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Frequently Asked Questions for Parents of Undergraduate Students
We know that parents have concerns and questions related to the financial-aid process. Below are the most commonly asked questions we receive from
parents each spring. If your question is not answered, please feel free
to contact us. We want to make the financial-aid process easy for you
and your student.
When is the FAFSA due?
What if our tax return will not be ready when we need
to file the FAFSA?
It is best to use your final tax return to complete the FAFSA. This
assures that the information is accurate. However, if this is not possible,
the FAFSA does allow you to estimate your tax information. If, later,
you are selected for verification, you may be required to submit your
tax-return copies in order for your student to receive aid.
What should we do if we need to correct our 2008/09
FAFSA?
- Using your federal PIN codes, you and your student can make changes
online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
When the changes have been processed, your student will receive a corrected
Student Aid Report via the e-mail address he/she provided on the FAFSA.
The colleges listed on the SAR will receive a corrected electronic version.
When can we expect to receive our student's financial-aid award?
We make financial-aid awards for new students first, since they usually
have to make a college choice before May 1. We begin sending out new-student awards in mid-March. Continuing-students are notified via email when their awards are available on Whitnet. These emails are usually sent in
May and June.
We were selected for verification. What does this mean?
The federal processor selects students for verification randomly.
You simply need to submit signed copies of your and your student's 2007
tax return and a 2008 Verification Worksheet to our office. Your financial-aid counselor will compare these documents with the FAFSA you completed.
Your student will be notified if changes in verification affect his/her
financial-aid award.
My student's Student Aid Report said he/she does not
qualify for a Pell Grant. Does this mean he/she will not receive any financial
aid?
No. It simply means your student did not qualify for a high-need-based
federal grant. Your student will still be considered for other types
of aid, including university grants.
Is our EFC what we will owe the university?
No. The estimated family contribution is only an estimate. Depending
on the costs of your student's education and the amount of his/her financial-aid award,
you could owe more or less than the calculated EFC.
What happens if I receive my student's financial-aid
award and it is not enough to allow him/her to attend Whitworth?
The first thing to do is to call our office and speak to a financial-aid counselor. The counselor will be able to tell you whether additional
loans and/or scholarship opportunities are available.
What should I do if we have special circumstances that
were not indicated on the FAFSA?
Review our information on special
circumstances (PDF). When appropriate, submit the documentation required
for review.
Can we expect our award to change after the freshman
year?
We try to keep awards consistent from year to year. However, if there
are significant changes to a family's resources, the award may be affected.
Is there a payment plan available to parents?
Yes. The Whitworth Student
Accounts Office administers that program. You will be receiving
detailed information over the summer on how to set up a payment plan.
There are also Federal Parent Loans available to assist you with financing
your student's education.
What does my student have to do to maintain satisfactory
progress so that he/she can continue to receive financial aid?
Satisfactory-progress requirements are outlined in detail on our
website. Click on satisfactory
progress.
Where should my student research private scholarships?
Private scholarships are excellent resources for students and can be
found in a variety of places:
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