No, you don't need to. There are various websites that do offer help filing the FAFSA for a fee. These sites are not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Department of Education. We urge you not to pay these sites for assistance that is provided for free www.fafsa.ed.gov).
The Personal Identification Number (PIN) serves as your identifier to let you access your personal information in various U.S. Department of Education systems. It is like the PIN you get from your bank that permits you to access your account. The PIN also allows you to sign your federal student aid application online and allows you to correct your application data online. Do not share your PIN! Be sure to keep your PIN in a safe place.
You can apply for a PIN at www.pin.ed.gov.
You can use your PIN to access your financial aid data at these U.S. Department of Education websites:
www.fafsa.ed.gov
When requesting a PIN, you'll need to provide your name, social security number, date of birth, and mailing address, and then submit your request. After that information has been verified with the social security administration's record, a PIN will be generated. If you provide an e-mail address, you'll get an e-mail response in approximately three business days that contains a link to your PIN through the internet. If you don't provide an e-mail address, you'll get your PIN in 7-10 days through regular mail.
If you have lost or forgotten your PIN, you will need to request that it be sent to you again. If you think that someone else may know your PIN, or you believe your PIN may have been compromised when it was lost, FAFSA can generate a new PIN for you.
At any point during the processing period, you can use your PIN to check the status of your FAFSA or to check on a correction you made to your FAFSA. Checking the status of your application at any time during the processing period is beneficial, but we recommend you at least check the status at the following times: 3-5 days after submission (if you used a PIN to sign your application); 2-3 weeks after submission (if you printed, signed, and mailed a signature page).
The Data Release Number (DRN) is required to make certain changes associated with the FAFSA you filed. You can make corrections to your mailing address and/or to the schools you listed to receive your FAFSA data. Just call the U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid Information Center (1-800-4-FED-AID). The DRN also allows you to release your FAFSA data to schools you did not list on your original FAFSA. The DRN is printed in the lower left-hand corner of your Student Aid Report (SAR).
You may either make the correction online with your PIN, over the phone (1-800-4-FED-AID) if you have your DRN number, or you can fax the request (1-877-264-9664) to FAFSA Processing. Northland's school code is 03872500.
For the 2010-2011 school year, submit your application as early as possible, but no earlier than January 1, 2010. We must have your application no later August 1, 2010. Your college must have your correct, complete information by your last day of enrollment in the 2010-2011 school year.
If you are facing a deadline and want to get the application in as soon as possible, you may estimate your tax amounts for now. Once you have completed your tax forms, make the corrections to your file either on the Web or by mailing in your paper Student Aid Report (SAR).
When you apply for federal student aid, your answers to the questions in Step 3 of the paper FAFSA or in Step 2 of the online FAFSA will determine whether you're considered dependent on your parents or independent. If you're considered dependent, your parents' income and assets as well as your own must be reported on the FAFSA. Students are classified as dependent or independent because federal student aid programs are based on the principle that students (and their parents or spouses, if applicable ) are considered the primary source of support for post-secondary education.
You should contact the holder of your loan. If you don't know who holds your loan, you can use www.nslds.ed.gov to find out about your federal student loans. The site displays information on loan and/or federal grant amounts, outstanding balances, loan statuses, and disbursements. To use the NSLDS Student Access Website, you will need to provide your social security number, the first two letters of your last name, your date of birth, and your PIN.
Contact the financial aid office at your school. They will combine various forms of aid into a "package" to help meet a student's need. Using available resources to give each student the best possible package of aid is one of the aid administrator's major responsibilities. Because funds are often limited, a financial aid package might fall short of the amount a student is eligible for. Also, the amount of federal student aid in a financial aid package is affected by other sources of aid received (scholarships, state aid, etc.).
If you wish to speak with a person regarding financial aid questions, please use the contact information below:
Phone: 715-324-6900 ext. 3150 Email: financialaid@ni.edu