The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA®, is the application all RCTC students are required to complete to be considered for any type of Financial Aid. The FAFSA® will tell you whether you are eligible for grants and/or loans and is based on income and family size. Income will be calculated from your taxes. You must provide your parents’ taxes as well if you are under the age of 25. If you/your parents were not required to file taxes, there is an option to choose “non-tax filer.” Students must complete a new FAFSA® each year they wish to apply for Financial Aid. It is FREE to apply for FAFSA®.
Eric Mesa, RCTC Financial Aid Specialist and Loan Officer, offers six tips and things to consider when completing the FAFSA®.
- Plan on at least one (1) hour of uninterrupted time to do FAFSA®.
- Parents need their own FSA ID–it is easier if they complete their id before the student does theirs.
- Make sure to write down all user ids, passwords, challenge questions, and email addresses used when setting up an account. You will need access to those same accounts every year the student is in college.
- Figuring out if a student is dependent or not independent (only if married, has kids, or able to provide proof they have nothing to do with parents–homeless or foster child). For clarification, please call the Welcome and One Stop Center.
- Knowing what information parents/parent/student needs to put on the application can be very complicated. Please call the Welcome and One Stop Center to clarify.
- Read through and understand the process in which the IRS transfers tax information to FAFSA®. Double- and triple-check to make sure they use the same name and address as on the tax return to ensure they will not get an error.
Current RCTC students and future RCTC students are encouraged to talk with a financial aid professional with any and all questions about FAFSA®.
Telephone:
1-800-247-1296 Ext. 7557
507-285-7557
Email:
FinancialAid@rctc.edu