Missed Financial aid deadline

cooljammer00

So apparently, in all the hoopla of the spring regarding me failing out of my previous university and transferring into a local community college, I somehow forgot to file for the FAFSA for Fall 09/Spring 10.

Classes aren't in session until the 10th of September, so I don't believe anyone is actually working at the school right about now that I can go see. I'm going to attempt to file for the FAFSA this year anyway, just to see what happens. There isn't a way to apply for aid for Spring 2010 is there? I'm assuming this since Spring 2010 counts as part of the Fall 09 school year. When would/should I apply after this fall term is over? Just eat the bill for Fall A/Fall B(Winter)/Spring A/Spring B (Summer), and apply next year for Fall 2010/Spring 2011?

I got my bill yesterday for the fall and it's due tonight (26th) at 7PM. Even after figuring all this out, there's really no way it'd all be processed by tonight, so should I just pay now and hope to get some grants later? Or will they look at it and go "Hmm, this kid seems financially secure enough to pay. No need to give him money." I actually got a check or something from a Pell Grant for about 2 grand, but this was earlier this year and I honestly didn't know what they wanted me to do with it. I just put it in my bank account and sat on it in case they wanted me to pay them back one day. I figured that maybe it was some sort of extra money, since my tuition price dropped when I went to a CC?

A little flustered right now, I'll post more later if you guys ask for more info.

edit: When I did transfer in the spring, all I was told I needed to do was to change the school on my FAFSA from my past school to my current school, and it was true. I got covered for the Spring of this year in my CC. I guess redoing the FAFSA for the next term must have slipped my feeble mind.

Kistra

Call the community college. I bet there are people working there even though school isn't in session yet.

elfdude

Agreed, get your fafsa filled out ASAP. Worst case scenario you're going to have to stop classes until next term best case scenario they'll wait for your fafsa to come. Worster case scenario you'll have to pay out of your pocket for the classes you've taken (most allow you to cancel within 2 weeks or so) then delay the rest later.

How to pay for something generally isn't the last thought that comes to mind though, be more responsible (both in school and this) and do what you're supposed to rather than making excuses for yourself.

LadyM

Get your FAFSA done as soon as possible, send it in, and pray for the best. (Do you have the option of doing it online? Might be faster than paper.) Pay the tuition, if you later qualify for financial aid they will give you a check. At my college they tell us financial aid is first come, first serve . . . Unfortunately, your college may simply be out of available aid money at this point. At my CC enrollment is up 50% and financial aid requests are up 40% due to the lousy economy. But, hey, it doesn't hurt to check into it anyway.

Also, there are probably people working at the college now if they open on the 10th. They need counselors and such available before fall starts to advise incoming students, cashiers to accept payments, etc. I'm sure there are some financial aid people there too.

elfdude

Typically colleges have staff all year round as most have summer terms as well. I'd find it very odd if your college didn't.

Boutros

Typically the FAFSA deadline for this year isn't until June of NEXT year. You should be good on your FAFSA, but you need to convince the people at your school to postpone your payment until your aid comes in. File your FAFSA asap and then go explain your situation to your financial aid office.

I was in your situation once before, the school changed policy so that FAFSAs had to be filed every year and I showed up in the fall without one. My financial aid didn't come in until like late september or october, but the school was pretty cool about it and put me on a "payment plan" that didn't require any payments until after the loans came through.

Chanus

You can file late... but you'll have to pay up front and may get reimbursed.

Artreus

At my university I filed way late and it got processed in a day or two. Also try to stay on top of stuff like this more in the future. Also at least at my school, you can keep taking classes without paying for a bit but they get a bit upset and charge you a bit. You should really just call and find out/explain your situation

VisionOfClarity

Boutros wrote: »

Typically the FAFSA deadline for this year isn't until June of NEXT year. You should be good on your FAFSA, but you need to convince the people at your school to postpone your payment until your aid comes in. File your FAFSA asap and then go explain your situation to your financial aid office.

I was in your situation once before, the school changed policy so that FAFSAs had to be filed every year and I showed up in the fall without one. My financial aid didn't come in until like late september or october, but the school was pretty cool about it and put me on a "payment plan" that didn't require any payments until after the loans came through.

Many schools have their own deadline for aid though and require the FAFSA filled out by an earlier time. I know my school it was February to get aid for the following fall.

Kistra

VisionOfClarity wrote: »

Boutros wrote: »

Typically the FAFSA deadline for this year isn't until June of NEXT year. You should be good on your FAFSA, but you need to convince the people at your school to postpone your payment until your aid comes in. File your FAFSA asap and then go explain your situation to your financial aid office.

I was in your situation once before, the school changed policy so that FAFSAs had to be filed every year and I showed up in the fall without one. My financial aid didn't come in until like late september or october, but the school was pretty cool about it and put me on a "payment plan" that didn't require any payments until after the loans came through.

Many schools have their own deadline for aid though and require the FAFSA filled out by an earlier time. I know my school it was February to get aid for the following fall.

How can you file in February? A lot of banks and stuff don't even send out finalized stuff for your tax returns until after February.

Also most schools will have different deadlines for continuing and new students b/c a lot of new students wont know where they are going until later than the continuing student deadline.

Chanus

Kistra wrote: »

How can you file in February? A lot of banks and stuff don't even send out finalized stuff for your tax returns until after February.

Also most schools will have different deadlines for continuing and new students b/c a lot of new students wont know where they are going until later than the continuing student deadline.

You file using the previous year's information, don't you? (Like 2 years ago, tax-wise)

cooljammer00

I usually filed one with estimates and then changed it to the correct numbers after April.

VisionOfClarity

Kistra wrote: »

VisionOfClarity wrote: »

Boutros wrote: »

Typically the FAFSA deadline for this year isn't until June of NEXT year. You should be good on your FAFSA, but you need to convince the people at your school to postpone your payment until your aid comes in. File your FAFSA asap and then go explain your situation to your financial aid office.

I was in your situation once before, the school changed policy so that FAFSAs had to be filed every year and I showed up in the fall without one. My financial aid didn't come in until like late september or october, but the school was pretty cool about it and put me on a "payment plan" that didn't require any payments until after the loans came through.

Many schools have their own deadline for aid though and require the FAFSA filled out by an earlier time. I know my school it was February to get aid for the following fall.

How can you file in February? A lot of banks and stuff don't even send out finalized stuff for your tax returns until after February.

Also most schools will have different deadlines for continuing and new students b/c a lot of new students wont know where they are going until later than the continuing student deadline.

I've always gotten everything by the end of January. Continuing students at my school had to file at the same time, they just found out what they got at a different time.

mts

yea that april deadline is only the advanced date, you can do it whenever i believe