By By LAUREN PAJAKOWSKI
Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of KeepCalm-O-Matic
Applying for financial aid? While Indiana continues to get blanketed with snow, the 2013 fall semester seems far away. But if you’re an Indiana student seeking financial aid, the application deadline for fall 2013, spring 2014 and summer 2014 is at midnight on March 10.
Applying for financial aid is free and easy, but adhering to this deadline is extremely important. According to IUSB’s financial aid website, late filers will not be considered for aid from the State Student Assistance Commission of Indiana.
Luckily, your school is here to help you.
Although receiving financial aid has a number of steps, the first step to receiving benefits is completing the FAFSA application on time. Cyndi Lang, the associate director of financial aid and scholarships at IUSB, explains the first few steps an admitted student should take when applying for financial aid:
- Complete the FAFSA application online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
- If you have already filed taxes, select the “Data Retrieval” option. This will save students time. Otherwise, tax forms will be needed at a later date.
- You will get an email verification that your FAFSA has been processed
- Students should then keep up with their OneStart “To-Do” list.
Once the above steps have been completed, Lang further stresses that students should most importantly keep up with their OneStart “To-Do” list. It is there that the financial aid department will keep in contact with students seeking aid and make them aware of any information they are missing or that is needed, which will expedite the application process.
Financial aid is a great resource available to students. According to IUSB’s financial aid website, IUSB students receive approximately $37 million in financial aid each year. This includes scholarships and grants offering “free money” (not paid back), work-study opportunities that allow you to work and earn money to help pay for your costs, and low-interest student and parent loans (borrowed money that must be repaid).
Students with further questions can visit the help section of the FAFSA website for a wide range of questions and answers. One of the most common questions is from students who wonder just when they are considered a dependent-student and when they need to provide their parents financial information. Answers to this and more can be found at www.fafsa.ed.gov/help.htm under the “Getting Started/Before You Apply” link.
The IUSB financial aid department is available to students from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays in the Administration Building (157) or by phone at (574) 520-4357.
March 10 is approaching fast, so take some time and get your applications filled out to receive the aid you’re eligible for.
