Financial Aid Guidance for Returning Students

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As you prepare to return to Stockton in the fall 2017 semester, I wanted to provide you with some guidance so that you can begin the process of applying for financial aid for the 2017-2018 academic year.

Now is the time to apply for financial aid (Federal Stafford loans, grants and work study) using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on the web.

Getting Started

In preparation for completing the financial aid application,

  1. Gather all documents necessary for your federal tax return and if possible complete the return.
  2. Collect all other documents needed to apply for financial aid. A full list is available at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
  3. Apply for financial aid at www.fafsa.ed.gov by the priority filing deadline of March 1st
  4. Include Stockton University’s federal school code number: 009345
  5. As you complete the FAFSA you will be prompted enter your FSA ID and password to sign your FAFSA electronically or make corrections to your FAFSA.
  6. Student; provide driver’s license information.
  7. Instructions are provided for each FAFSA question in the Help and Hints section and are also available by clicking “Need Help”.
  8. Help is available any time during the application process at www.studentaid.ed.gov or 1-800-433-3243.
Important

Within the FAFSA: New Jersey residents, click the link to Higher Education Student Assistance Authority’s (HESAA) website to respond to the State of New Jersey questions. You will find the link on the 2017-2018 confirmation page. You will see it as an optional feature – “Start your state application – Click here if you want to apply for New Jersey state based financial aid” or go to www.njgrants.org.

After you submit the 2017-2018 FAFSA, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR). The SAR contains information you supplied on the FAFSA. Check the SAR for accuracy. The SAR includes the EFC (Expected Family Contribution) which is a measure of the family’s financial strength. It is used to determine the student’s eligibility for aid.

We hope these tips assist you with the financial aid application process.

About Christopher Connors, Jr.

Chris Connors is Associate Director of Financial Aid at Stockton University. He received a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and a master’s degree in Instructional Technology from Stockton University. Chris is a member of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) and New Jersey Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NJASFAA). He is passionate about improving the use of technology within financial aid and uncomplicating the financial aid process for students and families.

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