The U.S. Department of Education announced it will no longer distribute the paper Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the main financial aid application, to schools effective with the 2008-09 school year. Instead students are being encouraged to apply online using the FAFSA on the Web (FOTW) Worksheet. LBCC plans to have the FOTW  Worksheet available when school reopens January 2, 2008. In announcing the decision, Federal Student Aid explained that they print and distribute millions of unused paper forms to schools each year. There has been a decline of almost 50% in the number of paper applications processed for 2007-08 compared to 2006-07 which follows years of similar declines. Currently over 95% of FAFSA’s are submitted over the web.
As a result of this change and for legal reasons, LBCC will no longer be able to accept and enter the FAFSA online for students beginning with the 2008/09 school year. Instead Financial Aid Specialists are available during regular office hours to help you complete the FOTW Worksheet. The questions on the Worksheet are in the same order as online so completing it in advance makes it easier to enter the answers when you get to the FAFSA web site (www.fafsa.ed.gov). If you would then like help in entering it online, we will offer FAFSA Computer Labs at both campuses beginning in February. Watch “News You Can Use” at the Financial Aid homepage for details concerning the lab times. In addition, assistance is available from the Federal Student Aid Information Center until 9:00 P.M. Monday through Friday and 3:00 P.M. on the weekends by calling 1-800-433-3243 (1-800-4 FED AID). Students will be able to call the Center to request a paper FAFSA be mailed to them and receive it in 3 – 7 business days or a PDF version will be available online for printing and mailing.
As in past years, students who have applied in the past will have the option to have part of their application “pre-filled” with information from the past year although it won’t be called a renewal application. This allows you to simply update changes including 2007 income. For faster processing you should have your U.S. Department of Education PIN available when you go online which will enable you to “sign it” electronically. If you don’t have your PIN or your parents need one, visit the PIN web site now (www.pin.ed.gov ). Beginning with the 2008-09 year’s FAFSA, students and parents will have the opportunity to create their own PIN or have one created for them in real-time so that they can use it to immediately.
These changes are effective for the 2008/09 school year. Paper FAFSA’s as well as FOTW Worksheets are still available for 2007/08 which includes spring and summer. LBCC can still enter the 2007/08 FAFSA online for students until June 30, 2008. |
