated, divorced or widowed, but filed a joint tax return, answer with only the one parent‟s AGI. It may be necessary to use information from the W-2 forms to do this. If estimating, it is better to estimate a little high so corrections to actual figures later on will be in your favor for aid eligibility. Enter the federal income tax for 2006 as listed on your parent‟s: 1040 line 57 1040A line 35 or 1040EZ line 11 If married, but they filed separately, add in the amount of your parent‟s spouse‟s income tax as reported on the lines shown above. Currently married parents must include their spouse‟s tax paid on this year‟s application even if they were not married last year. If they are currently separated, divorced or widowed, but filed a joint tax return, answer with only one parent‟s tax amount paid. Enter the number of exemptions the parent‟s claimed on their federal tax return as listed on: 1040 line 6d 1040A line 6d or 1040EZ if answered “Yes” to line 5, use 1040EZ Worksheet line F to determine the number of exemptions claimed. $3,300 equals one exemption. If answered “No” on line 5, enter “01” for the number of exemptions claimed if the parent is single, or “02” if married. If married and taxes were filed separately, add the number of exemptions claimed for both parents together.
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82-83. Answer these questions whether or not your parents filed federal taxes. Enter the amount your father/stepfather earned from working in 2006 if their data is required on this FAFSA. Then in the next box give the amount your mother/stepmother earned from working in 2006, if their data is also required on the FAFSA. Include all wages, salaries, tips and other money paid for their work efforts. This must include any amounts for which they were paid cash. Legally this should match the amounts reported on their federal income tax form(s) on: 1040 lines 7 + 12 + 18 + Box 14 of IRS Schedule K-1 (Form 1065) 1040A line 7 1040EZ line 1 84-86. Worksheets A-B-C can be a little intimidating. But it is more straight forward than it seems. Most of your parent‟s answers will likely be “0”, but don‟t assume all are.
An ISU Office of Student Financial Aid Publication
Read each question carefully and give annual amounts for every answer. Include your parent‟s spouse‟s total if they are currently married. 87. Enter the total amount your parent (and spouse if married) has today in cash, savings, and checking accounts. Do not include money that was received from student financial aid. A close estimate is acceptable. List the net worth of your parent‟s investments. Net worth equals the current value if sold today, minus any debt on the investment. Add in those of their spouse, if married. If any value is negative, answer “0”. If over $1,000,000 answer “999,999”. Include: 529 college savings plans 529 state prepaid tuition plans - refund value Bonds Certificates of deposit Commodities College savings plans Coverdell savings accounts Installment and land sale contracts (including mortgages held) Money market funds Mutual funds Other securities Real estate, other than the home you live in Stock options Stocks Trust funds UGMA and UTMA accounts Don’t include: The home you live in Life insurance policy values Retirement plans Pension funds Annuities Non-educational IRAs Keogh plans or cash, savings and checking amounts already reported in question 43 89. List the net worth of your parent‟s businesses and/or investment farms (current value minus any debt specific to the business or investment farm). Add in those of their spouse, if married. Include: The market value of land, buildings, machinery, equipment, inventory, etc. Don’t include: A farm your parent lives on and operates
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An ISU Office of Student Financial Aid Publication
A business if it employs 100 or fewer full-time equivalent employees (this exemption is new this year) 90. If you are considered a dependent of your parents, leave this question blank. If you are considered to be independent, enter the number of people in your household. Include you, your spouse (if married) and your children if you will provide more than 50% of their financial support from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008. Also include other people who now live with you if you provide more than half of their support and will continue to do so from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008. Boyfriends, roommates, siblings typically do not count as other dependents. 91. If you had to answer question #90, include one for you plus add the number of other people in your household (besides parents) who will attend at least half-time in a program that leads to a college degree or certificate in 2007-2008. Do not include your parents who attend college.
92-96. Check off each program that anyone in your household received at any time in 2006. Even if the funding was only received for a brief period, check it on the list. This is a new set of questions which relate to rules that allow for a simplified calculation of financial need. 97.a. 97.b. Enter “001807” for Indiana State University. Answer according to your housing plan for attendance at Indiana State University. You should notify the Office of Student Financial Aid if your plans change. It could impact your financial aid eligibility.
97.c-h. If you need to send your FAFSA data to other institutions, write in their code numbers and housing plans appropriate for possible attendance at those sites. School code numbers are available online at: http://ifap.ed.gov/FSACounselors/attachments/DomesticSchoolCodes0607.pdf. 98. Enter the date the FAFSA is completed in month, day, year format. This date is very important since multiple questions were answered “as of today”. The student must always sign their FAFSA form. If the student answered “No” to questions 48-55, one parent must also sign the form. Carefully read the statements in Step Seven and confirm all the FAFSA answers are correct before signing.
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100.102.This must be completed if someone other than the student, their spouse or parents completed the FAFSA. The preparer is required to enter their name, firm, address, and either social security number or employer ID number and sign the FAFSA application. If a preparer refuses to sign the FAFSA after completing it, report them to the federal government at www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oig/hotline.html?src=rt
An ISU Office of Student Financial Aid Publication
Send your FAFSA form to the federal government at least by March 1st! If you need further assistance please contact our office at 812-237-2215 or come by at Tirey Hall Room T150. We‟re happy to help you.
An ISU Office of Student Financial Aid Publication