Time for FAFSA

For the first time, the FAFSA is now open on October 1st.  (In the past it used to open on January 1st.)  The government and colleges have moved FAFSA's opening date and due dates up in order to give students and families more time to be able to have their financial aid offers and consider the implications when making the decision about which college will be the best fit financially.  The FAFSA for high school seniors will be based upon the 2015 tax returns.  You can access the FAFSA here:  https://fafsa.ed.gov/

When students and parents are completing the FAFSA, you will each need to have an FSAID number.  This number will allow you to electronically sign your FAFSA and in the future it would let you sign promissory notes as well as complete future FAFSA's.

The student and parent will each create their own separate numbers.  You cannot use the same e-mail addresses for the creation of the numbers so if you don't have an e-mail address and have been using your parents e-mail in the past then this is the ideal time to create your own e-mail account.

You will make your own challenge questions to help you access your number if you forget it in the future so it is important to write down those challenge questions and answers to make sure you will remember it down the road.  I recommend that students and parents make a folder related to FAFSA where you store all of this information so that you will always have it when you might need it.

If you forget to create an FSAID number prior to completing your FAFSA, it will still have a link for you to be able to go back and create one, but ideally you should create it ahead of time.

Here is a link to create your FSAID numbers:  https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm

There will be several financial aid meetings for parents to attend at the various home schools. Below is the list of dates and times:

Wayne Trace - October 3rd (TONIGHT) @ 6:30 pm
Jennings, Ottoville, Continental, Kalida - October 5th @ Ft. Jennings 6:00 pm
Delphos St. John, Jefferson - October 10th @ Jefferson 7:00 pm
Van Wert, Lincolnview, Crestview - October 12th @ Van Wert 6:30 pm
Antwerp - October 25th 6:15 pm
Paulding - November 10th @ 6:00 pm

I also want to remind the seniors that I will be presenting financial aid information on Wednesday during both Advantage periods. If I didn't get you signed up the other day, please come see me. One final reminder, we will be having our college night here at Vantage on Wednesday, October 5th from 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm. Over 40 colleges will be in attendance. This is a great way to pick up a lot of information on a lot of different schools all in one night. Parents and friends are welcome.