Frequently Asked Questions

• What is FAFSA?

  The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the application that captures information about family finances in a consistent way. The information is used to determine your eligibility for federal and state financial aid. To be considered for financial aid each year, you must complete a FAFSA annually. Make sure you are aware of all important deadlines. Apply on-line at www.fafsa.gov. Cecil's school code is: 008308

• How to apply for all kinds of financial aid?

  To be sure that you are considered for all types of financial aid you need to know where the money comes from, how to apply, and the deadlines. In addition to the FAFSA, complete the Cecil College Foundation Scholarship application on-line. The deadline is April 30th each year. MD residents should go to www.mhec.state.md.us to review MD State financial aid programs. Some grants require you to print an application and mail it back to the state. The deadline for most MD grants is March 1 each year. If you are a high school student, check out local scholarships through your high school guidance office. In addition, there are several scholarship search engines you might want to explore such as www.finaid.org or www.fastweb.com.

• Since I have yet to file my federal income taxes, should I still complete the FAFSA?

  If you have not filed your taxes and the deadline is approaching, you should use your best estimates and complete the FAFSA. Failing to meet the deadlines could disqualify you from consideration for certain types of financial aid. Submit corrections once you have filed your taxes.

• How will I know my FAFSA has been processed?

  You will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) from the U.S. Department of Education. This report is generated from the information you provided on the FAFSA. Keep the SAR for your records. It means your FAFSA has processed by the Department of Education and forwarded to the schools of your choice. Within 3-10 days, the schools you indicated on the FAFSA will receive the same information electronically. Once the College has received and reviewed your FAFSA you will receive notification of your eligibility status by email to your campus (chawk) email account.

• Do I have to wait until I am accepted by the college before submitting the FAFSA?

  No. You may complete and submit the FAFSA before you get an acceptance letter from Admissions. However, we cannot process aid for you until you have been accepted to the college in an approved program of study. Make sure you put the school code on the form so the school receives the information. The school will contact you if you have not applied for admissions at the time the College receives the results.