SIUE offers financial aid help to students

Melissa Underwood
News Stringer

SIUE's tuition is the lowest of all four-year public universities in the state of Illinois. Even so, the price of attending college can be overwhelming.

Perhaps even more overwhelming are the complicated forms and procedures necessary for filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Marian Smithson, director of Student Financial Aid, and other office advisers are prepared to answer questions and guide students through the process of completing the FAFSA and receiving financial aid.

"Applying for financial aid has never been easier or quicker now that the Department of Education has made FAFSA available on the Internet," Smithson said. "You can get your results seven to 14 days faster than if you had mailed a paper application."

On the FAFSA Web site, www.fafsa.ed.gov, students will find the online version of the application, as well as extensive help. The schools that a student lists on the application will receive a copy of the Student Aid Report.

The school will then determine how much aid the student is eligible for.

"Because a student's answers are automatically edited online, the student will make fewer mistakes, and because schools will receive the SAR more quickly, the school will be able to tell the student sooner if they qualify for aid," Smithson said.

For those who prefer the paper version of the FAFSA, it is available in the Student Financial Aid Office. Students can also schedule an appointment to meet one on one with an adviser to address any questions about financial aid.

Students are encouraged to file financial aid papers as early as possible, but no later than March 1. Delayed applications risk reduced eligibility for funding.

For Financial Aid/Admissions Awareness Month, the Student Financial Aid Office is offering an informational workshop about the FAFSA Saturday at Edwardsville High School. Students are encouraged to bring their completed or estimated 2000 taxes as well as any other asset information needed to complete the forms. The workshop is free and open to all interested, but advance registration is necessary. To pre-register, go to www.finaid.siue.edu or call 650-3880.

The Student Financial Aid Office will also be placing information tables around campus throughout the month of February. FIN AID 101, the annual one-hour class for SIUE faculty and staff interested in updated financial aid information, will be announced later this month.