iGrad's Financial Aid Yearly Calendar

Cürad 12 iGrad's Financial Aid Yearly Calendar JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL • File the Free Application• Be sure you've completed and submitted your FAFSA. To expedite the process, you may want to remind your parents to file their tax-return early if you haven't already done so. • You should have completed the FAFSA. • Update your FAFSA with your actual tax information. Use the IRS Date Retrieval Tool to transfer your actual tax information to your FAFSA. for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) ASAP after January 1, if you're entering school next fall. • File your taxes early to improve your chances for receiving more financial aid. • Avoid expensive oversights by checking in with your school. O Continue looking for your SAR. • Compare your award letters from the schools you applied to. • Be on the lookout for your • Later this month, look for Student Aid Report (SAR). your financial aid award letter(s) from the schools you applied to. MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST • Review your final • Accept the financial aid package the school has offered (instructions are on your award letter). • Plan to attend freshman orientation with your • Make sure your on or off campus housing arrangements are set. checklist for school. Make sure you have everything ready that you'll be bringing along. parents. • Notify your school that you plan to attend (the deadline at many • Begin planning for incidental expenses you'll • Contact your roommate(s) to coordinate • Take one last look at your anticipated expenses. incur at school. schools is May 1). arrangements. • After accepting, you may • Earn and save money for need to complete more forms to secure your Federal Direct Loans. • Begin calculating if you'll• Pay tuition and fees if you have any gap in your haven't already done so. college with a part-time summer job. finances. • Pay tuition and fees. • Make sure to have all grants, scholarships and Federal Direct Loans in place. SEPTEMBER ОСТОВER NOVEMBER DECEMBER • Take advantage of your • When thinking about next• Now that you're near the semester's costs, you might want to use our budgeting worksheet to check for gaps in your financing. • Begin thinking about next school's entrance semester. end of the semester, this is a good time to think about how your finances will cover your remaining semesters. Our budgeting worksheet can help you do this. counseling provided by the financial aid office (the government requires this for all borrowers). • This provides you with a good overview of your loan obligations. • Continue searching for scholarships. • Download the FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov and start filling it out, You must file it • Thanksgiving break is a great time to focus on your scholarship search. every year you plan to receive financial aid while enrolled in school, • Search for scholarships to help you reduce your future college expenses.