Before you begin the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process, have these documents available: federal income tax returns, W-2s, records of untaxed benefits received, current bank statements, and records of other savings and investments such as stocks, bonds and mutual funds.
To expedite the processing of your application, we highly recommend that you take advantage of the new IRS Data Retrieval option which is available when completing the online FAFSA.
You must complete the FAFSA to be considered for these financial aid programs:
- Federal Pell Grant
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
- Federal Work-Study
- Federal Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans
- Federal PLUS (Parent) Loans
- EC Endowed and Funded Scholarships (where demonstrated need is an eligibility criterion)
You are encouraged to submit the FAFSA as soon as possible, but no earlier than January 1 of each year. Some financial aid programs—such as FSEOG, Endowed and Funded Scholarships, and Federal Work-Study—have limited funding, so early application is very important.
Approximately 30% of all FAFSAs filed are selected by the U.S. Department of Education for a review process called verification. In this review, the Office of Financial Aid is required by law to compare your FAFSA information with signed copies of your federal tax transcripts and other financial documents. If your FAFSA has been selected for review, you will be asked for additional documentation.
How to Apply
To complete your FAFSA online, go to www.fafsa.gov
Students and parents are encouraged to sign the FAFSA electronically. To do so, you must have a valid PIN number from the U.S. Department of Education. To obtain a PIN number, go to www.pin.ed.gov.
In addition to the FAFSA, students need to complete the Emmanuel College Application for Financial Aid (ECAFA) here.
All grants, scholarships and loans singularly or in combination cannot exceed a students’ cost of attendance. A students cost of attendance is determined by the financial aid office and includes tuition, room and board, books, transportation and miscellaneous expenses.
