COLLINS CAREER CENTER   ● HOW TO APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID ● “FAFSA ON THE WEB”:   www.fafsa.ed.gov Note: filing the FAFSA is free so if you are asked to pay a fee, you are at the wrong web site     School Code:  015524   Step #1          Apply for a PIN:  www.pin.ed                         You will need a Personal Identification Number (PIN) to submit your FAFSA on-line. If you do not have a PIN or have lost or forgotten your PIN, please request one at the given website.  Students and Parents of dependent students must each have their own PIN. Note:  you may also apply for a PIN at the www.fafsa.ed.gov website.      Step #2          gather your PRIOR year income information:                          you will need information such as Federal Tax Returns, Workers Compensation statements, Unemployment statements, TANF benefits statements, Social Security statements, etc. FROM 2009 to complete the FAFSA.                                        Step #3        FILE THE FAFSA:  www.fafsa.ed.gov                         follow the step by step instructions to complete the FAFSA for 2010-11 note: please print all pages, including your confirmation page, to bring with you to your appointment.   Step #4          ELIGIBILITY NOTIFICATION:                         Once you have filed the FAFSA, approximately 30 days prior to the start date of your program of training, the Financial Aid Office will mail you a Financial Aid package notifying you of tuition costs and the Financial Aid(s) you were eligible for.  You will review, sign and return the forms in the package along with other requested paperwork to the Financial Aid Office.  Step #5 QUESTIONS? Feel free to contact the Financial Aid Office with any questions, if you need assistance filing the FAFSA: or, to schedule an appointment to review the financial aid package you received:          (740) 867-6641; Ext. 422 or Ext. 400       DON’T FORGET..!!! You must submit your signature page before the school can receive your processed FAFSA. (Parents of dependent students MUST also submit a signature page) **see back for instructions on applying for a Federal Direct Student Loan** You must be enrolled in a program of training before meeting with Financial Aid. What to do if you don’t have a computer If you do not have a computer at home, you may use the Collins Career Center computer lab or your local library.  How to submit your signature page as indicated above, you must have a PIN in order to submit your signature electronically, to the Department of Education for processing.  Once you have provided your signature electronically, please wait at least one week before scheduling your appointment with the Financial Aid Office.    What to do if you mailed your FAFSA if you mailed your FAFSA for processing instead of filing on-line, you will need to wait until you receive your processed application; which will be 3-5 pink pages called a SAR, then contact the Financial Aid office to schedule an appointment (you will need to bring your SAR to your appointment).  DON’T FORGET..!!! Once you have completed your FAFSA; you must schedule an appointment with the Financial Aid office to review the results.  Your FAFSA will not be made available to Collins Career Center until you schedule your appointment. This MUST be done BEFORE you start your program of training.               PIN Information The PIN serves as your electronic signature and provides access to your personal information in various U.S. Department of Education systems. It's like the Personal Identification Number (PIN) that you get from your bank that enables you to access your account. Anyone--including parents of dependent students--who has a valid Social Security Number and is a U.S. Citizen or eligible non-citizen may apply for a PIN. Because you can use your PIN to sign your financial aid documents, you should keep it in a safe place. Do not give or entrust it to anyone, even if that person or organization is helping you fill out your FAFSA. After completing a FAFSA on the Web application, you and your parents--if you are a dependent student--will need to sign your application. We cannot process your FAFSA until we receive your signature(s). Using a PIN to sign your application electronically is by far the fastest and most reliable way to sign your application. Each year that you apply for financial aid you can use your PIN to access and electronically sign your FAFSA, saving time and effort in the process. Since the PIN is your, and your parents', own personal electronic signature, you can use them to sign your application electronically every year. You and your parents do not need to apply for a new PIN from one year to the next.  Go to the PIN site and Select “Activate My PIN”. How to request a PIN   You can apply at the U.S. Department of Education's PIN site, www.pin.ed.gov, by selecting PIN Request and Information followed by Apply for PIN. Once you successfully complete a request, the U.S. Department of Education will e-mail or mail you a PIN, depending on whether you and your parents provided them with an e-mail address. It will take approximately 1-3 business days after you request your PIN for you to receive an e-mail notification with instructions on how to retrieve it electronically, or 7-10 days to receive it in the mail via the U.S. Postal Service.