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Booker T. Washington
“Success in life is founded upon attention to the small things rather than to the large things; to the everyday things nearest to us rather than to the things that are remote and uncommon.”
Booker T. Washington
“At the bottom of education, at the bottom of politics, even at the bottom of religion, there must be for our race economic independence ”
Booker T. Washington
“I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.”
Booker T. Washington
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Types of Financial Aid
When you receive financial aid, you are subject to the 150% Rule. This rule means that if you attempt more than 150% of the credit hours needed to graduate from your program of study, you will not continue to receive financial aid. If you exceed 150% in any one program, you will not be eligible to continue to receive financial aid.
You can check the status of an online FAFSA immediately after you submit it, and a paper FAFSA about seven to 10 days after you mail it in. Here’s how: Log on to FAFSA.ed.gov using your FSA ID. You’ll see your status under “My FAFSA.”
Complete and submit your FAFSA if your status indicates that your application is missing information, such as a signature.
Follow the directions listed on your “My FAFSA” page to resolve any other issues with your application.
Next steps
The colleges you list on your FAFSA will have access to your application within a few days after you submit the form, but it may take weeks or months for them to review your application and offer you a financial aid package. If the colleges you applied to have online portals for applicants and accepted students, check there for your financial aid status at each school.
In the meantime, review your Student Aid Report for errors and correct any mistakes you find. Your report may indicate that you’ve been selected for FAFSA verification, a process university financial aid offices use to double-check that the information you provided on your FAFSA is correct. Don’t worry if you’re selected; it doesn’t mean you did something wrong. Some schools select students randomly, and some schools verify all applicants. If you’re selected, the school will ask you to submit extra paperwork that they can use to verify your application. As long as you do that, you’ll still be eligible for aid.
The IRS Data Retrieval Tool allows applicants who have already filed their federal income tax returns to prefill the answers to some questions on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by transferring data from their federal income tax returns. This can save the family some time in completing the FAFSA. It may also reduce the likelihood that your FAFSA will be selected for verification. The IRS Data Retrieval Tool has been available since the 2009-10 award year. Millions of students used the IRS Data Retrieval Tool last year.
The IRS Data Retrieval Tool can be used when filing the initial or renewal FAFSA. If an applicant files the FAFSA based on estimated income data (e.g., based on the last pay stub of the year and W-2 and 1099 statements), the applicant can use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool after filing his/her federal income tax returns to update the FAFSA form. Given that some states and colleges have very early deadlines, before most families would be able to file their federal income tax returns, it seems likely that the IRS Data Retrieval Tool will be used most often to update the FAFSA form after the family has filed their federal income tax returns.
Applicants must have filed their federal income tax returns before they can use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. The IRS Data Retrieval Tool can be used 1-2 weeks after the federal income tax return is filed if the return is filed electronically and 6-8 weeks after filing a paper return. The Department of Education has an outline of the steps to transfer tax information here: Simple Steps to Transfer Tax Information Into Your FAFSA Form
While completing an original online FAFSA or updating an existing FAFSA, eligible applicants will be provided with an opportunity to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. Applicants may be asked a few screening questions to determine their eligibility to use the tool.
Eligible applicants who choose to use the tool will be temporarily transferred to the IRS website, where they will be asked a few questions to authenticate themselves (i.e., prove that they are who they say they are). After the applicant has authenticated himself or herself, the IRS website will display the data to be transferred to the FAFSA. The applicant may then choose whether or not to transfer the data. If the applicant chooses to transfer the data, the applicant will have an opportunity to update the data, if necessary. (An applicant who transfers the data unmodified may reduce the likelihood that their FAFSA will be selected for verification.) The applicant will then be returned to the FAFSA website where they will complete the rest of the FAFSA.
Applicants must have a valid Social Security Number and FSA ID to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. The applicant will need to authenticate himself or herself to the IRS in order to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. Students and parents must use the tool separately for their respective income tax returns.
If an independent applicant is married and files separate federal income tax returns or a dependent applicant’s parents are married and file separate federal income tax returns (e.g., married filing separately or head of household), the applicant will not be able to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. Also, if there has been a change in the marital status of the applicant or parent (if the applicant is a dependent student) after the end of the tax year, the applicant will not be able to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.
The IRS Data Retrieval Tool will transfer information only from an original income tax return and not an amended income tax return. Thus, if the applicant, spouse or parent, as applicable, has filed an amended income tax return, the applicant will not be able to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. Applicants who have filed a foreign income tax return instead of or in addition to a US income tax return will be unable to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. For example, taxpayers who file both a US income tax return and a Puerto Rican tax return will be unable to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. Also, the IRS Data Retrieval Tool is available only to taxpayers who have a valid Social Security number. Taxpayers who file income tax returns using a Tax ID Number (TIN) will not be able to use the tool. The home address listed on the FAFSA must match the home address listed on the federal income tax return.
If the applicant allows the data to be transferred from the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to the FAFSA without modification, the transferred data will not be subject to verification. This will reduce the likelihood that the applicant’s FAFSA will be selected for verification, potentially saving the applicant time and hassle. (College and university financial aid administrators are strongly encouraging applicants to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool as use of the tool will reduce their workload too.)If an applicant does not use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool and the applicant’s FAFSA is selected for verification, the applicant will be required to complete IRS Form 4506-T, Request for Transcript of Tax Return, during verification. (It’s usually quicker to request the tax transcript electronically or by calling 1-800-908-9946. It can take up to 30 days to process a paper copy of IRS Form 4506-T.) If the applicant, spouse or parent, as applicable, filed an amended income tax return, they will be required to request both a tax return transcript and tax account transcript. It is no longer sufficient to provide a photocopy of the federal income tax return. The US Department of Education is requiring applicants to provide a copy of their federal income tax returns directly from the IRS to prevent fraud. In the past, some applicants have supplied false copies of their federal income tax returns during verification.
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