October 1. You probably hear this date a lot. October 1 is the date the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) becomes available each year. Students can file a FAFSA for the following academic year beginning the Oct. 1 prior to it’s start. Although the availability of a new FAFSA makes Oct. 1 an important dats, there is another reason you should remember the date.
October 1 is also the State of New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority’s (HESAA) deadline to submit outstanding tasks to be considered for state aid for the fall semester. Students who do not submit all outstanding tasks/requirements by Oct. 1 each year will miss out on the opportunity to be considered for state aid for the fall semester.
If that wasn’t enough of a push to complete state requirements, students should also know that anyone who does not complete their outstanding tasks by Oct. 1 will not be considered for the Stockton Promise or the Garden State Guarantee even if they are financially eligible. A requirement of these programs is that students must complete all outstanding requirements, including federal and state verification. Learn more at stockton.edu/promise and stockton.edu/gsg.
Most often, in addition to their agency specific forms that students must fill out and submit, HESAA also requests documents from the IRS. Parents, students and spouses (if applicable) can retrieve tax documents including Tax Return Transcripts, Account Transcripts, a Record of Account, Wage and Income Transcript and Verification of Non-Filing Letters from the IRS by creating an account on irs.gov. Anyone able to create an account should be able to download this documentation right away, while those unable to create an account may need to order the documentation by mail or visit an IRS Office.
Students are encouraged to monitor their NJFAMS portal as well as their email for updates after filing the FAFSA each year. Not only does HESAA send out reminders to students to complete their outstanding tasks, but the Office of Financial Aid at Stockton University sends texts and weekly emails to students reminding them of their requirements, how to complete and submit them and the consequences for not doing so. Have questions about state outstanding tasks? Contact HESAA at 800.792.8670 or client_services@hesaa.org.
Don’t miss out on any of the aid for which you are eligible! If you haven’t already, submit your all of your outstanding requirements asap! Students can view and submit all requirements through their NJFAMS Portal at njfams.hesaa.org. Students who do not meet the Oct. 1 fall deadline could still be eligible for state aid for the spring semester. The deadline to complete state outstanding tasks is March 1.