FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply/qualify for Carthage Institutional scholarships / grants?
You must be admitted as a full-time undergraduate student seeking your first bachelor’s degree. You will then be considered for “merit” funding, which is based on academic achievement.

In addition, you should file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (the FAFSA). Once you have been admitted and the Office of Student Financial Planning has received your FAFSA information from the government, your eligibility for need-based Carthage (Institutional) funding will also be determined.

How do I apply for governmental financial aid?
You must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The first step is for you and a parent to each get a PIN number from the government at www.pin.ed.gov; the PIN acts as your electronic signaturefor the FAFSA. The next step is to complete the FAFSA form at www.fafsa.ed.gov; the online version is the format the government prefers and processes most quickly. A printable worksheet (English or Spanish) is available at that site, if you’d like to write down your answers before submitting them online. If you prefer to mail a paper version, a printable PDF version ( in English and Spanish) will be available on 01/07/08 at www.fsa.ed.gov Be sure to include Carthage’s Federal school code - 003839 – so that the government can send your FAFSA information to Carthage. The Office of Student Financial Planning will then determine your eligibility for governmental aid and will notify you if additional documents are needed for the awarding process.

When should I do the FAFSA?
Submit the FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1st to maximize your financial aid eligibility for the following Fall semester. Some funds are limited and eligibility may be based upon the date the student submitted the FAFSA.

Do I have to file a FAFSA every year?
In order to qualify for Federal and for some kinds of Carthage institutional financial aid, a student must file the FAFSA once every academic year. Renewal FAFSA applications can be completed on-line by using the Federal PIN assigned to you (and your parent’s PIN, if their information is required on the FAFSA).

What is a Federal PIN and how do I get one?
The PIN serves as your signature / identifier on the FAFSA, and for Federal student loans. It also is the means by which you can access your personal information on the Department of Education systems. Because it serves as your signature on Federal documents, it should never be shared with anyone else. You will use the same PIN for financial aid from year to year.

To receive a PIN (or to have a duplicate PIN sent to you if you have lost or forgotten your PIN number) visit www.pin.ed.gov The PIN will be emailed to you if you give them an email address: the link to your PIN will only open once so be sure to write it down and keep it in a secure place. If you do not provide an email address, your PIN will be mailed to you. A new feature of the 2008-2009 FAFSA is that a PIN can be generated for you immediately upon your request as part of the FAFSA completion process, so that the FAFSA can be signed right away. Be sure to use the PIN to sign the FAFSA application so that the application will be complete and ready for the government to process. Lack of signatures causes processing delays.

Do I need to file my taxes before I apply for financial aid?
No, you are not required to file taxes before submitting the FAFSA; you may complete the form using estimated tax information. However, it is important to be as accurate as possible: the likelihood of being selected for verification of your application information increases when estimated figures are used. If you are selected for verification you will need to submit additional documents to the financial aid office so that your FAFSA information can be verified (confirmed or corrected).

Once your taxes are filed you are expected to review your FAFSA information and make any necessary changes. Changes can be made online at www.fafsa.ed.gov or (if you submitted a paper FAFSA) on the paper Student Aid Report that the government will send you.

What is an EFC and how is it used to determine my eligibility?
The Federal Government considers the student/student’s family to be primarily responsible for the cost of the student’s education. When you submit a FAFSA, the Department of Education uses a formula to calculate how much you and your family are expected to be able to pay towards your education, based on the information you reported on the FAFSA. This amount is called an EFC, which stands for Expected Family Contribution. The EFC does not represent what you may actually need to contribute towards your education. It is, rather, a baseline amount which is compared to the actual cost of attendance: the remaining amount is called unmet financial need (Cost of Attendance – EFC = Financial Need). The Office of Student Financial Planning will award the maximum amount of government and institutional financial aid for which the student is eligible, in an effort to meet Financial Need. The remainder must be met by the student / student’s family.

What is “verification”, and why was I selected?
The Federal Processor randomly selects over 30% of all FAFSA applications for the process of verification. If you are selected for verification the Office of Student Financial Planning (OSFP) will ask you to provide complete and signed copies of the prior year’s Federal taxes and the completed and signed Verification Worksheet for that academic year (available online here). Additional documents may also be needed. Once all of the necessary documents have been received, the OSFP electronically transmits the confirmed or corrected information to the government. When the government notifies the OSFP that they have processed the transmitted information, the verification process can be completed.

Note: If a student is selected for verification, it is important to respond to the request for verification documents as quickly as possible, to prevent delays in financial aid processing and to ensure optimum eligibility for limited aid sources.

My parents will not help me pay for school. Can I file as an “Independent”?
The Federal government considers a student to be Independent if they meet one or more of these criteria:

• Are 24 years of age or older.
• Have already received their first Bachelor’s degree and will be working towards their Master’s or Doctorate degree during the FAFSA-related academic year.
• Are married (including those who are separated but not divorced).
• Have children for whom they provide more than half of the economic support.
• Have dependents other than a child or spouse, for whom they provide more than half of the economic support.
• Are an orphan (both parents are deceased) or ward of the court, or were a ward of the court until the age of 18.
• Are currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training.
• Are a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces.

All other students are considered to be Dependent, and the parents’ information and signature will be required on the FAFSA. If you believe you have a situation that should be considered individually, ask to speak with a counselor in the Office of Student Financial Planning.

My parents are divorced. Which parent’s information should be given on the FAFSA?
If your parents have divorced or separated, provide answers about the parent you lived with more during the past 12 months. If you did not live with one parent more than the other, provide answers about the parent who provided more of your financial support during the past 12 months, or during the most recent year that you actually received support from a parent. If this parent is remarried as of today, their current spouse’s information will also need to be included, regardless of the amount of financial support that stepparent is providing towards the student’s education.

My parents or I make too much money. Is it worth my time to file a FAFSA?
The Carthage Office of Student Financial Planning always recommends that EVERY student file a FAFSA. Income is not the only factor in determining a student’s financial aid eligibility; other factors such as size of household, the number of persons in college, etc. also play a significant role in that determination.

Every Carthage student who submits the FAFSA qualifies for at least one (or more) governmental student loan, provided they are enrolled at least half-time and meet the government’s standards of academic progress. Without the FAFSA there is no possibility of governmental student loans, which have the best interest rates.

What should I do if changes occur after I file the FAFSA?
If divorce, death, loss of employment or an other major change occurs in the family situation, affecting the student’s / student’s family’s ability to contribute to the cost of education, contact the Carthage Office of Student Financial Planning to determine what options or alternatives may be available.

I will be attending as a part-time student. Do I qualify for financial aid?
The student’s EFC and enrollment status are reviewed to determine whether or not the student is eligible for government grants and loans. Some students will be eligible for government grant aid with half-time or less enrollment, but more aid is usually available at half-time or greater enrollment. A student must be enrolled at least half-time to qualify for Federal student loans.

I have received a private scholarship. Will this affect my financial aid?
The total amount of financial aid from all sources cannot exceed the cost of attendance established by the college. In most cases, a private scholarship will not affect the amount of your financial aid, though it may have a direct effect upon the type and amount of student loan eligibility. If you are awarded a private scholarship, submit the Private (Outside) Scholarship Notification Form (available online at www.carthage.edu/finaid/printforms) to the Carthage College Office of Student Financial Planning, attaching a copy of the scholarship award notification letter. The student’s financial aid awarding will then be reviewed and adjusted to include the anticipated scholarship amount, and to ensure that the student is not over-awarded.

Can I get a job on campus?
Nearly every facet of Carthage College has students helping to run it in some capacity, either as Federal Work Study awardees or as Campus Employment students. Students who are awarded Federal Work Study (FWS) will be contacted regarding how to pursue their job possibilities. Students who are not awarded FWS have the option (usually after October 1st) to visit offices and professors to apply for any campus employment positions that are open.