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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Gary Haluska |
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Haluska reminds college students it's time to complete FAFSA
HARRISBURG, Jan. 13 – State Rep. Gary Haluska is reminding people who will be first-time or returning college students during the 2010-11 school year that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid is available and can be completed online.
"The FAFSA is the most important financial aid application a student will complete," Haluska said. "In addition to determining eligibility for federal grants and loans, it also is used by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency to determine eligibility for the Pennsylvania State Grant and by a variety of universities and other schools to determine eligibility for their financial aid packages."
Haluska said families should complete the FAFSA as soon as possible. The deadline for most students to submit a FAFSA to be considered for a State Grant is May 1, but some colleges have earlier financial aid deadlines. Estimated federal income tax information can be used on the FAFSA if a family has not yet completed its federal income tax return.
Students who have submitted a FAFSA electronically in previous years and provided an e-mail address should receive an e-mail reminder from the federal government that their renewal application is available. Students who did not previously fill out the FAFSA online will receive a reminder in the mail.
"If you have access to the Internet, I strongly suggest filling out the FAFSA electronically," Haluska said. "It reduces errors and speeds up processing, and you'll receive a Student Aid Report, which colleges use to develop financial aid packages, in your e-mail in just a few days."
Students need a Personal Identification Number to fill out and sign the FAFSA electronically. PIN numbers are available by visiting www.pin.ed.gov.
"The PHEAA Web site is a great place to visit if you are unfamiliar with the FAFSA or need help filling it out," Haluska said. "Just go to www.PHEAA.org/FAFSA, and you'll find everything from a list of documents you need to fill out the FAFSA, to a practice worksheet and link to the online FAFSA. You can also find a link to this site on my Web page at www.pahouse.com/Haluska."
Haluska said PHEAA and the Pennsylvania Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators will also offer free FAFSA Completion Events across the state where student and their families can get personal guidance with questions they might have. A link to a schedule of these events is available at www.PHEAA.org under the "Fill Out the FAFSA" section.
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