Friday, May 18 2012 @ 11:55 PM CDT Welcome to Northwest Mississippi Community College

2011-2012 Financial Aid Checklist
 

ATTENTION FRESHMEN ENTERING COLLEGE FALL 2011

Attending college for the first time is exciting and scary. What do you need to do?  Be sure to fill out an application for admission and have your high school transcript sent to the college.  Every student needs to fill out the 2011-12 FAFSA form (Pell Grant).  If you receive a scholarship of any type other than a foundation scholarship, you must file for the Pell Grant.

1. Apply for admission to Northwest.
All applicants must meet admission requirements to receive financial assistance.  (Students must be admitted and currently enrolled in a degree granting or certificate program.) Click here for the NWCC admission form.

 

2. Apply for the 2011-2012 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Select one option below to apply:

ONLINE PIN APPLICATION
To apply online, you must first obtain a PIN (Personal Identification Number) for yourself and a parent if you are under 24 years of age and not married or cannot answer yes to any question in step 3 on the FAFSA.  Apply for the PIN at www.pin.ed.gov , complete the request and submit.  You may select your own PIN or you may have the government select it for you. If you choose to allow the government to select your PIN, you have two options to receive your PIN number:  (1) E-mail – the quickest response (2 hours to 3 days) or (2) U.S. Mail – takes approximately 7-10 days to receive.

If you request your PIN to be sent via e-mail, you need to print off the e-mail when you open it the first time.  You only have one chance to open the e-mail. You will not be able to open it a second time.  This is a security feature initiated by the government for your protection.

NOTE:  if you request your PIN to be sent to you via e-mail and you do not receive it, be sure to check your junk and/or spam mail folders.  Sometimes, the e-mail will flip over to these files due to filters on the computers.  Once you receive your PIN, you are ready to apply for the FAFSA (the Pell Grant).
 
ONLINE FAFSA APPLICATION
The preferred way to file a FAFSA is online at www.fafsa.gov. To apply online, you must first obtain a PIN (referenced above). 
You may obtain a Pre-Application Worksheet for the FAFSA in the Financial Aid office on campus or online at www.studentaid.ed.gov.   To complete the FAFSA form, you will need 2010 income tax returns (1040, 1040A or 1040EZ) along with 2010 W-2 wage earner statement from your employer(s) and your parent’s employer(s).  Once you have completed your online FAFSA application, use your PIN to electronically sign the FAFSA before submitting.  NOTE:  If the FAFSA form is not signed with your PIN and your parent’s PIN, your FAFSA will not be processed to the schools that you have selected for approximately 14 days. They will assume that you are sending a signature page and processing will be delayed.

  • It’s Quick: It is recommended that you use the FAFSA on the Web because: You and the selected colleges will get your results much faster than using the paper FAFSA.  Submitting the FAFSA online will give quicker results to both the student and the colleges selected. 
  • It’s Easy:FAFSA on the Web has detailed help screens for every question.
  • It’s Accurate: FAFSA on the Web points out inconsistent answers and gives you the chance to correct mistakes before submitting the application.
  • It’s Safe: FAFSA on the Web uses encryption when transferring data so that anyone attempting to access your information will not be able to read it.   

                        -OR-

PAPER APPLICATION    
High schools and colleges will no longer be able to obtain paper FAFSA applications.  If the student wishes to complete a paper application, you will have to call 1-800-433-3243 and request the hard copy to be mailed to you from the government via the U.S. Mail.  Complete and mail the FAFSA application to the Federal Student Aid Processing Center in the pre-addressed envelope provided in the application booklet. DO NOT MAIL THE PAPER APPLICATION TO THE FINANCIAL AID OFFICE. The preferred method of filing for the Pell Grant is online at www.fafsa.gov

 

3. Waiting period.
The federal processor sends results to Northwest if the school code (002427) is listed on the FAFSA.  A Student Aid Report (SAR) is also e-mailed to the student within 2-3 weeks (if applied online), or mailed within 4-6 weeks (if applied by paper).  If a SAR is not received within 6 weeks, contact the Central Processing System at 1-800-433-3243 to check the status of the application.

 

4. Respond immediately to the Northwest Financial Aid Office (FAO).
If more information is needed, you will receive a letter indicating the item(s) needed.  Submit requested information as soon as possible. This will avoid any delays in awarding your federal aid.

 

5. To determine if a file is complete:
An award notification letter indicating the type of aid and amount awarded will be mailed to the student each time an award is made.  The student should sign and return one copy to the FAO accepting or declining the award.

 

6. Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
Students receiving any form of financial aid from Northwest will be expected to maintain satisfactory academic progress toward their degree objective.  Class attendance and performance will be monitored.

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