University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
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January
·          Students and parents should apply for a federal student aid Personal Identification Number (PIN).  Log on to www.pin.ed.gov to apply for a PIN to use as your electronic signature for your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and other financial aid-related forms, including your U.S. Department of Education records online.
·          January 1- The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is available for completion.  Complete the FAFSA as soon as possible after this date each year you wish to receive financial aid.  The FAFSA may be completed online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.  Pitt-Johnstown’s federal school code is 008815, which will show as the University of Pittsburgh.

TIPS FROM THE PROS:
·          You do not have to wait to be accepted to a school before filing the FAFSA, as you may list up to ten schools on the online application.  List the school that you are most interested in attending first. 
·          If you have not yet completed your federal income tax returns, use estimated tax information to ensure that you meet Pitt-Johnstown’s April 1st priority filing deadline.  Once you complete your federal income tax return, be sure to update the tax information on your FAFSA with the actual figures.
·          Keep a copy of your completed FAFSA for future reference.
·          When you complete the FAFSA, you are applying for Federal, State, and Institutional aid at Pitt-Johnstown.  This is the only application Pitt-Johnstown requires for financial aid consideration; however, upon receipt of the FAFSA, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) will send first-time filers a State Grant Status Notice to collect additional information for state grant consideration.  Be sure to complete and return this information to PHEAA timely.   
·          After filing the FAFSA, you will receive your Student Aid Report (SAR), which is a copy of all the information you supplied on the FAFSA.  Review your SAR for accuracy and make sure that Pitt-Johnstown’s school code, 008815, is listed.  If any of the information is incorrect or incomplete, correct it by following the instructions provided with the SAR.  If your SAR is correct, you do not need to do anything further, but you should keep it in your financial aid file.  If you do not receive your SAR within 3-4 weeks of completing the FAFSA, you should call 1.800.433.3243 for assistance. 
·          Create a folder for your financial aid documents.  That way, all important financial aid-related information is kept in one place!

February
·          Begin preparing your federal income tax returns.  Keep copies of every document sent to the IRS, including federal tax returns, W-2’s and all schedules, as you may be required to submit copies of this documentation to the Financial Aid Office if you are selected for verification.  You will receive notification from the Financial Aid Office if you are required to submit copies of these documents.  

March
·          If you have not already done so, file the FAFSA as soon as possible.  In order to be considered for Pitt-Johnstown’s campus-based aid, which includes the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), the Federal Perkins Loan, and Federal Work Study, you must complete the FAFSA by April 1st.
·          Once you complete the FAFSA, you may be selected for a process called verification, where we are required to collect tax information from you. You will receive notification from us should you be selected.  We begin sending initial verification letters in March and continue to send information on a rolling basis as FAFSA information is received.  If you are selected for verification, please send the required information to us as quickly as possible.  Failure to submit the required verification information will delay the processing of your financial aid and will prevent the timely disbursement of aid to your student account.   

April
·          Pitt-Johnstown’s FAFSA priority filing deadline is April 1st.  Be sure to complete the FAFSA by this date each year to be considered for al types of financial aid available at Pitt-Johnstown.
·          Watch for your Financial Aid Award Letter, which is usually sent during the beginning of April to students who have complete records.  Award Letters are sent continually as FAFSA information is received and as students supply supplemental information, if requested.
·          Review your award letter and complete the Financial Aid Acceptance Form. 

May
·          Pennsylvania residents, if you miss Pitt-Johnstown's FAFSA priority filing deadline of April 1st, be sure to complete the FAFSA by May 1st to ensure you meet the filing deadline for the PHEAA State Grant.
·          PHEAA begins notifying Pennsylvania filers of their state grant eligibility in mid-May.     

June
·          Attend Orientation in June or July and bring your financial aid questions with you.
·          First-time borrowers through the Stafford Loan or Perkins Loan Programs must complete a Master Promissory Note (MPN) and Entrance Counseling.  The Master Promissory Note and Entrance Counseling for Stafford may be completed at www.aessuccess.org.  If you choose to use a lender where American Education Services (AES) is not the guarantor, please notify us in writing so that we may coordinate the processing of your Stafford Loan with your selected guarantor.  The Master Promissory Note and Entrance Counseling for Perkins must be completed at www.ecsi.net.
·          Begin applying for Parent PLUS or Alternative Loans, should you need additional funding.  Federal PLUS applications may be obtained from AES online at www.aessuccess.org, by calling 1.800.692.7392, or from any participating lender.  If you choose to use a lender where AES is not the guarantor, please notify us in writing so that we may coordinate the processing of your PLUS Loan with your selected guarantor.  For Alternative Loan information, visit www.pelalenders.org/alternative_loans.html. 

TIPS FROM THE PROS:
·          We suggest that you borrow conservatively, especially during the first year, as you may need to borrow money each year you are enrolled in school to meet the cost of education.  Plan accordingly and keep debt manageable. ·          Keep copies of all the loan applications that you complete.
·          When selecting a lender for Stafford, PLUS or Alternative loans, choose a lender that best suits your needs as a borrower.  Although you may have a local bank that you deal with on a regular basis, some larger lending institutions are able to offer special incentives such as delayed repayment options, interest rate reductions, principal rebates, and low or no upfront fees. 
·          Apply for PLUS and Alternative Loans for the entire academic year.  This allows for the timely disbursement of funds, and you will not have to reapply for the spring term. 

July
·          Tuition rates for the upcoming year are set by the University of Pittsburgh’s board in early July.
·          Be sure to check your Pitt-provided email account, as notification regarding your e-Bill is emailed around July 20th or later.   If you would like for your parents to have access to your e-Bill account, you may set them up as authorized users. 

August
·          Fall term bills are due August 17th.  Payment plans are available.  Please contact the Business Office at 814.269.7040 or 800.444.4875 for more information. 
·          Classes begin.
·          Work-study jobs are posted on the first day of class at 7:30 a.m. on the bulletin board outside the Financial Aid Office, 125 Biddle Hall.  Students must be eligible for a work study award in order to participate in the work study program.  It is the student’s responsibility to locate a position and to contact the departmental supervisor.  The Financial Aid Office will not place you in a job, and we do not guarantee employment.  Be sure to have your original social security card and photo ID in order to be placed on payroll. 
·          If you have not already done so, complete the Federal Stafford Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN), the Federal Perkins Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) and Entrance Counseling.  Please refer to the second bullet in June for complete instructions.
·          If your family’s income will be significantly less during this academic year than the income reported on your current FAFSA, you can complete a Reduction of Income form and return it to the Financial Aid Office for further consideration.  All students who request a Reduction of Income must complete the verification process.  Please be advised that your Reduction of Income will not be processed until you complete verification.  No Reduction of Income forms will be processed before October 15th.  Please contact the Financial Aid Office at 814.269.7045 or 1.800.881.5544 for additional information, if necessary.  

September
·          Check your student account to make sure all your financial aid has been applied to your account. 

October
·          Make sure you have no holds on your account, so you are able to register for spring term classes when scheduled. 
·          Familiarize yourself with Pitt-Johnstown’s Satisfactory Academic Progress guidelines for receiving financial aid and plan your class schedule accordingly.  Be sure to satisfy the credit and GPA requirements so that you qualify for financial aid next year! 

November
·          Be sure to check your Pitt-provided email account, as notification regarding your e-Bill is emailed around November 20th or later.
·          If you need additional funds for the Spring term only, contact your lender to complete the required paperwork. 

December
·          Spring term bills are due December 17th.  Payment plans are available.  Please contact the Business Office at 814.269.7040 or 800.444.4875 for more information.
·          Applying for financial aid is an annual process, so prepare to file the FAFSA again for the next academic year.  
Last Reviewed: April 29, 2008
Copyright © 2008
The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown