Applying for Financial Aid
1. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) after January 1 each year. The FAFSA can be completed online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. If you cannot apply online, you may request a paper FAFSA from Nicholls or any other college or high school. Priority deadline at Nicholls is April 15, 2007 for the Fall 2007 semester. The award year at Nicholls is fall, spring, and summer. For example, for the 2007-2008 award year, the FAFSA application will cover the Fall 2007 and Spring 2008 semesters and the Summer 2008 session. Make sure you list Nicholls’ school code, 002005, when completing your FAFSA.
2. After submitting your application to the federal processor, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) with results of the federal processor’s calculations. Please read the Student Aid Report to be sure that no corrections are necessary. If corrections are needed, contact our office.
3. At the time you receive your SAR, we will receive the same information if you listed Nicholls’ school code when completing your FAFSA. Once we receive your information, we will mail you a letter indicating the documents needed to complete your file. If your Student Aid Report states that you have been “selected for a process called verification” or if notified by our office, you must submit certain documents to our office. Completing applications incorrectly and/or omitting information on the application can cause processing delays. Please complete all forms accurately.
4. When we have received all documents needed and your file is complete, we will send you an award letter detailing the types and amounts of aid for which you qualify. You must complete and return your award letter to our office indicating what you want to accept. From there, we will work to ensure the money comes in a timely fashion to help you go to school.