How to Apply for Financial Aid
When should I apply for Financial Aid?
Applications for the 2017-2018 academic year (Fall 2017, Spring and Summer 2018) are available from October 1, 2016 through June 30, 2018 *2015 Tax Information. Applications for the 2018-2019 academic year (Fall 2018, Spring and Summer 2019) are available from October 1, 2017 through June 30,2019 *2016 Tax Information.
Who can apply?
All students are encouraged to apply for the FAFSA. There are a variety of different types of aid that anyone may be eligible for. For general requirements please see the Financial Aid Eligibility section.
How do I apply?
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the appropriate year.
New Financial Aid Applicant
We request that you use your Anoka Technical College e-mail address on all Financial Aid Applications.
1. Apply for your FSA ID
Each student (and one parent if you are a dependent student) must apply for a FSA ID. The FSA ID will allow you to electronically sign your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), change your address, view the processing status of your FAFSA application, and much more.
Click Here to apply for your FSA ID. Carefully read all of the information on this web site. Your FSA ID should be kept in a safe confidential location. This login information will be used each year you apply for financial aid.
2. Complete the FAFSA
The next step is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). By completing the FAFSA, you are applying for all types of Federal and State financial assistance, including grants, work-study and loans.
We recommend that you file the FAFSA electronically at http://www.fafsa.gov/ if possible. A pre-application worksheet is also available at http://www.fafsa.gov/. This will assist you in gathering all of the necessary information and numbers before you access the web application.
If you are unable to file your FAFSA electronically, you must complete and mail the paper version of the form. You may obtain a paper FAFSA by contacting your high school guidance counselor or printing one from the FAFSA site. Whichever application you use, be sure to carefully follow all instructions and apply only once.
You will need your Federal Income Tax Information for the appropriate year and FSA ID to complete the FAFSA online.
NOTE: You must be an admitted student at Anoka Technical College to receive a Financial Aid Award Letter.
Continuing Financial Aid Applicant
We request that you use your Anoka Technical College e-mail address on all Financial Aid Applications.
1. Locate your FSA ID
If you are not able to locate your FSA ID you can retrieve it at fsaid.ed.gov. If you have not accessed your FAFSA since May 2015 you will need to create a FSA ID at fsaid.ed.gov. If you are a first time user your information will need to be cleared through the social security administration. Please allow 1-3 business days for your ID and password to clear. You will receive an e-mail confirmation once your ID is activated.
Please Note: Parents of dependent applicants are also required to create a FSA ID.
2. Complete the FAFSA
Complete the FAFSA – Free Application for Federal Student Aid. You can access the FAFSA and the pre-application worksheet at www.fafsa.gov. By processing the FAFSA electronically, you expedite the process and eliminate errors. Use your Federal Income Tax Returns for the appropriate year and your PIN as your electronic signature. Once your taxes are processed by the IRS you will have the opportunity to link to the IRS from the FAFSA and automatically load your tax information. This is a great way to prevent errors and save time. If you file your taxes electronically this data retrieval tool will be available to you approximately 2 weeks later.
What am I applying for when I complete the FAFSA application?
When you complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid you are applying for the Federal Pell Grant, Federal SEOG (Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant), Minnesota State Grant, Work Study and Federal Direct Loan funds.
Each institution has limited funding in the SEOG and Work Study programs.
Helpful Hints for Completing the FAFSA
- Make sure to report accurate tax year information exactly as instructed on the FAFSA (no estimates). The IRS Data Retrieval tool is currently not functional for 2017-2018 so it would also be a good idea to visit irs.gov to obtain a copy of you or your parents 2015 Tax Return Transcript. The IRS Data Retrieval tool for 2018-2019 is functional.
- Be sure to report your name on the FAFSA exactly as it appears on your social security card. The federal processor will be comparing your FAFSA information to the Social Security Administration database and discrepancies could cause a problem.
- The title IV school code for Anoka Technical College is 007350.
- If you or your parents filed a joint federal income tax return, but are now separated, divorced or widowed, you will not be able to link taxes from the IRS. We highly recommend requesting a Tax Return Transcript from the IRS.
- Make sure that your parents complete their section and you complete yours. Any errors will significantly delay processing!
- Complete your FAFSA early! There are certain grants that are first come first serve. In addition, paperwork turned in 2-3 weeks prior to the start of a term will have high processing timelines. The earlier you get your award letter the better!
What happens after I have applied?
You will receive an e-mail from the federal processor with a website link to your Student Aid Report (SAR). If you do not provide an e-mail address to the federal processor, you will receive a paper SAR in the mail. Review the SAR to make sure that everything is correct as printed. If all the information is correct, keep the SAR for your records. If not, corrections should be submitted to the federal processor. Your e-mail will state that your FAFSA has been successfully processed and will provide you with an estimated award amount - this does not mean that you are approved! You may still need to turn in a variety of documents to the financial aid office at Anoka Tech. Ultimately, the school makes the decision on what you are awarded.
In the event that your Social Security number is incorrect at the school, we recommend that you contact the records department. If your social security number is incorrect on your FAFSA you will need to make updates to your FSA ID, please see the financial aid office for assistance.
If your SAR indicates that it has been rejected or that more information is needed before further processing can occur, please follow the instructions listed on the SAR, or contact the Anoka Technical College Financial Aid Office for assistance.
The Anoka Technical College Financial Aid Office will receive a copy of your FAFSA in three (3) to five (5) business days. Once you receive notification from FAFSA that your application has been processed it usually takes about three (3) additional business days to arrive at Anoka Tech.
If additional documents are required, the Financial Aid Office will send you an email that additional information is needed. A status letter will be available in your e-services account in the financial aid section.
To learn more about each type of funding, click here. We wish to assure you that all of the information you provide will be held in strict confidence and will only be used to determine your eligibility for financial aid.
Contact
Financial Aid
finaid@anokatech.edu
763-576-7730