Catalog 2010-2011 - South Texas College

Through the WEBFile Using FASFA on the WEBPersonal computers are located in the STC Labswhere you can apply online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.If you apply through the WEB, your application willbe processed 7 to 14 days faster than if you mailin a paper FAFSA. The Department of Educationwill not accept any applications without either asignature page with original signatures from thestudent and a parent (if required), or a PIN, whichis an electronic signature that the Department ofEducation assigns to you. If you don’t already havea PIN, apply for one now at www.pin.ed.gov. If youare a dependent student, your parents should alsoapply for a PIN now so that they can electronicallysign your FAFSA. Your PIN will be e-mailed to youwithin 1 to 5 days. If you don’t provide a valid e-mailaddress, your PIN will be mailed to you within 7to 10 days. Your PIN should not be shared withanyone, even if someone else completes yourFAFSA/Renewal FAFSA for you.WHEN DO I APPLY?Apply as soon as possible AFTER January 1.(You can not apply before this date.) It is easierto complete the application when you have yourfederal income tax return forms completed, soyou should file your taxes as early as possible.Do not sign, date, or submit your applicationbefore January 1. If you apply by mail, send yourcompleted application in the envelope that camewith it. It is already addressed, and using it willensure that your application reaches the correctaddress.NOTE: You must reapply for federal aid every year.Check with your new school to find out what stepsyou must take to continue receiving aid.THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TOTHESE DEADLINES.Application Submission DeadlinesWhether you apply online or by mail, the U.S.Department of Education (DOE) applicationprocessor must receive your application by June30, 2010 for the 2009-2010 school year andJune 30, 2011 for the 2010-2011 school year forthe application to be processed. The STC Officeof Financial Aid must receive your processedapplication information from the U.S. Departmentof Education by your last day of enrollment in theschool year for which you are applying for awards.NOTE: If you are selected for verification,additional deadlines apply to you. Your FinancialAid Administrator can tell you what they are.Apply each year AFTER January 1. (Do not sign,date, or send your application before this date).WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I APPLY?As soon as your application has been processedby the U.S. Department of Education and sent toSTC, the Financial Aid office will set up a studentaccount and evaluate the student’s application. Atthis point, one of three things may occur.1. The STC Financial Aid office will mail you anaward letter. This happens when your financialaid application is complete and there are nounresolved eligibility issues, or;2. You will be mailed a Missing Information Letter.This occurs when there are issues/questionsthat need to be resolved before your eligibilitymay be determined. Approximately 45 percentof the applications submitted to STC haveissues/questions that must be resolved beforeeligibility can be determined. If through thisprocess it is discovered that data provided onthe FAFSA/Renewal FAFSA form was incorrect,a change may have to be submitted to the U.S.Department of Education which may result ina two to three week delay in the processingof awards, or;3. The U.S. Department of Education maydetermine for one of several possible reasonsthat you are not eligible for Federal Student Aid.This does not mean that you are not eligiblefor scholarships, state aid, or work study. Ifyou are interested in any of these types of aid,you should inquire with the Financial Aid officeso they can determine whether or not you areeligible for one of these other sources of aid.APPLICATIONS WHICH AREQUESTIONED BY THE U.S.DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONThe U.S. Department of Education performsseveral matches of the information that studentsprovide on the FAFSA/Renewal FAFSA form withnational databases, including:4The Selective Service Administration4The Department of Homeland Security4The Social Security Administration4The Department of Justice4The National Student Loan Data System4The Veterans AdministrationIf any of the information that is provided on theapplication is not consistent with the data that ison these databases, or if these agencies have anyinformation that is relevant to your financial aideligibility, the U.S. Department of Education willalert STC and the issues/questions will have to beresolved before your eligibility can be confirmed.VERIFICATIONSelection of Students for VerificationThe U.S. Department of Education (DOE) selects33 percent of the Free Application for FederalStudent Aid (FAFSA) applications at random forverification. In addition, DOE or South TexasCollege may select a student for verification if theinformation submitted appears to be incorrect orfraudulent.The Office of Financial Aid at South TexasCollege verifies all financial aid applications forstudents who are selected for verification by theU.S. Department of Education who attend SouthTexas College during the Award year in which theyare selected. In addition, South Texas Collegereserves the right to select additional applicationsas deemed appropriate by the Financial AidProfessionals.55