Toolkit 2018-2019 Educators School Counselors College Access Professionals - for - TN.gov

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Toolkit 2018-2019 Educators School Counselors College Access Professionals - for - TN.gov
2018-2019
          Toolkit
              for
         Educators
     School Counselors
College Access Professionals

     www.TNFAFSAFrenzy.gov
Toolkit 2018-2019 Educators School Counselors College Access Professionals - for - TN.gov
Table of Contents
 1. About TN FAFSA Frenzy and Financial Aid				                 3
       About TN FAFSA Frenzy						4
       Need More Assistance?						5
       What is Financial Aid?						8
       Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship Information		 10

 2. Filling Out the FAFSA							11
       Who is Eligible for Federal and State Aid?				 12
       FAFSA.Gov Homepage						13
       The FSA ID								15
       FSA ID Worksheet						                         20
       Tools For the FAFSA							21
       Tips For the Online FAFSA Form					            22
       Federal Student Aid Infographics					23
       FAFSA on the Web Worksheet					                25
       Submitting the FAFSA						28
       myStudentAid Mobile App						29

 3. Hosting a TN FAFSA Frenzy Event for High School Seniors		   30
       What Will Your TN FAFSA Frenzy Event Look Like?			      31
       Tools to Have Available at your TN FAFSA Frenzy Event		 32
       Volunteer Recruitment						33
       Promoting Your Event						35
       Parent Outreach							39
       FAFSA Event Templates						41
       Tracking Your FAFSA Event Success					                  44
       FAFSA Data: Sources and Methodology				                 45
       Using TNFAFSAFrenzy.gov Data					46
       TN Promise e*GRandS Report Instructions			              47
       Planning Your FAFSA Season					48
       Finish the Frenzy							49

 4. TN FAFSA Frenzy Event for Adult Learners				                50

       FAFSA For Adult Learners						51
       Tennessee Reconnect						52
       Local Resources for Adult Learners					      53
       FAFSA FAQ for Adult Learners					            54
       TN FAFSA Frenzy Flier for Adult Learners				 56

 5. After Submitting the FAFSA: Completion and Verification		   57

       After Submitting the FAFSA						58
       FAFSA Submission vs. Completion					59
       Making FAFSA Corrections						60
       FAFSA Verification							                          62
       Requesting a Tax Transcript						63
       Form 4506-T Request for Transcript of Tax Return		 64
       Sample Verification Worksheets					                65
       Additional Resources							69

p. 2
Toolkit 2018-2019 Educators School Counselors College Access Professionals - for - TN.gov
Section 1

  About TN
FAFSA Frenzy

               p. 3
Toolkit 2018-2019 Educators School Counselors College Access Professionals - for - TN.gov
TN FAFSA Frenzy is a
campaign to increase
awareness of the FAFSA and
financial aid opportunities.

About TN FAFSA Frenzy
What is TN FAFSA Frenzy?                            TN FAFSA Frenzy Partners
TN FAFSA Frenzy is the State of Tennessee’s         TN FAFSA Frenzy was developed and organized
FAFSA submission initiative designed to provide     through a partnership between state agencies
educators and students with resources to            and college access organizations that administer
complete the Free Application for Federal Student   financial aid and college access programs across
Aid (FAFSA) and take an important step in the       the state.
college-going process.
                                                    The following agencies and organizations came
TN FAFSA Frenzy is in response to the updated       together to develop resources for TN FAFSA
FAFSA timeline that began last year, which          Frenzy and assist with events held across the
moves the FAFSA filing window from opening          state:
on January 1 to opening on October 1, 2018.
                                                     • Tennessee Department of Education
The new timeline requires students and families
to use tax information from two years ago as         • Tennessee Higher Education Commission
determined by the Federal government (what is        • Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation
referred to as “prior-prior year”).
                                                     • Ayers Foundation*
The initiative is also designed to bring together    • Regional Economic Development Initiative
professional resources and best practices from         (REDI)*
across the state and provide a one-stop-shop for
                                                     • tnAchieves*
free resources for your financial aid events.
This toolkit will help you to plan an event that
meets the needs of your students and their                   *Tennessee Promise partnering organization
families. Your TN FAFSA Frenzy event is unique to
your school and community; we’re here to help
you find the resources that fit your needs.

What resources will TN FAFSA Frenzy
provide?
TN FAFSA Frenzy is designed to provide tools
and resources to Tennessee school counselors
and college access professionals to support
Tennessee students in completing the FAFSA.

The initiative will include:
   • A comprehensive set of resources for
     counselors and educators
   • A statewide FAFSA submission campaign
     kicking off on October 1

               p. 4
Toolkit 2018-2019 Educators School Counselors College Access Professionals - for - TN.gov
Need More Assistance?                                                How to implement your TN FAFSA
We hope this toolkit will provide you with plenty
                                                                     Frenzy event?
of resources to hold your TN FAFSA Frenzy event                      Ask: Mary Nelle Karas, Statewide Services
and guide your students through the FAFSA and                              Coordinator, Tennessee Higher
financial aid process.                                                     Education Commission, 615-253-1155,
                                                                           marynelle.karas@tn.gov
But we also know that no resource can be
exhaustive. So where do you go if you have more
questions?                                                           How does TN FAFSA Frenzy fit into your
                                                                     school’s counseling and college access
General questions about filing the                                   programs?
FAFSA, Tennessee-specific grants and                                 Ask: Leigh Bagwell, State Coordinator
                                                                           of School Counseling, Tennessee
scholarships, and financial aid?
                                                                           Department of Education, 615-244-4033,
Ask: TSAC Outreach Specialists.                                            leigh.bagwell@tn.gov
See the map below to contact your TSAC                                      or
Outreach Specialist.
                                                                                 Jerre Maynor, Director of Student Readiness
                                                                                 & Pathways, Tennessee Department of
How to file the FAFSA and/or Federal                                             Education, 615-253-3780, jerre.maynor@
Student Aid?                                                                     tn.gov
Ask: Federal Student Aid.
Call their toll-free number at 1-800-4FED-                           How to include adult learners in
AID (1-800-433-3243) or email/chat online at:                        TN FAFSA Frenzy events?
https://studentaidhelp.ed.gov/app/ask                                Ask: Ken Hanson, Assistant Director of Adult
                                                                           Learner Initiatives, Tennessee Higher
                                                                           Education Commission, 615-253-7449, ken.
Institution-specific financial aid
                                                                           hanson@tn.gov
program questions?
Ask: Campus financial aid offices (Pages 9-10).
                               Tennessee  Student Assistance Corporation
                                        Outreach Specialist Map
                                    TSAC Outreach Specialists

                                                   4                 6                               8

                             2              3
                                                           5                           7

             1

            1. Felicia Orr          3. Annie Trout                   5. Eric Farmer            7. Rita Turchetta
              Outreach Specialist     Director of College Access         Outreach Specialist     Outreach Specialist
              (615) 390-4461          (615) 604-0119                     (423) 326-7198          (615) 478-5584
              felicia.orr@tn.gov      annie.trout@tn.gov                 eric.farmer@tn.gov      rita.turchetta@tn.gov

            2. Lori Mitchum         4. Jason Seay                    6. Sam Mullins            8. Erika Adams
              Outreach Specialist     Assistant Executive Director       Outreach Specialist     Outreach Specialist
              (731) 571-7888          of Outreach & College Access       (931) 303-3296          (615) 417-0355
              lori.mitchum@tn.gov     (615) 319-1740                     sam.mullins@tn.gov      erika.adams@tn.gov
                                      jason.seay@tn.gov

                                                                                                                 p. 5
Toolkit 2018-2019 Educators School Counselors College Access Professionals - for - TN.gov
Contact Information for Tennessee's Public Four-Year Universities
Austin Peay State University          Tennessee State University            University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Clarksville, TN                       Nashville, TN                         Knoxville, TN
www.apsu.edu                          www.tnstate.edu                       www.utk.edu
Financial Aid Office:                 Financial Aid Office:                 Financial Aid Office:
   sfao@apsu.edu                         finaid@tnstate.edu                    onestop@utk.edu
   (931) 221-7907                        (615) 963-5701                        (865) 974-1111

East Tennessee State University       Tennessee Tech University             University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Johnson City, TN                      Cookeville, TN                        Chattanooga, TN
www.etsu.edu                          www.tntech.edu                        www.utc.edu
Financial Aid Office:                 Financial Aid Office:                 Financial Aid Office:
   finaid@etsu.edu.                      financialaid@tntech.edu               finaid@utc.edu
   (423) 439-4300                        (931) 372-3073                        (423) 425-4677

Middle Tennessee State University     University of Memphis                 University of Tennessee at Martin
Murfreesboro, TN                      Memphis, TN                           Martin, TN
www.mtsu.edu                          www.memphis.edu                       www.utm.edu
Financial Aid Office:                 Financial Aid Office:                 Financial Aid Office:
   mtonestop@mtsu.edu                    financialaid@memphis.edu              Amy Mistric
   615-898-2111                          (901) 678-4825                        aistric@utm.edu
                                                                               (731) 881-7040

               Contact Information for Tennessee's Community Colleges
Chattanooga State Community College   Motlow State Community College        Roane State Community College
Chattanooga, TN                       Tullahoma, TN                         Harriman, TN
www.chattanoogastate.edu              www.mscc.edu                          www.roanestate.edu
Financial Aid Office:                 Financial Aid Office:                 Financial Aid Office:
   finaid@chattanoogastate.edu           fas@mscc.edu                          onestop@roanestate.edu
   (423) 697-4402                        (931) 393-1553                        (865) 882-4545

Cleveland State Community College     Nashville State Community College     Southwest Tenn. Community College
Cleveland, TN                         Nashville, TN                         Memphis, TN
www.clevelandstatecc.edu              www.nscc.edu                          www.southwest.tn.edu
Financial Aid Office:                 Financial Aid Office:                 Financial Aid Office:
   finaid@clevelandstatecc.edu           Jennifer Byrd, Director               financialaid@southwest.tn.edu
   (423) 472-7141                        jennifer.byrd@nscc.edu                (901) 333-5960
                                         (615) 353-3249
Columbia State Community College                                            Volunteer State Community College
Columbia, TN                          Northeast State Community College     Gallatin, TN
www.columbiastate.edu                 Blountville, TN                       www.volstate.edu
Financial Aid Office:                 www.northeaststate.edu                Financial Aid Office:
   financialaid@columbiastate.edu     Financial Aid Office:                    financial.aid@volstate.edu
   (931) 540-8267                        finaidmail@northeaststate.edu         (615) 230-3456
                                         (423) 323-0252
Dyersburg State Community College                                           Walters State Community College
Dyersburg, TN                         Pellissippi State Community College   Morristown, TN
www.dscc.edu                          Knoxville, TN                         www.ws.edu
Financial Aid Office:                 www.pstcc.edu                         Financial Aid Office:
   Kaycee Hardy, Director             Financial Aid Office:                    (423) 585-6811
   hardy@dscc.edu                        financialaid@pstcc.edu
   (731) 286-3350                        (865) 694-6400

Jackson State Community College
Jackson, TN
www.jscc.edu
Financial Aid Office:
   John Brandt, Director
   jbrandt@jscc.edu
   (731) 425-2605

                p. 6
Toolkit 2018-2019 Educators School Counselors College Access Professionals - for - TN.gov
Contact Information for Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs)
TCAT - Athens                         TCAT - Jacksboro                    TCAT - Newbern
www.tcatathens.edu                    www.tcatjacksboro.edu               www.tcatnewbern.edu
  Morgan McWilliams                     financialaid@tcatjacksboro.edu      Erin Newsom
  Financial Aid                         (423) 566-9629                      Financial Aid
  morgan.mcwilliams@tcatathens.edu                                          enewsom@tcatnewbern.edu
  (423) 744-2814 x204                 TCAT - Jackson                        (731) 627-2511
                                      www.tcatjackson.edu
TCAT - Chattanooga                      financialaid@tcatjackson.edu      TCAT - Oneida/Huntsville
www.chattanoogastate.edu/tcat           (731) 424-0691                    www.tcatoneida.edu
  Allison Turnbow                                                           financialaid@tcatoneida.edu
  arian.turnbow@chattanoogastate.edu TCAT - Knoxville                       (423) 663-4900
  (423) 697-5501                     www.tcatknoxville.edu
                                       Keana Gordon                       TCAT - Paris
TCAT - Covington                       Financial Aid                      www.tcatparis.edu
www.tcatcovington.edu                  keana.gordon@tcatknoxville.edu       finaid@tcatparis.edu
  financialaid@tcatcovington.edu       (865) 766-4328                       (731) 644-7365
  (901) 475-2526
                                     TCAT - Livingston                    TCAT - Pulaski
TCAT - Crossville                    www.tcatlivingston.edu               www.tcatpulaski.edu
www.tcatcrossville.edu                 finaid@tcatlivingston.edu            Mattie Bledsoe
  Alison Nunley                        (931) 403-3136                       Coordinator of Student Services
  Student Services                                                          mattie.bledsoe@tcatpulaski.edu
  alison.nunley@tcatcrossville.edu   TCAT - McKenzie                        (931) 424-2404
  (931) 484-7502                     www.tcatmckenzie.edu
                                       financialaid@tcatmckenzie.edu      TCAT - Ripley
TCAT - Crump                           (731) 352-5364                     www.tcatripley.edu
www.tcatcrump.edu                                                           financialaid@tcatripley.edu
  financialaid@tcatcrump.edu         TCAT - McMinnville                     (731) 635-3368
  (731) 632-3393                     www.tcatmcminnville.edu
                                       finaid@tcatmcminnville.edu         TCAT - Shelbyville
TCAT - Dickson                         (931) 473-5587                     www.tcatshelbyville.edu
www.tcatdickson.edu                                                         finaid@tcatshelbyville.edu
  Emily Wilson                       TCAT - Memphis                         (931) 685-5013 x127
  Financial Aid                      www.tcatmemphis.edu
  emily.wilson@tcatdickson.edu         finaid@tcatmemphis.edu             TCAT - Whiteville
  (625) 441-6220                       (901) 543-6100                     www.tcatwhiteville.edu
                                                                            Owetha Hunter
TCAT - Elizabethton                   TCAT - Morristown                     Financial Aid
www.tcatelizabethton.edu              www.tcatmorristown.edu                owetha.hunter@tcatwhiteville.edu
  financialaid@tcatelizabethton.edu     Financial Aid                       (731) 254-8521 x115
  (423) 543-0070                        financialaid@tcatmorristown.edu
                                        (423) 586-5771
TCAT - Harriman
www.tcatharriman.edu                  TCAT - Murfreesboro
  finaid@tcatharriman.edu             www.tcatmurfreesboro.edu
  865-882-6703                          Teresa Colbert
                                        Financial Aid
TCAT - Hartsville                       tcolbert@tcatmurfreesboro.edu
www.tcathartsville.edu                  (615) 898-8010 x162
  finaid@tcathartsville.edu
  (615) 374-2147                      TCAT - Nashville
                                      www.tcatnashville.edu
TCAT - Hohenwald                        financialaid@tcatnashville.edu
www.tcathohenwald.edu                   (615) 425-5500
  admissions@tcathohenwald.edu
  (931) 796-5351 x122

                                                                                             p. 7
Toolkit 2018-2019 Educators School Counselors College Access Professionals - for - TN.gov
What is Financial Aid?
Financial aid is money that the Federal Government or other organizations either award or loan you to
help pay for college. In order to receive financial aid, you must apply. Financial aid comes from a variety
of sources, including state and federal governments, colleges, organizations, companies, and banks.

Types of financial aid

Grants                            Grants are free money — they don’t have to be repaid. Grants come from
                                  the State and Federal Government as well as from colleges. Generally,
                                  grants are based on financial need, which means that they are awarded
                                  based on your family’s size and financial circumstances.

Scholarships                      Scholarships are also free money and don’t need to be repaid.
                                  Scholarships can come from a variety of places, from state and federal
                                  governments, to colleges, to private companies. Scholarships may
                                  be awarded based on your financial need, academic achievement,
                                  community service, athletic talent, and many other factors.

Loans                             Loans are money that you borrow from a bank, government, or private
                                  lending company. A loan must be repaid with interest. Loans offered
                                  by the government often have lower interest rates and can be repaid
                                  over an extended period of time. Visit www.studentloans.gov for more
                                  information.

Work study programs               Work study allows you to receive funds through part-time employment
                                  while you are enrolled in college and can help you pay part of your
                                  college costs. Unlike other campus jobs, students apply for work study by
                                  submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

How Financial Aid Works
Finding Sources of Financial Aid
Very few students get all of their financial aid for college from one source. When you are searching for
financial aid, consider a wide variety of options and apply to as many programs as possible. Here are some
common types of organizations that offer financial aid:
 • The government: The Federal Government offers over $150 billion in aid each year. Likewise,
   Tennessee offers millions of dollars to its students. Visit studentaid.ed.gov to learn about federal
   programs and visit www.tn.gov/CollegePays and www.CollegeforTN.org for Tennessee opportunities.

 • Your college: Colleges and universities offer financial aid programs for their students. Visit the
   financial aid webpages of every college you are considering, and apply for all of the scholarships you
   think you might be eligible to receive.

 • The community: Non-profit organizations, foundations, and businesses often provide scholarships
   as a community service. To find these programs, talk to your counselor or check out the scholarship
   finder on www.CollegeforTN.org.
Content adapted from Financial Aid 101 by College Foundation of West Virginia

               p. 8
Toolkit 2018-2019 Educators School Counselors College Access Professionals - for - TN.gov
Sticker Price vs. Net Price
Know the difference between “sticker price” and “net price.” A college’s sticker price is the full published
cost of attendance. The net price of a college, however, is the cost of attending minus grants and
scholarships that you receive. This difference is key, as most students don’t pay the sticker price of a
college.

Don’t shy away from applying to a college because the “sticker price” seems too expensive. A college that
may have high tuition might just offer you a generous financial aid package. It might end up being even
more affordable than colleges that have a lower sticker price!

Want to know how much you might have to pay if you attend a particular college before you even apply?
Colleges are required to have “net price calculators” on their websites. So when you’re doing online
research, make sure that you fill out the information on these calculators to see an estimate of what your
costs would be at that college.

                                      Example Financial Aid Breakdown
Tennessee College Tuition                              $10,000 per year (Sticker Price)
Federal Pell Grant                                     $6,095 per year
HOPE Scholarship                                       $3,500 per year ($1,750 per semester)
Total Net Price                                        $405 per year

When to apply
The FAFSA becomes available online on October 1st of the year before you plan to go to college. For
example, if you are entering college as a freshman in the fall of 2019, the 2019-20 FAFSA is available
October 1, 2018. It is important to note that college, state, and private financial aid deadlines vary — so
make sure you check with your particular college to find out their FAFSA submission deadline. Regardless
of the deadline, you should aim to complete the FAFSA as close to October 1st as possible because
financial aid dollars are limited and often are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Additional forms that may be required
The FAFSA may not be the only form required to receive an award letter from a school. Some schools
require the College Board CSS Profile form or an institution-specific form. You must also complete the
college admissions process. Check with each of the colleges and universities you listed on your FAFSA to
determine their requirements. Additionally, individual financial aid programs — particularly scholarship
programs — often require you to submit an application in addition to the FAFSA.

Content adapted from Financial Aid 101 by College Foundation of West Virginia

                                                                                             p. 9
Toolkit 2018-2019 Educators School Counselors College Access Professionals - for - TN.gov
Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship Programs
Information for 2019 High School Graduates
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS                                              TENNESSEE HOPE SCHOLARSHIP
All Tennessee Education Lottery           Award amount is up to $1,750 per semester for 4-year institutions and
Scholarship Program recipients            2-year institutions that offer on-campus housing; up to $1,500 per
must:                                     semester for 2-year institutions
     Be a Tennessee resident one             Minimum 21 ACT Composite (or concordant equivalent on the SAT) on a nation-
                                               al or state test date OR
      year prior to application dead-
      line; Sept.1 for Fall or Feb. 1         Final cumulative 3.0 GPA* for entering freshmen graduating from eligible public
      for Spring and Summer                    or category 1, 2, or 3 private high schools
      (Dependent children of full-            GED/HiSET students must have minimum ACT/SAT test scores stated above
      time religious workers, U.S.             AND minimum average scores on the GED of 170 and HiSET of 15.
      military or Tennessee National          TN homeschool and non-category 1, 2, or 3 private high school graduates must
      Guard members on active duty             have ACT/SAT test scores stated above AND must have been enrolled in a
      who maintain Tennessee resi-             homeschool program for 1 year immediately preceding graduation and be regis-
      dency while stationed out of             tered with a TN local school district
      state may be eligible)
                                                        ASPIRE AWARD                              WILDER-NAIFEH TECHNICAL
     Complete the Free Application                                                                    SKILLS GRANT
      for Federal Student Aid                                                               Award amount is up to $2,000 per
      (FAFSA) online at                   Up to $750 per semester SUPPLE-                   academic year
      www.fafsa.gov (Applications         MENT to TN HOPE Scholarship; up to
      must be received by Sept. 1 for     $250/semester for 2-year institutions                 Available to anyone who enrolls in a
                                                                                                 certificate or diploma program at a
      Fall or Feb. 1 for Spring and           Meet Tennessee HOPE Scholarship
                                                                                                 TN College of Applied Technology
      Summer)                                  requirements AND
                                                                                                 and meets residency requirements
                                              Parents’ or independent student’s
     Enroll in an eligible postsec-                                                            May be eligible for Tennessee HOPE
                                               (and spouse’s) adjusted gross income
      ondary institution within 16                                                               Scholarship if student is initially
                                               must be $36,000 or less on tax form
      months following graduation                                                                HOPE eligible and enrolls at an eligi-
                                              Students may receive ASPIRE or                    ble postsecondary institution within
      from a Tennessee high school
                                               GAMS, but not both                                3 years of completing a diploma pro-
      or completion of a Tennessee
                                                                                                 gram @ a TN College of Applied Tech.
      homeschool or GED program
      (Students graduating from                 GENERAL ASSEMBLY MERIT                          TENNESSEE HOPE ACCESS GRANT
      some out-of-state schools may               SCHOLARSHIP (GAMS)
      be eligible. For more infor-    Up to $500 per semester SUPPLE-                       Award amount is up to $1,250 per
      mation, call TSAC.)             MENT to Tennessee HOPE scholarship                    semester for 4-year institutions; up to
                                       Entering freshmen graduating from                   $875 per semester for 2-year institu-
     Be enrolled in at least 6 hours     eligible public or category 1, 2, or 3            tions
                                          private high schools must have at                     Entering freshmen graduating from
     Never drop a course without
                                          least a final cumulative 3.75 GPA*                     eligible public or category 1, 2, or 3
      talking to your financial aid       AND 29 ACT Composite (or concord-                      private high schools must have at
      office about how it may im-         ant equivalent on the SAT) on a na-                    least a final cumulative 2.75-2.99
      pact your lottery scholarship       tional test date or state test date                    GPA* AND 18, 19, or 20 ACT Compo-
      eligibility                      Homeschool and non-category 1, 2,                        site (or concordant equivalent on the
                                               or 3 private high school graduates                SAT) on a national test date or state
     Award amounts for part-time              must have ACT/SAT test scores stat-               test date AND
      enrollment will be prorated              ed above AND enroll in one of the
                                               programs outlined on the TSAC web-
                                                                                                Parents’ or independent student’s
      based on attempted hours
                                               site here: https://www.tn.gov/                    (and spouse’s) adjusted gross income
     FOR QUESTIONS AND ADDITIONAL                                                                must be $36,000 or less on tax form
                                               collegepays/important-links/tennessee-
    ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, PLEASE
                                               hope-scholarship-for-home-school-and-            Award is non-renewable after 24
    CONTACT THE TENNESSEE STUDENT                                                                attempted hours, however stu-
                                               category-iv--v---vi-non-public-
        ASSISTANCE CORPORATION                                                                   dents may become HOPE eligible;
                                               schools.html
 615.741.1346       *   800.342.1663                                                             contact financial aid office for de-
                                              Students may receive ASPIRE or                    tails
       WWW.TN.GOV/COLLEGEPAYS                  GAMS, but not both
              *GPA is based on a 4.0 scale according to the Uniform Grading Policy adopted by the TN State Board of Education.

                p. 10
Section 2

Filling Out the
     FAFSA

                  p. 11
Who is Eligible to Receive Federal and State Aid?
The following infographic from www.studentaid.ed.gov indicates what a student needs in order to receive
federal and state aid when filling out the FAFSA.

For students who do not meet these requirements, it is recommended that they contact the specific
institutions where they plan to apply.

                     To Receive Federal Aid Or
                     State Aid, A Student Must…

                                                AND

             p. 12
The FAFSA Homepage and Getting Started
Over the summer, the www.fafsa.gov page was redesigned in an effort to create a more user-friendly
experience for students, parents, and financial aid professionals.
Now, visiting www.fafsa.gov allows visitors to choose from two options: New To FAFSA.GOV? or
RETURNING USER?
New users will be most high school seniors and adult learners who are planning to enroll in higher
education for the 2019-2020 school year. Returning users will be currently enrolled higher education
students who are looking to correct their current academic year’s FAFSA or send their completed FAFSA
to a new school.

New users are given two options for beginning the FAFSA. They can select “I am the student” or “I am a
parent, preparer, or a student from a Freely Associated State.”

                                                                                       p. 13
Selecting “I am the student,” reveals a screen that asks the student to log in with their FSA ID. Students
who do not have an FSA ID can click “Create one” and follow the steps on page 15.

TN FAFSA Frenzy recommends that both the student and one parent create an FSA ID before
beginning the FAFSA. This will save students and families time when it is time to sign and submit
the FAFSA.

Selecting the “I am a parent, preparer, or a student from a Freely Associated State,” is another option for
beginning the FAFSA. It reveals a screen that asks for a student’s name, social security number, and date
of birth.
It’s possible to fill in the required student, parent and financial information for the FAFSA by
selecting this option, BUT the student will still need to create an FSA ID in order to electronically
sign and submit the FAFSA.

              p. 14
The FSA ID                                           Username and Password:
The FSA ID is a username and password students       Username
and parents use to access their federal student      Your username must be between 6-30 characters
aid information and electronically sign the FAFSA.   long. It must include uppercase or lowercase
                                                     letters, numbers (for example: newuser13). We
Before getting started on the FAFSA, it is           recommend choosing a username that is not
recommended that students and (when                  difficult for you to remember and that you write
applicable) parents create an FSA ID. If students    down your FSA ID username in a safe place.
and parents do not create an FSA ID and choose       Password
to print and mail the FAFSA signature page, their
FAFSA will take much longer to process.              Your password must be between 8-30 characters
                                                     long and must include 3 out of 4 of the following:
                                                     uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers,
Knowing Where to Go:                                 and special characters. As with the username,
To create an FSA ID, students and parents will       we recommend choosing a password that is not
need to visit fsaid.ed.gov. This is the only site    difficult for you to remember and that you write
that should be used to create an FSA ID.             down your FSA ID password in a safe place.

                                                     Inactive Session Warning:
Email Addresses:                                     If a user begins creating the FSA ID and is inactive
It is helpful for both the parent and the student    and leaves the window open but does not type
to each have a working email account to create       or edit fields on the FSA ID page for 15 minutes,
their FSA IDs. We recommend that students use a      an Inactive Session box will appear. The student
personal email address rather than a high school     or parent will need to close the browser and start
account. Often, high school email addresses are      again with the email, username and password.
deactived after a student graduates, and this
email address will be linked to the student’s FSA
ID and FAFSA for their college career.

                                                                                       p. 15
The FSA ID: Name and Social Security Number
The second step to create the FSA ID is to provide your name, date of birth, and Social Security Number.
This information is used to confirm your identity and will be verified through the Social Security
Administration (SSA).

With this in mind, it is critical that students and parents enter this information exactly as it appears on
their social security card.

If you have any questions about how to input a piece of information, please click on the gray circle with
the question mark for more details. If you are concerned about inputting the correct social security
number, you can click the box labeled Show Text that will allow you to see what you are typing.

If the student’s parent does not have a valid social security number, he or she will not be able to
create an FSA ID. In this case, the signature page of the FAFSA will need to be mailed in.

              p. 16
The FSA ID: Confirming Your Information
Next, the FSA ID will ask the student or parent to confirm their information. Their email address,
username and password will be automatically inputted from page 1. They will need to provide a mailing
address with their city, state, and zip code.

FSA ID will also ask at this point if the student would like to register their mobile phone number to reset
their password and username. They can select yes or no, and even if you select no, they will be able to do
this later if they choose. Message and data rates may apply, but the ability to reset their password and
username via text can be a helpful feature for anyone who may forget this information.

The last question on this page is language preference. Students and parents can select English or
Spanish as their preferred language.

                                                                                         p. 17
The FSA ID: Challenge Questions
This step of the FSA ID is intended to ensure that student and parent information remains secure, but can
be a source of frustration for those filling out the form. We have several suggestions to help students and
parents navigate the challenge questions with ease.

Challenge questions 1 and 2 are questions that the student or parent will select from a list. These include
options such as “What was the name of your first pet?” or “What is your high school mascot?” Challenge
questions 3 and 4 are questions that the student or parent must write themselves. We recommend
posting sample questions around the room and using our FSA ID worksheet that includes sample
questions.

It is important to note that the answers to the challenge questions are not case sensitive, but that
students need to be mindful of if they include a space in their answer. For example, if a student writes in
a question as “What is your favorite color?” it matters whether they responded navy blue vs navyblue.

              p. 18
The FSA ID: Verifying Your Phone Number and Email
At this point, the student or parent will be asked to verify their phone number (if they chose to provide it)
and verify their email address.

First,you will verify the phon number. you will receive a text message that will read: “FSA: Your FSA ID
temporary secure code is ________. Enter this online to verify your mobile phone number.” The temporary
secure code will be 6 digits long.

Next, you will verify the email address. To do this, you will receive an email with the subject line,
“Important: Your FSA ID E-mail Validation - Action Required” from FSA-ID@ed.gov. This email will also
have a 6 digit code.

                                                                                           p. 19
Completing the FSA ID
Students and parents should see the following screen to indicate that their FSA ID has been successfully
created. They are now able to use this FSA ID to sign the FAFSA electronically.

FSA ID Worksheet
We recommend printing out copies of this worksheet for your TN FAFSA Frenzy events.

Student                                              Parent
Username                                             Username
Password                                             Password
Email Address                                        Email Address
Phone Number                                         Phone Number
Challenge Question 1                                 Challenge Question 1
Challenge Answer 1                                   Challenge Answer 1
Challenge Question 2                                 Challenge Question 2
Challenge Answer 2                                   Challenge Answer 2
Challenge Question 3                                 Challenge Question 3
Challenge Answer 3                                   Challenge Answer 3
Challenge Question 4                                 Challenge Question 4
Challenge Answer 4                                   Challenge Answer 4

Suggested challenge questions:                   • What is your favorite food?

• What is your favorite animal?                  • What is your favorite color?

• What city were your born in?                   • What is your favorite school subject?

• What middle school did you attend?             • Who was your childhood hero?

• What is your favorite sports team?             • What is your favorite TV show?

              p. 20
Tools for the FAFSA                                             For more assistance:
The FAFSA often has a reputation for being                      If you or one of your students need additional
complicated or difficult, but for many students                 assistance with the FAFSA, including questions
and families, it can be completed in just 15 to 20              about a specific student’s situation, you can reach
minutes.                                                        out to one of the following resources:

                                                                Federal Student Aid
Resources:                                                      Main website:
                                                                https://studentaid.ed.gov
Federal Student Aid (FSA), the Federal
                                                                Federal Student Aid Toolkit:
government agency that oversees the FAFSA,
                                                                http://www.financialaidtoolkit.ed.gov/tk/
offers many resources to assist students and
families in filing the FAFSA. They have a number                Toll-free number:
of tools, many designed especially for counselors               1-800-4FED-AID (1-800-433-3243)
and college access professionals, to assist you in
helping your students to file the FAFSA.                        Email/online chat:
                                                                https://studentaidhelp.ed.gov/app/ask
In the following pages, you’ll find worksheets,
infographics explaining different parts of the                  TSAC Outreach Specialists
FAFSA, the FAFSA on the Web worksheet that                      Your TSAC outreach specialists can help you
details the questions asked on the FAFSA, and                   navigate Tennessee-specific financial aid
checklists- and many of them can be printed off                 resources and tools, plus answer any questions
for your TN FAFSA Frenzy event.                                 you have about filing the FAFSA. See the map
                                                                below for information to contact your TSAC
Additional worksheets and handouts can also be                  outreach specialist.
found on www.tnfafsafrenzy.gov.
                             Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation
                                     Outreach Specialist Map

                                              4                 6                                 8

                      2                3
                                                      5                           7

      1

     1. Felicia Orr            3. Annie Trout                   5. Eric Farmer              7. Rita Turchetta
       Outreach Specialist       Director of College Access         Outreach Specialist       Outreach Specialist
       (615) 390-4461            (615) 604-0119                     (423) 326-7198            (615) 478-5584
       felicia.orr@tn.gov        annie.trout@tn.gov                 eric.farmer@tn.gov        rita.turchetta@tn.gov

     2. Lori Mitchum           4. Jason Seay                    6. Sam Mullins              8. Erika Adams
       Outreach Specialist       Assistant Executive Director       Outreach Specialist       Outreach Specialist
       (731) 571-7888            of Outreach & College Access       (931) 303-3296            (615) 417-0355
       lori.mitchum@tn.gov       (615) 319-1740                     sam.mullins@tn.gov        erika.adams@tn.gov
                                 jason.seay@tn.gov

                                                                                                   p. 21
Tips for the Online FAFSA Form
The online FAFSA form has a “timeline” that runs across the top of the screen that indicates your
progress along seven defined steps for completing the FAFSA, beginning with Student Demographics.

All students, from high school seniors to adult learners and Tennessee Reconnect scholars, will need
to fill out the Student Demographics, School Selection, and Dependency Status sections. Based on the
dependency status section, the student may be asked to provide parent demographics and financial
information if the student is deemed to be “Dependent” as opposed to “Independent.”

Look at the infographic on the following page for more information about what makes someone an
Independent or Dependent Student.

                                                                          The FAFSA “timeline” shows
                                                                       which section of the FAFSA you
                                                                              are currently filling out.

                                                                         This label will indicate whether
                                                                               to fill in student or parent
                                                                           information in each section.

                                                                         Confused about what a certain
                                                                          line of the FAFSA is asking for?
                                                                      Click the question mark button to
                                                                         learn for help and clarification.

                                                                          Click NEXT when you’re ready
                                                                       to move to the next page. If you
                                                                        need to go back to a page, click
                                                                                            PREVIOUS.

             p. 22
Do I Have To Provide My
Parents’ Info On The FAFSA?

                         p. 23
Who Is My Parent When I Fill Out My FAFSA?

p. 24
FAFSA on the Web Worksheet
The FAFSA on the web worksheet previews all of the possible questions that could be asked of a student
filling out the FAFSA. Not every student will need to fill out every question, particularly adult learners and
students who are deemed Independent, as they will not need to provide parent information.

Use this worksheet as a tool to help familiarize students and families with the FAFSA and the kinds of
information the form asks them to provide in order to determine financial aid eligibility.

  SECTION 1 - STUDENT INFORMATION
  After you are online, you can add up to ten colleges on your FAFSA. The colleges will receive the information from your processed
  FAFSA.

  Student’s Last Name                                                        First Name                                          Social Security Number

  Student Citizenship Status (check one of the following)
  ❑ U.S. citizen (U.S. national)             ❑ Neither citizen nor eligible noncitizen
  ❑ Eligible noncitizen (Enter your Alien Registration Number in the box to the right.)                                    Your Alien Registration Number
     Generally, you are an eligible noncitizen if you are:
     • A permanent U.S. resident with a Permanent Resident Card (I-551);
                                                                                                                                A
     • A conditional permanent resident with a Conditional Green Card (I-551C);
     • The holder of an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from the Department of Homeland Security showing any of the following designations: “Refugee,” “Asylum
       Granted,” “Parolee” (I-94 confirms paroled for a minimum of one year and status has not expired), T-Visa holder (T-1, T-2, T-3, etc.) or “Cuban-Haitian Entrant;” or
     • The holder of a valid certification or eligibility letter from the Department of Health and Human Services showing a designation of “Victim of human trafficking.”

  Student Marital Status (check one of the following)
  ❑ Single                         ❑ Married or remarried                     ❑ Separated                                 ❑ Divorced or widowed
  You will be asked to provide information about your spouse if you are married or remarried.

  Selective Service Registration
  If you are male and 25 or younger, you can use the FAFSA to register with the Selective Service System.

  What is the highest school parent 1 completed?                                         ❑ Middle school/Jr. high                    ❑ College or beyond
                                                                                         ❑ High school                               ❑ Other/unknown

  What is the highest school parent 2 completed?                                         ❑ Middle school/Jr. high                    ❑ College or beyond
                                                                                         ❑ High school                               ❑ Other/unknown

  SECTION 2 - STUDENT DEPENDENCY STATUS
  If you can check ANY of the following boxes, you will not have to provide parental information. Skip to page 4.
  If you check NONE of the following boxes, you will be asked to provide parental information. Go to the next page.
  ❑ I was born before                       ❑ I am married                             ❑ I will be working on a master’s or doctorate program (e.g., MA, MBA,
    January 1, 1996                                                                      MD, JD, PhD, EdD, graduate certificate)

  ❑ I am serving on active duty in          ❑ I am a veteran of the U.S. Armed         ❑ I now have or will have children for whom I will provide more than
    the U.S. Armed Forces                     Forces                                     half of their support between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020.

  ❑ Since I turned age 13, both of          ❑ I was in foster care since turning       ❑ I have dependents (other than children or my spouse) who live with
    my parents were deceased                  age 13                                     me and I provide more than half of their support

  ❑ I was a dependent or ward of            ❑ I am currently or I was an               ❑ I am currently or I was in legal           ❑ I am homeless or I am at risk of
    the court since turning age 13            emancipated minor                          guardianship                                 being homeless

      NOTES:

                                                                                                                                                p. 25
Remember, only students who are deemed Dependent will need to provide parent information. As the
worksheet states, grandparents, foster parents, legal guardians, older siblings, and uncles or aunts are
not considered parents on the FAFSA unless they have legally adopted you.

Look at the infographic on page 24 for more information about parent information for the FAFSA.
  SECTION 3 - PARENT INFORMATION
  Who is considered a parent?
  “Parent” refers to a biological or adoptive parent or a person determined by the state to be a parent (for example, if the parent is listed on the birth
  certificate). Grandparents, foster parents, legal guardians, older siblings, and uncles or aunts are not considered parents on this form unless they
  have legally adopted you. If your legal parents are living and married to each other, answer the questions about both of them. If your legal parents
  are not married and live together, answer the questions about both of them. In case of divorce or separation, give information about the parent
  you lived with most in the last 12 months. If you did not live with one parent more than the other, give information about the parent who provided
  you the most financial support during the last 12 months or during the most recent year you received support. If your divorced or widowed parent
  has remarried, also provide information about your stepparent.

  Providing parent 1 information? You will need:                                Providing parent 2 information? You will need:
  Parent 1 (father/mother/stepparent) Social Security Number                    Parent 2 (father/mother/stepparent) Social Security Number
  Parent 1 (father/mother/stepparent) name                                      Parent 2 (father/mother/stepparent) name
  Parent 1 (father/mother/stepparent) date of birth                             Parent 2 (father/mother/stepparent) date of birth
    ❑ Check here if parent 1 is a dislocated worker                                ❑ Check here if parent 2 is a dislocated worker

  Did you know?                                                        Did your parents file or will they file a 2017 income tax return?
  If your parents file a federal tax return, they may be able to use
  the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. This tool enables your parents to            ❑ My parents have already completed a tax return
  easily, accurately and securely transfer their tax return                 ❑ My parents will file, but have not yet completed a tax return
  information into the FAFSA form.
                                                                            ❑ My parents are not going to file an income tax return

  What was your parents’ adjusted gross income for 2017?
  Skip this question if your parents did not file taxes. Adjusted gross income is on IRS Form 1040—line 37;                   $
  1040A—line 21; or 1040EZ—line 4.

  The following questions ask about earnings (wages, salaries, tips, etc.) in 2017. Answer the questions whether or not a tax return
  was filed. This information may be on the W-2 forms or on the IRS Form 1040—lines 7 + 12 + 18 + Box 14 (Code A) of IRS Schedule
  K-1 (Form 1065); 1040A—line 7; or 1040EZ—line 1.
  How much did parent 1 (father/mother/stepparent) earn from working in 2017?                                                 $

  How much did parent 2 (father/mother/stepparent) earn from working in 2017?                                                 $

  In 2017 or 2018, did anyone in your parents’ household receive: (Check all that apply.)
  ❑ Medicaid                                                   ❑ Free or Reduced Price School Lunch
  ❑ Supplemental Security Income (SSI)                         ❑ Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
  ❑ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)           ❑ Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
  Note: TANF may have a different name in your parents’ state. Call 1-800-433-3243 to find out the name of the state’s program.

  Did your parents have any of the following items in 2017?
  Check all that apply. Once online, you may be asked to report amounts paid or received by your parents.
  Additional Financial Information                           Untaxed Income
  ❑ American Opportunity Tax Credit or Lifetime              ❑ Payments to tax-deferred pension and      ❑ Housing, food and other living allowances
    Learning Tax Credit                                         retirement savings plans                   paid to members of the military, clergy
  ❑ Child support paid                                       ❑ Child support received                      and others
  ❑ Taxable earnings from work-study, assistantships         ❑ IRA deductions and payments to self-      ❑ Veterans noneducation benefits
    or fellowships                                              employed SEP, SIMPLE and Keogh           ❑ Other untaxed income not reported, such
  ❑ Taxable college grant and scholarship aid                ❑ Tax exempt interest income                  as workers’ compensation or disability
    reported to the IRS as income                            ❑ Untaxed portions of IRA distributions       benefits
  ❑ Combat pay or special combat pay                         ❑ Untaxed portions of pension distributions
  ❑ Cooperative education program earnings

  Your parents may be asked to provide more information about their assets.
  Your parents may need to report the net worth of their current businesses and/or investment farms.

      NOTES:
                    p. 26
 FAFSA.GOV                                                                                            2019-2020 FAFSA ON THE WEB WORKSHEET            PAGE 3
Every student, regardless of age, will need to provide information about their income on the FAFSA.

  SECTION 4 - STUDENT INFORMATION
  Did you know?                                                               Did you file or will you file a 2017 income tax return?
  If you file a federal tax return, you may be able to use the IRS Data                 ❑ I have already completed my tax return
  Retrieval Tool. This tool enables you to easily, accurately and securely
  transfer your tax information into the FAFSA form.                                    ❑ I will file, but I have not completed my tax return
                                                                                        ❑ I’m not going to file an income tax return

  What was your (and spouse’s) adjusted gross income for 2017?
  Skip this question if you or your spouse did not file taxes. Adjusted gross income is on IRS Form 1040—line 37;          $
  1040A—line 21; or 1040EZ—line 4.

  The following questions ask about earnings (wages, salaries, tips, etc.) in 2017. Answer the questions whether or not a tax return was filed. This
  information may be on the W-2 forms or on the IRS Form 1040—lines 7 + 12 +18 + Box 14 (Code A) of IRS Schedule K-1 (Form 1065); 1040A—line 7;
  or 1040EZ—line 1.

  How much did you earn from working in 2017?                                                                              $
                ❑ Check here if you are a dislocated worker
  How much did your spouse earn from working in 2017?
                                                                                                                           $
            ❑ Check here if your spouse is a dislocated worker

  In 2017 or 2018, did anyone in your household receive: (Check all that apply.)
  ❑ Medicaid                                                  ❑ Free or Reduced Price School Lunch
  ❑ Supplemental Security Income (SSI)                        ❑ Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
  ❑ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)          ❑ Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
  Note: TANF may have a different name in your state. Call 1-800-433-3243 to find out the name of the state’s program.

  Did you or your spouse have any of the following items in 2017?
  Check all that apply. Once online, you may be asked to report amounts paid or received.
   Additional Financial Information                          Untaxed Income
   ❑ American Opportunity Tax Credit or Lifetime             ❑ Payments to tax-deferred pension and        ❑ Housing, food and other living allowances
     Learning Tax Credit                                       retirement savings plans                      paid to members of the military, clergy
   ❑ Child support paid                                      ❑ Child support received                        and others
   ❑ Taxable earnings from work-study, assistantships
                                                             ❑ IRA deductions and payments to self-      ❑ Veterans noneducation benefits
     or fellowships
                                                                employed SEP, SIMPLE and Keogh           ❑ Other untaxed income not reported, such
   ❑ Taxable college grant and scholarship aid
                                                                                                           as workers’ compensation or disability
     reported to the IRS as income                           ❑ Tax exempt interest income
                                                                                                           benefits
   ❑ Combat pay or special combat pay                        ❑ Untaxed portions of IRA distributions     ❑ Money received or paid on your behalf
   ❑ Cooperative education program earnings                  ❑ Untaxed portions of pension distributions

  You may be asked to provide more information about your (and your spouse’s) assets.
  You may need to report the net worth of current businesses and/or investment farms.

      NOTES:

     Do not mail this Worksheet. Go to fafsa.gov to complete and submit your application.
                               For more information on federal student aid, visit StudentAid.gov.
         You can also talk with your college’s financial aid office about other types of student aid that may bep.available.
                                                                                                                   27

                                                                                                      2019-2020 FAFSA ON THE WEB WORKSHEET        PAGE 4
Submitting the FAFSA
How do I know the student has submitted the FAFSA?
When a student has completed all of the necessary fields of the FAFSA, it will come time for student (and
parent, if the student is a dependent) to sign the FAFSA using their FSA ID. After the FSA IDs are used
successfully, the following screen will appear:

This page provides students a confirmation number and a data release number (DRN) at the top.
The DRN can be provided to a customer service representative to make certain changes to your Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) information. These changes include: permanent mailing
address, e-mail address, phone number, school code, and housing plan.
You should not give your DRN to anyone unless that person is a financial aid administrator or customer
service representative and you are either adding colleges or changing data on your FAFSA.

At the bottom of the screen, students can view their estimated expected family contribution or EFC. After
your application is fully processed, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) with your official EFC. The
SAR will be sent to a student’s email within 3-5 days if the FAFSA is electronically signed with a student’s
FSA ID and if the student provided an email address. If a student mails in the signature page for the
FAFSA rather than signing electronically with the FSA ID, it can take 2 weeks to receive the SAR.
Note: Neither your estimated EFC (on the Confirmation Page) nor your official EFC (on the SAR) is the
amount of money your family will have to pay for college nor is it the amount of federal student aid
you will receive. It is a number used by your college to calculate the amount of federal student aid
you are eligible to receive.

              p. 28
myStudentAid Mobile App
Coming Fall 2018
In addition to a newly re-designed website, FAFSA and myStudentAid have developed a new Mobile
Application for Apple and Android that will be released Fall 2018. Details about the mobile app are still
being released at the time of this publication, but a few details have been shared as of Summer 2018. The
myStudentAid app is a promising development that many college access professional hope will provide
more students and families the opportunity to complete the FAFSA. At this time, the TN FAFSA Frenzy
team recommends using the www.fafsa.gov website rather than the app when possible. Unfortunately,
the app does not link to the IRS data retrieval tool. Without using the data retrieval tool, it will likely take
longer to submit the FAFSA and will increase the likelihood of making an error on the form.

Once the app is released, be sure to check out www.tnfafsafrenzy.gov for updated resources from the
TSAC Outreach team about how to use the app for FAFSA.

                                                                                             p. 29
Section 3

         Hosting a TN
         FAFSA Frenzy
        Event for High
        School Seniors

p. 30
What Will Your TN FAFSA                                started: https://fsaid.ed.gov/ for the FSA ID and
                                                       https://fafsa.ed.gov/ for the FAFSA. You can
Frenzy Event Look Like?                                also use chart paper to write down any additional
                                                       instructions or tips for students and parents.
At your TN FAFSA Frenzy event, you’ll want to          Before the event starts, open the FSA ID and
maximize students’, parents’ and community             FAFSA web pages on the available computers.
partners’ time and ensure that as many students
as possible complete the FAFSA. In order to do         Know Your Technology
this, we suggest you reserve a computer lab or a       Schools have different policies and permissions
room and a set of laptops for your event. Since        when it comes to the internet and email. Students
technology is necessary to complete the FAFSA,         and parents may have their email on sites like
we recommend that you double check that all            Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo, and they will need
computers being used for your event are in good,       to access their email address in order to verify
working order and able to connect to the internet.     it for the FSA ID and FAFSA. Talk to your school’s
It is also a good idea to get the name of your         IT leader to understand if these email sites are
school’s IT or computer specialist and write down      blocked on school computers, and devise a plan
their directions for what to do in case the internet   for how students and parents can access their
malfunctions.                                          email. It is also a good idea to encourage students
                                                       to consider creating an email address separate
Please note- this year, the fafsa.gov website          from their school email address for FAFSA, as the
has been updated to be mobile responsive,              student may lose access to their school account
meaning that students should be able to access,        after graduation in the Spring.
view, and file the FAFSA on a variety of devices
including smartphones and tablets. However,
the IRS data retrieval tool has not been updated,      It’s a good idea to have students print their
and therefore, viewing the IRS data retrieval tool     confirmation page after submitting the FAFSA, so
screens on mobile devices is not optimal.              work with your school to devise a plan for printing
                                                       during your FAFSA event.
This fall, a myStudentAid mobile app will be
released for the FAFSA. See page 29 for a preview.            Implementation Idea
                                                                      Post-it Signals
In terms of scheduling, it is great to have parents
attend a TN FAFSA Frenzy event to continually
build partnership with families and help parents        Prepare your sign in table volunteer to
better understand their student’s path to college.      greet students and families and ask them
We recommend hosting your event after school
                                                        about where they are in the FAFSA process.
and work hours so that parents are more able to
attend.                                                 Has the student already created an FSA ID
                                                        at school? Does the parent have an FSA ID
Sign In/Sign Out For Success
A sign in table manned by a volunteer or school         that they have used for an older child who
staff member is a great way to help your event          is in college? The volunteer or the student
stay organized. Collecting student and parent           can write on a Post-it a quick note, “Dad
names will help you track your event’s success.
                                                        has an FSA ID, Maya needs to create hers.”
We recommend that your sign in table volunteer
have copies of any handouts you’d like students
                                                        Post-it notes are also great as a help signal
to use (for example, the FSA ID worksheet). Your
sign in and sign out information will also help you     when you’ve got a computer lab full of
complete the Path to College post event survey.         students and parents. Students can stick
Work the Room                                           a post it on the corner of their computer
Often, the computer lab will be the best place          screen as a sign that they need help, or
to host your TN FAFSA Frenzy event. If your             that they are done and ready to print their
computer lab has whiteboards or chalkboards,
use this space to write down the websites that          confirmation page.
students and parents should be accessing to get

                                                                                       p. 31
Tools to Have Available at                          Media release
                                                    Want to post pictures from your event? Consider
Your TN FAFSA Frenzy Event                          having a media release to ensure that parents
What should you consider having at                  and students (especially students under the age
                                                    of 18) are okay that you are posting pictures.
your TN FAFSA Frenzy event?                         You can also check with your school or district
□□ Computers with internet access.                  administrator to see if students are covered
                                                    under your school or district media release.
□□ FAFSA expert. Invite your regional TSAC
   Outreach Specialist or a financial aid
                                                    You can use the sample media release language
   representative from your local postsecondary
                                                    below.
   institution. These folks can often answer the
   more complicated FAFSA questions.

□□ Volunteers. In addition to volunteers who will
   help families complete the FAFSA, you can
   invite the Student Council or other student
   groups to provide activities for younger
   siblings while your seniors and their parents
   complete the FAFSA.

□□ Printers. You’ll want to have printers
   available for your students to print out their
   confirmation pages once they have submitted
   the FAFSA.

□□ Print out handouts from www.tnfafsafrenzy.
   gov and the Federal Student Aid toolkit
   handbook at http://www.financialaidtoolkit.
   ed.gov/tk/search#YourSearchResult to have
   on hand to answer questions.

                          Sample Media Release
I hereby give irrevocable permission for photographs and/or videos of my child,
							                                   , to be used by his/her school or the Tennessee
Higher Education Commission/Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation now and in
the future.

I further authorize his/her school or the Tennessee Higher Education Commission or
Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation to use my child’s likeness, name, and person-
al information (limited to age, school and city of residence) in publications and reproduc-
tions (including the program’s official website) as well as for editorial, trade, and advertis-
ing purposes. I understand that I will not receive any fee, now or in the future, for the use
of my child’s likeness.

Parent/guardian signature and date

Printed parent name

              p. 32
Volunteer Recruitment                                   You may also want to contact organizations like
                                                        H&R Block, which provides free tax assistance to
Community partners can greatly enhance a TN             community members, or volunteers associated
FAFSA Frenzy event by providing additional support      with a local church. You can use the sample letter
to students and families, bringing new perspectives     on the following page to help recruit volunteers for
on financial aid, and also helping families feel more   your TN FAFSA Frenzy event.
comfortable with the FAFSA process. It is important
to remember that the FAFSA filing process involves      How can I prepare volunteers?
sensitive information and parents often need to
share personal details including their income and       Volunteers will need some training before your
tax information. This discomfort can be a barrier       event to ensure that they feel prepared to help
to completing the FAFSA, particularly in small          students and families, and so that they can provide
communities.                                            the right information to attendees.

By bringing in community partners as volunteers,        If you have many volunteers coming from one
your school could put parents and students at           organization or business, consider hosting a “lunch
ease knowing that they can receive help but not         and learn” at their office to talk about FAFSA and
necessarily from someone in their town and              share resources like this handbook and the Federal
community with whom they’re not comfortable             Student Aid Toolkit. You can also encourage
sharing earnings information.                           volunteers to watch recorded webinars, such as
                                                        the FSA’s “Create an FSA ID” recording at https://
Who could make a great volunteer for TN                 studentaid.ed.gov/sa/sites/default/files/create-
FAFSA Frenzy?                                           fsaid.wmv, to familiarize themselves with the
                                                        FAFSA process. Volunteers can preview the FAFSA
We recommend contacting a TSAC Outreach                 questions and different sections of the form by
Specialist and/or a financial aid representative        using the FAFSA on the Web worksheet at https://
from a nearby college who knows the financial           studentaid.ed.gov/sa/sites/default/files/2018-19-
aid process well and can explain to parents how         fafsa-worksheet.pdf.
filling out this form benefits their student. When
reaching out to representatives from your local         Perhaps most importantly, let volunteers know that
college, make sure to emphasize that your students      it’s ok to not know the answer and to ask for help.
are their future students. Consider including a         If the volunteer encounters a question or situation
note about how many students from last year’s           that they are not familiar with, have a point person
graduating class now attend their institution           at your event (your TSAC outreach specialist, for
when you reach out to local colleges for volunteer      example) who can provide assistance.
assistance.

     Best Practice                  John Overton High School
      Highlight:                    invited Deloitte to partner
  Volunteer Partners                with them on their FAFSA
                                    night. Not only was it a
       High School:                 great way to encourage
                                    families to attend and get
 John Overton High School           tax help, but a wonderful
                                    way to engage businesses
     School District:               working in the community.
   Metro Nashville Public
         Schools

                                                                                          p. 33
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