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Financial Aid Checklist
Step 1: Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is the starting point for all students to apply for Federal and State financial aid. Here are your options for applying:
- The quickest way to apply is online using FAFSA on the web at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
- Go to www.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov and download a pdf version of the FAFSA.
- Call 1-800-4-FED-AID and request a paper application.
Be sure to list ECC's federal school code (001862).
Step 2: Submit your completed FAFSA. If you complete the online version of the FAFSA, you must apply for a PIN at www.pin.ed.gov to electronically sign you FAFSA. If you're a dependent student, your parents will also need to apply for a PIN. The PIN request can be made during the filing of your FAFSA.
Step 3: Watch for your Student Aid Report (SAR). You should receive something within 3-5 days if you submitted your FAFSA electronically. Once you receive your SAR, either by e-mail or regular mail, you should verify that all information listed on it is accurate. If there are no corrections you can simply file it for your records. If there are corrections, you need to go online to www.fafsa.ed.gov; sign in, choose "make a correction or change," and submit your corrections. A new SAR will be sent to the financial aid office.
Step 4: The ECC Financial Aid Office will receive your SAR within 7-10 days after it is processed. You will receive an e-mail or mail from the ECC Financial Aid Office indicating what forms are necessary for you to complete your financial aid package. The Financial Aid Office will also provide you with a student ID and password, so you can track your financial aid process through Paw Pass and log into our online financial aid award system. All studentswill be required to fill out a Financial Aid Information form, found on the Financial Aid Forms tab on the ECC website.
Step 5: About 30% of all FAFSA applications are randomly selected by the federal processing center to be verified. To determine if you were selected for verification, check your SAR to see if there is an asterisk (*) next to the EFC number on the top right corner of the SAR. If you have been selected for verification, you need to submit signed federal tax forms (parent and student if you are a dependent student), Dependent or Independent Verification Worksheets, and an Income and Asset Worksheet.These forms are found on the Financial Aid Forms tab on the ECC website. If you did not file taxes, you will be required to fill out a Clarification of Low Income form, also found on the ECC website.
Step 6: Your financial aid award will be processed after all documentation is received. This process can take 6-8 weeks.
Step 7: The ECC Financial Aid Office will send you an award package by e-mail or mail. If you provided an e-mail on your FAFSA application, the Financial Aid Office will use that e-mail address to send your award letter. Once you receive your award letter via e-mail you need to log in to Paw Pass and sign/accept your award letter. If you received your award through the mail, please sign and return it to the Financial Aid Office.
Step 8: All students who are requesting a student loan will need to fill out a Student Loan Authorization form, found on the Financial Aid forms tab on our website. If you are a new student, you will need to complete Entrance Counseling, which can be done online at www.studentloans.gov.
Step 9: If you are a new student, you will need to complete an Entrance Counseling form online at www.studentloans.gov. You will also need to complete a Master Promissory Note if you have never before requested a student loan. The Master Promissory Note is also online at www.studentloans.gov.
Step 10: Make sure to check on your financial aid status through Paw Pass weekly. Sometimes there are other documents needed that are not included in the steps above. If you ever have any questions, feel free to contact our Financial Aid Office at 641-648-8515.
Priority Deadline is July 1. ECC will guarantee that all students who submit all final documents to our office by July 1 will have an award package before the first day of classes. Any final documents received after this date will be accepted and awarded, but we cannot guarantee when they will be ready.