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Financial Aid & Families

Financial Aid Resources

Financial Aid includes grants, scholarships, and loans. Financial Aid starts with filing a FAFSA. Pikes Peak financial aid advisors are available to answer your questions and help you complete the FAFSA.
Financial Aid FAFSA Overview [Video]Apply for FAFSA

 

 

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Financial Aid Checklist for Parents

  1. Work with your student on filling out the FAFSA form. Need an overview of the FAFSA? Click here.
  2. Make sure your student's personal information is safe when he or she applies for financial aid. For tips, read Federal Student Aid and Identity Theft.
  3. Read IRS Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education to see how you might benefit from federal income tax credits for education expenses.
  4. Understand the benefits of federal student loans.
  5. Help your student learn about the responsibilities involved in accepting a student loan by reviewing “What should I consider when taking out federal student loans?” with him or her.
  6. Look at communications from schools to which your student sent FAFSA information. If a school has offered you or your student Direct Loans, the Federal Student Loans: Basics for Students and Federal Student Loans: Direct PLUS Loan Basics for Parents booklets might be useful to you.
*Students who are unable to provide parent information should schedule an appointment with a Financial Aid Advisor to discuss their unique situation. 
 

Adapted from StudentAid.gov

Additional Parent Resources (StudentAid.gov)
Parents Role in the federal student aid process

Financial Aid File: Check Regularly

Once a student has submitted the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (or FAFSA) it is important for them to regularly check the status of their Financial Aid File.

Financial Aid

How to Check Status in Portal

After the FAFSA is submitted - students may be required to submit additional documents - before they can be awarded financial aid. 

Please encourage your student to regularly check their Financial Aid status leading up to the start of the semester

Parent Information on the FAFSA

The two resources linked below will help you complete the FAFSA form with your student. 

  • Do I Have to Provide My Parents' Information on the FAFSA Form? All applicants for federal student aid are considered either "independent" or "dependent". This guide will help you determine the status of your student.
  • Who's My Parent When I fill Out My FAFSA Form? Dependent students are required to report parent information when completing the FAFSA form. A parent means the student's legal (biological or adoptive) parent or stepparent, or a person that the state has determined to be a student's legal parent. See the below flowchart for more information.
Do Parents have to provide information on the FAFSA form?
Who's my parent when I fill out my FAFSA form? [flow-chart]
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What is an FSA ID?

The FSA ID is a username and password combination you use to log in to U.S. Department of Education (ED) online systems.

The FSA ID is your legal signature and shouldn’t be created or used by anyone other than you.

Parents must create and use their own FSA ID - and cannot use their students.

You’ll need your FSA ID every year that your student completes their FAFSA form as a dependent student - so make sure you save it in a safe place.

Click on the button below for more information.

Creating and Using an FSA ID
How to Create an FSA ID [Video]
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Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the privacy of student education records.

Generally, Colleges must have written permission from a student to release information from their educational records - including Financial Aid information.

Records created and maintained by the financial aid office are considered to be education records and may not be disclosed without the student’s consent. This includes at least all of the following records:

  • Records relating to eligibility and disbursement of Federal student aid funds
  • Student account
  • Federal work-study payroll records
  • Financial aid applications
  • Documents used for verification
  • Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) documentation
Additional FERPA Information
FERPA - Student Consent Record Release

Additional Resources

 

types of aid Overview of Financial Aid process
Scholarships Basic Needs Assistance