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NAVIGATING YOUR

FINANCIAL FUTURE

FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Published by the Florida Department of Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance

May 2018

Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA)

Students must apply to qualify for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship by submitting the

Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA) no later than August 31 after high school

graduation.

If a student does not apply for the scholarship by the deadline, a student cannot receive the

scholarship. All eligibility requirements must be met by high school graduation, but ACT®,

SAT®, P.E.R.T. tests taken through June 30, 2018, are accepted for evaluation purposes.

After submitting the FFAA, students are responsible for tracking the application and award

status online and making updates as needed to demographic information or institutional

changes.

Students who completed the federal Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) still

need to complete the FFAA if they want to qualify for a Bright Futures Scholarship award.

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How to Decode Your College

Financial Aid Offer Letter

"It's college admission season, the time of

year when you find out whether you're

accepted by the schools you hope to attend

this fall. It's also the time that you find out

something else — how much financial aid

the schools are offering you," according to

Consumer Reports.

"The information comes in a financial aid

offer letter, which will be either mailed or

emailed to you once you've been accepted.

The letter tells you the cost of one year’s

attendance, any grants, scholarships, loans

or work-study programs that you qualify for,

and how much the college expects you to

contribute.

You apply for financial aid by filling out

the Free Application for Federal Student

Aid (FAFSA), which determines your eligibil-

ity for federal aid. Colleges, states, and many

scholarship programs use the FAFSA to

determine what aid they will give you. The

school puts all that information together and

details it in the offer letter.

Most schools give you until May 1 to decide

whether you’ll attend. That gives you time to

compare the different financial aid offers

from each college and decide which school

is the best financial fit.

It's important to take the time to understand

the differences. Financial aid packages can

be confusing, partly because there are no

standard forms or terms that describe the

assistance.

The U.S. Department of Education has

developed a Financial Aid Shopping Sheet, a

standardized award letter that it wants

schools to use to make it easier to compare

aid packages. But using the form is voluntary

and only about half of schools use it.

“How much you’re going to pay for school is

one of the most important aspects of

deciding where to go to college,” says Justin

Draeger, president of the National Associa-

tion of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

“Families and students need to take the time

to understand what kind of financial help

they're getting.”

Publication date 3/21/2018, NASFAA.

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Mapping Your Future’s Online Counseling

Mapping Your Future's Online Counseling allows you to fulfill entrance counseling requirements anytime, anywhere — all from the convenience of a computer. The counseling sessions will help you to understand your rights and responsibilities as a student loan borrower.

Entrance Counseling

Generally, you complete an entrance interview before receiving your loan proceeds. Direct Loan entrance (previously Stafford entrance) Perkins entrance Direct Loan and Perkins combined entrance (previously Staf-

ford and Perkins combined entrance) Nursing entrance Health Professions entrance Direct PLUS entrance (previously Grad PLUS entrance) Direct Loan and Direct PLUS combined entrance (previously

Stafford and Grad PLUS combined entrance) More information is available at http://mappingyourfuture.org/oslc/aboutoslc.cfm.

DID YOU KNOW?

Tasks for High School Seniors

As your senior year winds down, make sure to complete the necessary admission applications, scholarship essays, and financial aid information – keeping in mind the necessary deadlines.

Don't let yourself become overwhelmed with the tasks at hand, but continue to progress through your to-do list.

Below are the tasks you should complete at this point of the year:

Check with the financial aid offices to ensure your paperwork is complete.

Submit tax forms if they request them.

Narrow your school choices and make campus visits.

Be on the lookout for acceptance letters.

Complete scholarship applications.

Start looking for summer jobs.

CONTACT

Need assistance with financial aid information?

Contact Outreach Services.

We are certified educators of

personal finance, offering years of experience in the

field of financial aid.

Pedro Hernandez

Pedro.Hernandez@fldoe.org

850-245-1821