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Los Angeles Center For Enriched Studies In Pursuit of Excellence

5931 W. 18th St., Los Angeles, CA 90035 Phone: (323) 549-5900 Fax: (323) 938-8737
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College Center » Financial Aid and FAFSA

Financial Aid and FAFSA

  1. FAFSA
 
Free Application for Federal Student Aid
October 1st - March 2nd
 
 
FREE MONEY FOR COLLEGE!!
 
Seniors and Parents!!!
 
Starting January 1st, make sure you, along with your parent, use this website when applying for financial aid:
 
 
 
 
 
FINANCIAL AID PRESENTATIONS (both parent and student MUST attend)
TBA
 
How Financial Aid Works
  1. Get a PIN for you and your parents at www.pin.ed.gov or at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
  2. Cal Grant GPA Verification Form: YOU DO NOT NEED TO FILL IT OUT.  LAUSD automatically submits this form for ALL Seniors to the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) in January.
    • To check out the status of your Cal Grant, goto https://mygrantinfo.csac.ca.gov and set up your WebGrants for Students account.
    • Submit your FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov BEFORE March 2nd.  Some colleges have earlier deadlines. MAKE SURE YOU CHECK WITH THEM!
IMPORTANT
The FAFSA is only for students who are U.S. citizens or Permanent California Residents.  Students who are Non-U.S. citizens can now use a new financial aid application called the CA Dream Act Application.  Only these students can go to www.caldreamact.org and apply for financial aid.  (This is a safe and confidential application and is very similar to the FAFSA and part of the California Student Aid Commission.)  If you have additional questions regarding this, please come to one of the 2 workshops listed above.
 
 
If you are applying to any private colleges, you may need to fill out a CSS PROFILE form at the www.collegeboard.com AND the FAFSA application.  There is a built-in fee waiver on the form. If your college doesn't require a Profile Form, celebrate--that's less work for you!  Otherwise, complete the CSS Profile for each private school you applied to and make sure to meet their DEADLINE.  Each school has a different deadline.
 
Apply for private scholarships!  Check out scholarships in the College Center or go to our website: www.lacesmagnetschool.org and click "STUDENTS" then"COLLEGE CENTER" and at the right hand side click on the "SCHOLARSHIPS" link.  There are thousands of websites listed--Get Busy and Apply!!
 
You will receive a STUDENT AID REPORT (SAR) from the FAFSA (online in 3 days if you applied online and in a few weeks if you mailed out your FAFSA) and a CALIFORNIA AID REPORT (CAR) from the Cal Grant (through the mail). Check both forms to make sure they are correct and look for the EFC (Expected Family Contribution) in the upper corner of the first page to see how much your family is supposed to contribute towards the cost of your college.
If there are corrections to be made, fix them online (for the FAFSA, goto www.fafsa.ed.gov and use your PIN number to access your personal FAFSA; for Cal Grant corrections, use the form they send you with your CAR.)
 
You will receive a FINANCIAL AID AWARD LETTER, from every college you list on your FAFSA that admits you; usually by April.  Compare your award letters to find out if you can afford the college that you want to go to.  You may need to apply for student loans if your family has not saved money for your college education and the free grant and scholarship money doesn't cover all of your expenses.  Send in your Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) before May 1st for four-year colleges to let them know that you are going there.
 
Your money from all sources will arrive in an account with your name on it at your college.  The college will withdraw the money you owe them for fees and tuition (and housing if you live on campus) and write you a check for the remainder.
 
LAST DAY TO APPLY: MARCH 2ND!!! 
Some colleges will have an earlier deadline.  MAKE SURE YOU CHECK WITH THEM!