Office of Financial Aid Helps Students with FAFSAs March 22-23

VALDOSTA — The Office of Financial Aid at Valdosta State University will host a Financial Aid Workshop from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 22, in Odum Library Room 3270. Students who need help completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) are encouraged to attend this event.

Filling out the FAFSA is the first critical step in applying for federal and state grants, loans, and scholarships to help cover the costs of tuition, fees, supplies, and more at VSU. Research has shown that students who complete FAFSAs are more likely to enroll in college during the upcoming year and make progress towards degree completion.

It is projected that over 60 percent of jobs in Georgia will require a certificate, associate degree, or bachelor’s degree by 2020. Approximately 42 percent of the state’s young adults, its developing workforce, are currently prepared to such a level, which means that Georgia must not only maintain current graduation levels but also produce an additional estimated 250,000 graduates in upcoming years to remain competitive.

VSU’s Office of Financial Aid will also have an information table set up in the Student Union from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 23. Representatives will be on hand to discuss changes to the 2017-2018 FAFSA and answer any general financial aid questions.

Call the Office of Financial Aid at (229) 333-5935 to learn more.

Attendees should bring the following items with them to the Financial Aid Workshop:

• Social Security numbers for student and parent(s) and/or step-parent(s).

• Date(s) of birth, marital status, and date(s) of marital status for parent(s) and step-parent(s). 

• Student’s FSA ID. Go to https://fsaid.ed.gov to create FSA ID. Make sure to use a different email address than parent. The FSA ID is how you will electronically sign your FAFSA form.

• Parent FSA ID if student is a dependent. Go to https://fsaid.ed.gov to create FSA ID. Make sure to use a different email address than student. The FSA ID is how you will electronically sign your FAFSA form.

• Student driver’s license, if any.

• Documentation that states the student is a U.S. permanent resident or other eligible non-citizen, if student is not a U.S. citizen.  

• A 2015 federal tax return for the student and parent(s) and/or step-parent(s). This may be retrieved electronically in the FAFSA using the Data Retrieval Tool; however, bring a copy just in case.

• Any W-2 forms for 2015 or other records of money earned, if student or parent(s) and/or step-parent(s) were not required to file a federal tax return.

•  Balance in cash, checking, or savings accounts; amount of assets, not including the value of the family home or family farm, if applicable; and value of business, if applicable, for student and parent(s) and/or step-parent(s).  

Note: For the 2017-2018 FAFSA, families and students, as applicable, will report their 2015 income and tax information, rather than waiting for their 2016 forms to be filed.