Financial Aid

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the primary document needed to be considered for federal funds for college, will be available on October 1st. As a result, we thought this step-by-step guide might be helpful!

Step 1:
Now or prior to December:
Create your FSA ID
Every parent/guardian and student who will be applying for need-based aid should secure their Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID). This will be a lifelong identification used for creating and accessing your federal financial aid documents and records.

Students create one and parents create another. Be sure to keep this information in a secure place, as you will need to use it throughout the time you/your student is in college. Parents/Guardians will use this ID for all of the children in the household.

*If you have not yet submitted your 2022 federal income taxes, and are required to, please do as soon as possible! This information is required before you will be able to complete the FAFSA..

Step 2:
In or following the month of December:
Complete the FAFSA
We are passionate about filing the FAFSA as soon as possible because the allocation of certain funds is on a first-come, first-served basis! The earlier you complete your FAFSA the better. You do not have to have your college application already complete in order to file the FAFSA! They are separate from one another.

The FAFSA consists of sections that relate to both the student and the parent(s)/guardian(s). Students complete one section and parents/guardians another. Each student who lives in the household and who is going to college must complete and submit a FAFSA each year they wish to be considered for aid.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
From College or University Financial Aid Offices:
Colleges will estimate a financial aid package for the student and email the student a chart of the type and amount of expected financial aid available along with a guesstimate as to the actual college costs for the upcoming year. Those costs are typically not set until May by each college’s board.

Student & Parent/Guardian Responsibilities:
Each student who has been awarded a package has the right to accept or deny any specific parts of the financial aid offered by each college and university. The student and parent/guardian should review the awards from all colleges before determining whether or not they are financially feasible to manage.

While it is perfectly acceptable to call a college financial aid office and politely ask if there could be additional money available, remember that one answer may be “No.” Many colleges put forth their best package first, but others may find additional money as other students decline their offers in the spring. At this point, fiscal responsibility and financial planning is key in determining what’s possible.

SCHOLARSHIP OPTIONS:
Any scholarship information that comes to Indian Trail is included within the Scholarship tab under Counselors on the Indian Trail website. Students may also go to their Xello dashboard and look at the Financial Aid tab for additional resources. Please don’t pay anyone to fill out the FAFSA or be considered for scholarships!

Local Scholarships – http://www.kusd.edu/scholarships

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Financial Aid FAFSA Presentation by Carthage College 23-24
https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/