Graduates: Important Information about Financial Aid
FAFSA and CalGrant due by March 2nd!
What is the FAFSA? The
FAFSA www.fafsa.ed.gov is
the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and is the application used for
all types of federal financial aid – for junior colleges, trade schools,
colleges and universities! You can
get up to $9,800/yr of “free money” to help pay for college expenses
through California’s CalGrant program. To get a CalGrant,
you must first complete the FAFSA application.
Who should apply? All
graduating students planning to attend a junior college, trade school, private
college, or university.
When is it due? March 2nd, 2010
FAFSA application online + GPA Verification Form = CalGrant application
Apply early!!! Don’t wait until you have been accepted into
a college for you or your parents to file year-end tax returns. You may use estimates from December pay stubs
and other end-of-year records which can be corrected later when you receive
your Student Aid Report (SAR).
Why apply? Don’t assume you or your family makes too much
money to get financial aid. You should
still file the FAFSA! Many factors
affect your financial need such as the number of children in your household in
college and the age of your oldest parent.
If you do not qualify for a CalGrant or
scholarship, you will still need to complete the FAFSA if you want to get a student
loan to help pay for college.
How do I apply?
Go to www.fafsa.ed.gov to begin.
To start, you will need to get a PIN (Personal Identification Number) by
clicking on the “Register for PIN” button then follow the prompts. The student and one parent must set up a
PIN. Print up the FAFSA worksheet. When you have completed the worksheet, enter
your information through the FAFSA website (www.fafsa.ed.gov).
Where do I get the GPA Verification Form? Go to CalGrants.org à click “How to Apply” --
> click “How to Apply – Information and Forms” à click “GPA Verification Form”. Print this form, fill it out and mail it to
the Guidance Department, 1166 Broadway,
Suite Q, Placerville, CA 95667. The Guidance Department will certify the
form and send it back to you. It is your responsibility to mail the
completed form to the California Student Aid Commission postmarked by March 2nd.
TIP: keep a photocopy for your records and send using a
Certificate of Mailing from the Post Office, this provides proof that you
mailed the form by the deadline
OGCS does not file
the GPA Verification Forms for you.
You are responsible for getting the certification from the Guidance Department and sending the form in the mail yourself!
Have more questions?
Contact the Guidance Department!!!
Brandy Anderson 1-800-979-4436
The Guidance Page has many resources, go to