Step One: Fill out a FAFSA on the Web:
- Apply for a PIN, or personal identification number, at www.pin.ed.gov so you can electronically sign the online FAFSA. If you are a dependent student, one of your parents should also get one.
- Print and complete the Pre-Application Worksheet, available at www.fafsa.ed.gov. It lists the FAFSA questions in the order of the questions on the online FAFSA, which differs from the paper FAFSA. You will need WNC's school code: 013896.
- Complete and review the FAFSA carefully and print out a copy for your records before transmitting it. Do not submit your FAFSA prior to January 1 for the following Fall semester. The Department of Education will not accept earlier applications. You should keep copies of all worksheets and other financial records in case your college asks to see them.
- Provide an e-mail address so you will get an electronic message within minutes of transmitting your FAFSA. This will confirm that your application was received as well as provide an estimate of your EFC. Make sure to print and keep a copy of this confirmation for your records.
- Be sure to indicate your state of legal residence. If left blank, you can't be considered for state aid that requires state residency.
- Use your PIN to electronically sign the FAFSA. If you (or your parents) do not have a PIN, you can print, sign and mail the signature page. Students who do not have a PIN or printer can still use FAFSA on the Web - you will simply receive a SAR without an EFC that you must sign and return before your official EFC will be calculated. Another option: You may use your PIN to e-sign and a parent can mail in the signature page.
- Avoid peak hours. You will find faster response times at www.fafsa.ed.gov before 8 a.m. and after 8 p.m. PST.
- Follow up on the status of your FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov using your PIN.
- Check your email regularly and look for messages from the U.S. Department of Education directing you to your electronic SAR.
FAFSA Tips
- PIN NUMBERS should be kept confidential!! They should not be shared with anyone, even with those who may have completed the FAFSA for you. The numbers do not expire, but if you request a new one, only your new PIN will work.
- For federal and state student aid, dependency status is based on your answers to certain questions on the FAFSA - not whether you live on your own or your parents list you as a dependent on their taxes.
Completing the FAFSA - Don't Pay for It
With all the free help available, you should never have to pay to have the FAFSA completed for you. The web sites that offer to complete and file the FAFSA for a fee are neither affiliated with nor endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education. Once you collect all your financial records and other information, which you will have to do even if you choose to pay someone to complete the FAFSA for you, filling out the FAFSA is not difficult.
Questions About the FAFSA
If you have questions about how to complete the FAFSA, call the Federal Student Information Center toll free at 800-433-3243 - the staff are very helpful, there is usually not a long wait and they accept calls every day of the week. You will also find online help at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
Step Two: Completing your file
If you have been chosen for verification or if there is a discrepancy in your records, you will be required to submit additional form(s) or documents to complete your file. You will be notified by mail which additional documents or form(s) are required. The Financial Assistance Office must have your current address. If you do not receive or respond to correspondence, your financial aid will not be processed.
Verification Worksheet
Some student applications are selected by the federal government for mandatory verification of information reported on the FAFSA. If you are selected for verification, you will be required to provide the Financial Assistance Office with documentation of all sources of income for the previous tax year. This must match the information on your SAR; if not, it must be corrected before your aid eligibility can be determined.
Tax Forms
Always keep copies of the federal tax returns and W-2s that you and your family submit to the Internal Revenue Service. If we request a copy of your tax return or W-2, be sure to provide us with a signed copy and not your originals.
Social Security, Immigration & Naturalization, & Selective Service Documentation
The Financial Assistance Office may need a copy of your Social Security card, birth certificate, copies of INS documents to verify eligible non-citizen status, or verification of Selective Service registration. The Financial Assistance Office will notify you if these or other documents are required to complete your file.
Authorization To Release Information Form
Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, WNC cannot release student financial aid information to anyone other than you, the student. If you wish your information to be released to someone else, you must request and submit this form.
Step Three: Receiving Your Aid
Processing Timelines
The Financial Assistance Office begins processing applications in mid-April for students who have met the April 2nd priority filing deadline. Once you have completed your financial aid file, it is reviewed and eligibility is determined. Applicants should have this process completed at least a month prior to the beginning of the semester so that they may have a book voucher available the week before classes begin. Residual funds for these students will be disbursed at the end of the second week of school. Applications received late will be processed after those who have met the deadline and applied as soon as possible.
Award Notification
An Award Offer Notification will be mailed to you after we have reviewed your file and your academic progress. AWARDS ARE BASED ON THE LEVEL OF ENROLLMENT YOU LISTED ON YOUR FAFSA. The actual amount received will differ if your enrollment status changes. You must maintain a current mailing address with our Admissions and Records Office. Award letters and checks are mailed to the address on file with them.
Federal regulations require that all types of financial aid be coordinated. You must inform the Financial Assistance Office if you receive any aid not listed on your award notification such as scholarships, stipends, vocational rehabilitation, or veterans' benefits. A revision to your financial aid award may be necessary.
Scheduled Residual Check Dates
If your financial aid exceeds the amount of fees, your residual check will be mailed to the address listed in Web-REG on the second friday of Fall or Spring Semester, OR if you choose Direct Deposit, the date it will be available in your bank account. After these dates, checks will be mailed weekly by the Business Office as files are completed.
Check Disbursements/Enrollment Verification
The first half of your grant and/or loan awards are mailed to you at the beginning of the semester. Disbursement dates depend on when you are awarded AND will reflect your actual enrollment status at the time of payment. No adjustments are made for added or dropped units after the second week of the term. The amount of aid on your award letter may differ from what you receive if your enrollment changes and/or if you owe student charges.
Enrollment Changes
If you never attend a class or you have a change of enrollment status, your financial aid award must be recalculated. This will result in you owing part or all of that award money back to the college.
If you owe an overpayment, you have 45 days to repay the college in full or it will be reported to the Department of Education. You will not be able to receive further financial aid from any college until the overpayment has been paid.
Disbursement of Grant and Loan Check Residuals
Residual checks will be mailed by the Business Office, to the address that was given to the Admissions Office. If you sign up for direct deposit, checks will be directly deposited into your bank account. It is your responsibility to report any changes of address to the Admissions Office or changes in your bank account to the Business Office.
Student Charges
Any student charges for the current semester will be deducted from your financial aid and/or scholarship.
Returned Checks
If your check is returned to the college, it will not be re-mailed; it will be held at the Business Office and you will need to pick it up. Unclaimed checks will be cancelled after 30 days.
Lost Checks/Checks Not Received
If your check is lost or not received, go to the Business Office and initiate a stop payment. Reissued checks can take up to six weeks.
Required Identification
You are required to present one type of valid photo ID (such as a Nevada driver's license or Nevada Identification Card) each time you inquire about your financial aid.
