Applying for Financial Aid

Step	Details	Resources to Help
Create your FSA ID	Create your FSA ID The FSA ID is your legal signature online and the name needs to match the name on your social security card Both student and one parent will need the verified FSA ID to sign and submit the FAFSA online Parents with an ITIN or no social security number DO NOT need to apply for an FSA ID, however a signature page will be required  FSA ID takes 1-3 days to verify with social security administration to confirm your identity Create or activate your Xello account	Xello Meet with your school counselor FCC Financial Aid TV Attend a financial aid workshop
Apply for FAFSA or Dream Act	Create a California Colleges account and link to the FAFSA or Dream Act Students in foster care will also need to complete a Chafee Application for a Chafee grant FAFSA Application Several types of aid including grants, work study, and loans, are available to eligible applicants Start applying for scholarships early - you will need a FAFSA on file to be eligible for most scholarships Dream Act Application Dreamers must complete an affidavit at their school Helps undocumented students who meet AB540 and AB68 pay for college You will receive an email confirming application submission, but this is not a confirmation it has been processed A second email will indicate either "Processed Successfully" or "Action Required" If "Action Required", you will need to go back into the FAFSA/Dream Act application using your FSA ID to make corrections If "Processed Successfully", you will go to the next step	Registering your CA Colleges account (video) Using the CaliforniaColleges Financial Aid Feature (video) What is the California Chafee Grant? (video playlist) How to complete your Dream Act application (video) Launching Your FAFSA or California Dream Act Application (video) FCC Financial Aid TV Attend a financial aid workshop
Review your Student Aid Report (SAR)	You will receive the SAR within 1-5 days after submitting the FAFSA electronically Your SAR is a summary of the FAFSA data you submitted Review your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) number Your EFC listed on your SAR will determine the amount of aid you will receive according to a formula established by law	Understanding your Student Aid Report (video)
Verification	Students who have an incomplete or inaccurate FAFSA or Dream Act application will be required to complete numerous forms, which can be challenging and delay your financial aid award The Department of Education has a verification selection process that sometimes makes it necessary for a student's information to be verified even if you completed an accurate FAFSA The school will follow up with you to request forms/documentation to be completed When verification is completed and processed, the financial aid office has the ability to submit the SAR electronically	Contact your counselor for assistance to prevent any delay in your financial aid award What happens if I'm selected for Verification? (video)
Create your WebGrants 4 Students account	Students are REQUIRED to create a WebGrants 4 Students account 7 days after submitting an accurate FAFSA 24 hours after submitting an accurate Dream Act application Your FAFSA must match your WebGrants account name to be able to create a WebGrants account	Creating a WebGrants 4 Students account (video)
Accepting your award letter	In May and June, you will receive your award letters from all of the schools you applied to Read your letter in detail! You have to either accept or decline the award and send it back to your prospective school It is important that you carefully read your award letter and follow the instructions on the letter Never assume you've been awarded financial aid without signing your award letter It is critical that you understand that you can jeopardize your spot at a school you've been accepted to waiting on a wait list for another school. If you wait too long, you can potentially lose both.	Talk to your counselor if you have questions about your awards