Preparing for Financial Aid 2011-12: Preferred Deadline April 1

Tips for getting ready to file FAFSA
Have your 2010 tax documents started arriving? Along with tax time comes FAFSA time; a new year means it is time to renew your daughter’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and St. Kate’s Financial Aid Application. As you are opening your tax documents and preparing to file your 2010 federal and state income tax returns, you and your daughter should also be thinking about applying for financial aid for the 2011-12 academic year.

There are two initial items needed in order to apply for financial aid: the 2011-12 FAFSA and the 2011-12 St. Kate’s Financial Aid Application. Both forms must be received by the Financial Aid Office by April 15, 2011 in order to meet the priority deadline. You can access the St. Kate’s Financial Aid Application at www.stkate.edu/rd?finaid1112.

You can find the 2011-12 Renewal FAFSA or the standard 2011-2012 FAFSA at fafsa.ed.gov along with instructions on how to request a duplicate PIN (if forgotten) and a link to the PIN website. Please keep in mind that it may take two weeks from the time you sign and submit your FAFSA form before St. Kate’s receives it. For this reason you should file your FAFSA by April 1, 2011.

Financial Aid applications will be processed in the order they are received. In the event that we are required to collect additional documents, such as federal tax forms and W2s, we will contact your daughter via her St. Kate’s e-mail. The St. Kate’s e-mail address is an official means of campus communication and your student is responsible for checking and responding to e-mails from the University. It is extremely important that your student continue to check St. Kate’s e-mail all year long – even during the summer, or while studying abroad.

If you have any questions about completing the FAFSA application with your student, please feel free to contact the Financial Aid Office at 651.690.6540 or e-mail us at finaid@stkate.edu.