How to Apply for Financial Aid for 2009-2010
Complete the 2009-2010 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
The FAFSA is the application required for all financial aid programs. This application must be completed and signed by the student. Dependent students must also provide parental information and signatures. Independent students may need to provide spousal information and signatures. The best time to submit the FAFSA is between January 1, 2009 through March 2, 2009. FAFSA’s submitted after March 2, 2009 might not be considered for all aid programs.
Vanguard University Federal School Code: 001293
Three Ways to Submit the FAFSA:
- Paper FAFSA
The paper FAFSA must be completed, signed, and dated; then mailed to the federal processors in the envelope provided with the FAFSA. To receive a paper FAFSA, please download a PDF version at the FAFSA website below.
- FAFSA on the Web http://www.fafsa.ed.gov (You may also complete the FAFSA in Spanish.) Complete the FAFSA information and submit it to the government online. After submitting your information electronically, you may either print the signature page to sign, date, and mail in to the processors to complete this process (make sure you have a printer if you choose this option and be sure to print a copy of the FAFSA information you submit for your records). If you filed a FAFSA during the 2008-2009 school year, you have the option to pre-populate information from the previous year.
Complete the Cal Grant GPA Verification Form
The deadline to complete the Cal Grant GPA Verification Form is March 2, 2009 for the 2009-2010 academic year.
Other Required Forms and Applications
Verification Documents
All records used to complete the FAFSA should be saved. Many times the Financial Aid Office must require verification as part of the awarding process. The verification process requires the Financial Aid Office to collect from the student copies of the documents used by the family to complete the FAFSA. These documents are used to ensure that the information on the FAFSA is correct. It is also used to update any estimated information on the FAFSA. To complete verification, the Financial Aid Office may request income records such as federal 1040 tax forms from the student, parents, or spouse. In addition, we may request documentation to confirm untaxed income, asset values, and household size.
The student will be notified if verification is required. The Financial Aid Office will request from the student the forms needed to satisfy this process. Some forms we request are available online. If the forms requested to complete verification are not provided by the student, then financial aid cannot be provided to the student.
Loan Applications
Students apply for Stafford loans when they file the FAFSA and answer "yes" to question #33 indicating their interest in student loans. The Financial Aid Office will use this information to determine students’ eligibility for loans and will notify students of their loan eligibility on the Award Letter. Students wishing to borrow a Stafford Loan should accept the loan on the Award Letter and return it to the Financial Aid Office. Be sure to read the "Terms and Conditions" on the back of your Award Letter before signing it. Students borrowing a Stafford Loan for the first time at Vanguard University will also need to complete a Stafford Loan Application with the lender of their choice and complete Loan Entrance Counseling (online) in order to receive any loan funds. Additional information regarding the loan process will be sent to students at the time of awarding.
Next Steps