How to Apply for Student Financial Aid Maine

How to Apply for Student Financial Aid: Overview

When applying for financial aid it is critical that you compile complete information and hit your deadlines. If you don't follow the steps as outlined you may not get any assistance at all.

How to Apply for Financial Aid: FAFSA

Applying for government financial assistance for college involves completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Some of the basic information required to apply for financial aid includes your Social Security numbers, income figures from tax returns and W2s, and assets from account statements. Unless you are an independent student you will need all this data for your parents as well. You will also need to indicate which schools you wish to receive your financial aid eligibility information. Gather all the required documents before you get started to make the process easier.

Important Deadlines

Deadlines for the FAFSA are as follows:
• 2006-07 school year: by midnight CDT on July 2, 2007. Corrections on the Web forms must
be submitted by midnight CDT on September 17, 2007.
• 2007-08 school year: by midnight CDT on June 30, 2008. Corrections on the Web forms must
be submitted by midnight CDT on September 15, 2008.

Check with your school's financial aid office for information on state and school deadlines for financial aid.

More Financial Aid: The CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE®

Using the PROFILE® helps you save time filling out paperwork and applications when you apply for student aid. Many colleges, universities, and scholarship programs around the country use the information collected through the PROFILE® in order to award student assistance.

Remember to take your time and get everything you need gathered up before you start-- and don't miss the deadlines!

Sources:
CollegeBoard.com
Dept. of Education 2006-07 Guide to Federal Student Aid
FAFSA.ed.gov

Starting in the 2009 tax year, under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), more parents and students will qualify over the next two years for a tax credit, the American Opportunity Credit, to pay for college expenses.

The American Opportunity Credit is not available on the 2008 returns taxpayers are filing during 2009. The new credit modifies the existing Hope Credit for tax years 2009 and 2010, making the Hope Credit available to a broader range of taxpayers, including many with higher incomes and those who owe no tax. It also adds required course materials to the list of qualifying expenses and allows the credit to be claimed for four post-secondary education years instead of two. Many of those eligible will qualify for the maximum annual credit of $2,500 per student.

The full credit is available to individuals whose modified adjusted gross income is $80,000 or less, or $160,000 or less for married couples filing a joint return. The credit is phased out for taxpayers with incomes above these levels. These income limits are higher than under the existing Hope and Lifetime Learning Credits

Click here to read more from irs.gov

Click here for application form