MARYLAND HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION

MARYLAND HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION Office of Student Financial Assistance 839 Bestgate Road, Suite 400 Annapolis, Maryland 21401-3013

410-260-4565 or 1-800-974-1024 TTY 1-800-735-2258 mhec.state.md.us

Funding provided by a GEAR UP grant from the Maryland State Department of Education and the Maryland Higher Education Commission in partnership with the U.S. Department of Education.

All students should apply for financial aid. Even if you think you would not qualify, apply anyway, or you may be missing an opportunity that can help you pay for college.

All students need to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Most sources of financial aid based on need, such as grants, federal financial aid and financial aid from colleges, require you to complete the FAFSA. You can pick up a FAFSA at your high school guidance office, a college financial aid office, a public library, from the Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) or online at fafsa.. You should submit the FAFSA to the U.S. Department of Education between January 1 and March 1 to receive the greatest consideration for state needbased assistance. The U.S. Department of Education will process your FAFSA and electronically send the results to the OSFA and all the colleges you listed on the form. You should also ask the college that you plan to attend if there are any additional financial aid applications you may need to complete.

You may complete the FASFA in one of two ways. You and your family may answer the questions on the FAFSA, sign the form and mail it in the accompanying envelope. You also may apply electronically at fafsa. using your Personal Identification Number (PIN), which can be obtained the same time you complete the form online. If you file online and do not use a PIN, you must print out, sign and mail the signature form.

If you mail your FAFSA, be sure to fill out and mail the postcard that comes with it. The U.S. Department of Education will mail the postcard back to you so you know that your FAFSA has arrived. Please do not use a special mailing service, such as FedEx or UPS, because it will delay the processing of your application.

Q. What kind of information do I put on my FAFSA? A. Information from your, and your parents', most current federal income tax

return. If you or your parents have not yet completed a tax return, you can carefully estimate your answers on the FAFSA and correct them later.

Information from your bank statement(s).

Information from your W-2 form(s).

Any income listed on benefit statements you received from the Social Security Administration, Social Services or other agencies.

All colleges that you are thinking of attending with the school you will most likely attend at the top of the list. If you do not list a Maryland school, you will not be considered for Maryland financial aid.

Federal Title IV Institution Codes for all of the schools you list; you can get these codes from your high school guidance office, college financial aid office, public library, the OSFA, or by calling the U.S. Department of Education at 800-433-3243.

Q. Should I use a consultant to help me find scholarships or complete the FAFSA?

A. Please make sure that you are not paying for a service that may be free through your high school guidance office, a college financial aid office, the public library, the web, or from the OSFA.

Learn as much as you can about the consultant, the company, and students who have used the service before you spend your money.

Q. What happens after I file the FAFSA? A. The U.S. Department of Education will check your FAFSA for proper

signatures, correct social security numbers, and other information.

If you leave information blank on your FAFSA, it may be returned to you, and this will delay your application for financial aid consideration.

After your FAFSA is processed (it takes approximately four weeks), you will receive a report of your answers called a Student Aid Report (SAR). Your SAR will tell you how much money your family is expected to contribute to your school expenses. This figure is your Expected Family Contribution or EFC.

Q. What if I have to make a change to my FAFSA? A. Please look carefully at your SAR. If you find a mistake or need to correct

any information you may have estimated, you should make corrections right on your SAR, or if you filed online, you should log onto the Correction section of the FASFA website to make corrections electronically.

After making corrections to your SAR, you must submit the changes to the processing center. When you receive your new SAR a few weeks later, you should make a photocopy and mail it to the OSFA by April 1.

Q. What requirements must I meet to be eligible for state aid? A. You and your parents must be residents of Maryland. To be considered

a resident, you and your parents must live in Maryland for at least 12 months prior to attending a 4-year college or 3 months prior to attending a community college or private career school.

Each scholarship or grant has specific enrollment requirements. You must enroll for a minimum of 12 credit hours each semester to be considered a full-time undergraduate college student. To be considered a part-time student, you must enroll in a least 6 credits each semester. If you go to a Maryland private career school, you must enroll for at least 18 clock hours per week.

Q. How does the state determine how much aid I'm eligible for? A. The OSFA uses the EFC from your FAFSA to determine your eligibility for

financial aid.

Your financial eligibility is determined one year at a time, because your financial circumstances can change from one year to the next. Therefore, each academic year, you will need to complete the Renewal FAFSA. Your Renewal FAFSA will either be sent to your home address or to your college, and you may also be able to file it at fafsa.. If you do not receive your Renewal FAFSA by January 1 and are unable to fill out a Renewal FAFSA online, you should complete and file a regular FAFSA no later than March 1.

Clock tower of Gilman Hall, courtesy of The Johns Hopkins University.

Educational Assistance (EA) Grant

Who May Apply Students planning to enroll as full-time, degree-seeking undergraduates at a 2-year or 4-year public or private college or university in Maryland may apply.

How to Apply All full-time undergraduate students should apply by completing and filing the FAFSA.

Eligibility Awards are based on need with students with the lowest EFC awarded first.

Award Amount Award amounts range from a minimum of $400 to a maximum of $2,700 based on need. If you are offered and accept certain other state scholarships, your EA Grant may be re-calculated.

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