The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can be completed by mail or online at www.fafsa.ed.gov beginning Jan. 1 for the next academic year. If you have applied for aid in previous years, you may receive a renewal application.

Our six-digit code number is 001520, and our address is 100 Weldon Blvd., Sanford, FL 32773.

After submitting your completed FAFSA, you will receive a copy of your Student Aid Report (SAR), either electronically or by mail. Your SAR summarizes the information from your FAFSA and includes an official Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The EFC is used to determine your eligibility for federal student aid.

Review the information on the report, and make any necessary corrections. If verification is required, bring copies of your tax return, your parents' tax return (if you are applying as a dependent student), and/or your spouse's tax return (if you are married and your spouse filed a separate return) to Seminole State's Financial Aid Office. You will be notified if additional documentation is required.

The earlier you submit your required documents to the Financial Aid Office, the sooner your award will be processed. Priority consideration is given to students who complete their files by April 1.

To obtain a duplicate copy, call the Federal Processor at 319.337.5665. If your address has changed since you filed your FAFSA, you will need your DRN# from the original SAR to request a duplicate.

To request the release of your SAR to another school, you will need your DRN# and the Federal School Code. (Seminole State's code is 001520.)

If you need immediate answers to questions about federal student aid, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1.800.4.FED.AID (1.800.433.3243), Monday through Friday, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time).

Financial aid information is also available on the U.S. Department of Education website.

We will mail you an estimated award letter after we receive a copy of your SAR and any additional required documentation. Financial aid need is determined by subtracting your expected family contribution (EFC) from your cost of attendance (COA).

Withdrawing from your classes can affect your financial aid standards of satisfactory progress. Therefore, you should check with a financial aid advisor prior to withdrawing from any course(s).

Other financial aid options are available for Seminole State students, including scholarships, shot-term loans, federal loans, work-study awards and a limited number of fee waivers.

Scholarships and grants are free monies that do not have to be paid back. Loans must be repaid. Work-study awards let you work to earn money while in school.

Some awards pay for all education-related expenses. Others, such as Pell Grants, may be used as book vouchers at the Seminole State Bookstore if the award amount is large enough. Check with the Financial Aid Office if you have any questions.

A check for the remainder of the grant will be mailed to you approximately 10 days after classes begin.

Seminole State follows certain guidelines when releasing checks. For first-time borrowers, there is a mandatory 30-day waiting period. For others, the check will be mailed sooner.

Each type of financial assistance has different requirements. Federal Pell Grants, for example, do not require full-time enrollment; however, a student's enrollment status will impact the amount of his or her award. Most loans require recipients to be enrolled in a minimum of six college-credit or vocational hours, and certain scholarships require full-time attendance. Exceptions may be made for documented disabilities for programs such as the Florida Student Assistance Grant (FSAG).

The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, or FSEOG, is an award for undergraduate students who are enrolled half-time and have the greatest financial need. It does not have to be paid back.

You might not receive the entire Pell award amount if you decide to skip a semester of classes. You may, however, use any monies not earned during the Fall or Spring Term toward classes in the subsequent Summer Term. Pell Grants are awarded for the current school year only. They cannot be carried forward into the next academic year.

You must apply for federal financial aid every academic year. Be sure to complete your FAFSA as soon as possible after Jan. 1 using your federal income tax return from the previous calendar year. If you are filing your 2010-11 FAFSA, for example, use your 2009 tax return(s).