The Office of Financial Aid has set March 1 as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid priority registration deadline and is calling for students to send in their applications as soon possible.
Senior Associate Director of Financial Aid Rance Jackson said he recommends students fill out the application online because there is a smaller chance of them making a mistake.
“FAFSA itself can be accessed online,” Jackson said. “Students can go directly to the government’s Web site, or they can use the University Financial Aid Web page.”
Jackson explained when students submit their applications online, they are usually processed in 10 to 14 days, whereas paper submissions can take as long as 6 to 8 weeks to process.
Krista Ringler, associate director of scholarships and financial aid, said it is important that students meet the priority deadline if they hope to receive all possible aid considerations.
“Timing is so critical,” Ringler said. “If students submit their application by the priority deadline, then we can be sure they get the maximum funds available to us.”
Jackson said students who submit applications after this deadline substantially limit their options.
“After March 1st, the only thing students are eligible to receive is the Pell Grant and loan funds,” Jackson said.
Jackson said any information that needs correcting can be easily done later on as long as the application is submitted on time.
“If your parents haven’t filled out their tax forms, you can put in an estimated income and then correct it at a later date,” Jackson said.
Ringler said all applications are processed according to standards set by the federal government and he said this can sometimes lead to frustration on the part of the applicants.
“What a student perceives their need to be may not be what the federal government calculates it to be,” Ringler said.
Jackson said different amounts are allocated to students based on their expenses.
“The word ‘need’ is determined by FAFSA and the federal formula,” Jackson said. “A budget at N.C. State will be a whole lot different than one at Duke University.”
Jackson encouraged all students to apply no matter their background or financial situation.
“Everybody can apply,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how much their parents make or [how much] they make.”
Camden Carver, a senior in sociology, said he has been satisfied with what he has received through FAFSA in the past.
“It was a pretty straightforward process,” Carver said. “It is a little lengthy when you first apply though.”
Brian Slightom, a junior in biomedical engineering, said although the application process is slow, in the end, he has always received an adequate amount of aid.
The financial aid process remains frustrating, but it has met my needs and allows me to pay for my education,” Slightom said.
