• FAFSA school code: 002590
• FAFSA priority filing deadline: March 1, 2008
• Federal Student Aid Information Center: 800-433-3243

To apply for grants, loans, scholarships, and/or College Work-Study from Keene State College for the 2008-09 academic year, complete the following:

1. Students & parents obtain a PIN number to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) electronically. Why file on the web?
   1. Electronic filing is faster and more accurate than filing a paper application.
   2. FAFSA on the Web edits your application before you submit, ensuring your data is ready to be processed.
   3. Using a PIN number replaces the need for your manual signature.
   
   
2. File the FAFSA at FAFSA on the Web before March 1, 2008.
   1. The completed FAFSA will be your application for all possible types of need-based financial aid from KSC, Pell grants, and state scholarships.
   2. The FAFSA should be completed as soon as possible after January 1, 2008. If actual tax information is not available, the student (and parents) should complete the FAFSA using estimated data. Priority consideration as an on-time applicant is dependent on the date the FAFSA is received by the Department of Education's processor. You should submit your FAFSA so that the processor receives it by March 1, 2008.
   
   
3. Federal tax returns and other documents.
   Student Financial Services (SFS) may request verifying documents to complete your financial aid application. This is a federal requirement in many instances and is not usually an indicator of a problem with your application. A signed copy of parent, student and/or spouse 2007 IRS 1040, 1040A, or 1040EZ, as filed with all applicable schedules, is frequently requested. If the student will not file a tax return, they may submit a Non-Tax-Filer Statement to SFS. This form, appropriately completed, will satisfy the tax return requirement.
   
   Please Note:
   • SFS may request additional information for a process called verification.
   • To expedite processing, please mark documents with the student's name and ID number (KSC ID or Social Security Number are both acceptable).
   
   
   
4. Notification of Financial Aid Award
   1. First-year or transfer students who have applied for financial aid by the March 1st priority filing deadline may normally expect to receive notification by April 30.
   2. Returning or graduate students who have applied for financial aid by the March 1st priority filing deadline may normally expect to receive notification by June 30.
   Please Note: Students who complete their FAFSA application after March 1, 2008, should be aware that award notifications will not be made until late in the summer, and then only as available funds allow. Although late applications (after March 1) will be accepted, you may be required to remit payment in full for all fall 2008 semester charges. Your application may not be reviewed before the due date of the bill. If extenuating circumstances, such as the death of a parent or severe illness, have prevented you from completing and submitting your application on time, appropriate documentation will be required before a review may be granted.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens after I send in the FAFSA?
Three to four weeks after you file the FAFSA, you will receive your Student Aid Report. You should immediately forward all pages of the Student Aid Report to SFS if Keene State College is not listed as a recipient.

What types of Financial Aid are available at KSC?
Keene State College participates in all of the federal financial aid programs, and in addition, has its own grant, loan, and work programs. You may visit the other pages listed under the Financial Aid section for more information. All financial aid, with the exception of academic scholarships, is awarded on the basis of financial data included on the FAFSA form.

What's next? The Financial Aid Award Notification from KSC:

1. The white copy is the student's official Acceptance Form of the financial aid offer.
2. Read and follow the instructions in the Comment section, then complete all highlighted items.
3. The Acceptance Form must be completed, signed, and returned to SFS within two weeks of the date of the award notice.
4. Students who do not complete, sign, and return the Acceptance Form by the required date will have their awards cancelled.

What are the conditions of the awards?
Eligibility for financial assistance also requires that the student meets the following conditions:

1. The student must maintain satisfactory academic progress in his/her course of study. For more information, refer to the Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards in the Financial Aid section of Keene State College's Student Handbook.
2. The student must notify SFS in writing of any change in course load. Financial aid awards are based on the student's expected course load at the time of application. A change in the number of credits the student is carrying may affect the financial aid offered.
3. If the student is offered a Perkins or KSC loan, he/she will be required to sign a promissory note agreeing to repay those funds in accordance with the terms and conditions of the note.
4. If the award notification includes a Stafford loan, the student must take additional steps to actually receive the loan. It is important for the student to follow the instructions provided with the award notification.
5. The student must provide any and all additional requested information within 30 days. Failure to respond to a request for additional information will result in the deactivation of the student's financial aid application.
6. The student must notify SFS of any change in his/her family's financial circumstances. Note that this includes the receipt of any funds not reported on the original application.

If I accept the aid offered, am I guaranteed these awards?
If all information provided on the FAFSA is accurate, the student can normally expect that the dollar amount of the aid offer will not change for the 2008-09 award year. However, the source of the funds may change under certain circumstances (see below). Awards are made for a one-year period only - the student must re-apply each year - and are not guaranteed beyond that point.

If financial need is reestablished for the following year, the student can reasonably expect renewal of aid eligibility. The amount and type of aid offered from year to year will vary depending upon the student's financial need and the availability of funds.

Will my award amounts ever be changed?
Yes. The College reserves the right to adjust a student's financial aid awards if any of the following conditions exist:

1. The family provides inaccurate or under-estimated information on the FAFSA. If SFS receives information which indicates that any of the financial data provided on the FAFSA is inaccurate, we will increase or decrease the student's awards according to any change in the student's need level. Depending upon the extent of the error(s), any part of the aid package may be changed. If this is a major concern for you, it is better to over-estimate your income figures to avoid any reduction in aid. Family size and number of family members in college can effect financial aid eligibility, so please read the instructions carefully. Contact our office if you have questions with specific considerations in these categories.
2. Receipt of funds (awards/scholarships) not reported on the FAFSA or not expected when the original aid offer was made.
1. Students often receive unexpected awards/scholarships from local agencies after applying for financial aid. It is the student's responsibility to notify SFS promptly of the amount and conditions of the(se) award(s). Students can normally expect a revision to the original aid offer that will reduce the loan or work component of the award package if such scholarships are received.
2. SFS will usually estimate the amount of the student's eligibility for scholarship funds to be received from the student's home state. This estimate is based on the most accurate information available at the time of the original offer. Should this estimate be inaccurate, the student may receive an adjustment to other financial aid.
3. It is to your advantage to notify SFS as soon as possible if either of these conditions exist to ensure that revisions are made promptly and prior to the billing due date.
3. Changes in the family's financial situation. SFS will review a student's financial aid package if: a parent dies or becomes unemployed, separated, or divorced, or if some other circumstances negatively affecting the family's financial situation occur after the original FAFSA was filed. Students with these types of special circumstances should contact our office for instructions.