Financial Aid Application Procedures

Completing 2021-2022 FAFSA Online

Deadlines

Applications for financial aid are available beginning October 1, 2020 for the 2021-2022 academic year. Students who complete their online application and submit all required documents by the July 1 priority deadline increase their potential to receive the maximum aid available from each of the financial aid programs.

• Community College of Rhode Island Priority Deadline for Fall 2020 enrollment: April 1, 2020

Please note:  For students beginning enrollment in Spring 2021 or Summer 2021, the 2020-2021 FAFSA should be completed, using 2018 income information.

Completing the FAFSA

The following is a list of information you will need to complete the 2021-2022 FAFSA:

• FSA ID-a username and password 
  • Sign up here: https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm
  • To learn more about the FSA ID please visit: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/filling-out/fsaid#fsaid-intro
• Social Security Number and Driver’s License
• Parents’ Social Security Number (if applicable)
• W-2 forms or other records of income earned in 2019
• Your (and your parents, if you are dependent) 2019 Federal Income Tax Return
• Records of other untaxed income received such as child support, payments to tax-deferred pension plans, veteran’s benefits, or military or clergy allowances
• Current bank statements and records of stocks, bonds and other investments
• Business or farm records, if applicable
• Alien Registration Card (if you are not a US Citizen)
• CCRI’s School Code is 004916

The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is a free application; you do not have to pay a fee to complete it. If you need assistance completing your FAFSA please join us at one of our FAFSA workshops

Avoid Delays

Avoid Processing Delays of Your Application: Read these frequently asked questions to assist you in completing your FAFSA

Frequently asked Questions:

Q: I was unable to locate a copy of my (or my parents) 2019 Federal Income tax return. How do I get an IRS Tax Transcript?
A: There are several ways to request your tax transcript: by phone, online, by mail, or by appointment at an IRS office. When requesting the transcript, please make sure you are requesting a tax transcript. DO NOT request a Tax Account Transcript or Record of Account; these forms do not include all of the lines necessary to complete verification of your application.

To order online:
Go to www.irs.gov then select the following:
Click Order a Return or Account Transcript
Click Order a Transcript under Step 3
Complete information requested: Social Security Number, Date of Birth, Street Address and Zip Code
Click Continue
Select Transcript for Tax Year (i.e. 2019)
Click Continue
Your transcript(s) will be mailed within 5-10 days from the IRS

To order by phone:
Call the IRS at 1-800-908-9946
Choose Language Selection
Input Social Security Number of Tax filer
Enter and verify number of street address
Choose Option 2
Enter applicable tax year
Press 1
Press 1 if correct
Your transcript(s) will be mailed within 5-10 days from the IRS

To order by mail:
Retrieve Form 4506-T (Request for Transcript of Tax Return Form) online at: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506t.pdf
Mail completed for to the address indicated on the form.
Your transcript(s) will be mailed within 5-10 days from the IRS

Q: My parents have divorced since last year. The FAFSA is requesting information from one of them. Which parent do I use?
A: You will only have to provide information about the parent you lived with the most in the last year. If you lived with both parents for an equal amount of time in the last year, provide information from the parent who provided the most financial support to you.

Also, if the parent who provided the most financial support to you in the last year has remarried, you will need to report that parents’ marital status as ‘married’ on the application and provide income and asset information for both your parent and step-parent.

Q: How do I determine my household size on my application?
A: If you are an independent student, your household size includes yourself, your spouse, and any children who receive more than half of their support from you. If you are dependent, include yourself, your parents, and your parent’s other children if they receive more than half of their support from your parents. Also, make sure you DO NOT include parents in the number of people in your parents’ household who will be college students.

Q: How do I know what grade level I should choose?
A: This is a very common error for financial aid applicants. The biggest error is for high school seniors to report their grade level as 5^th year, when their college grade level should be reported as first year undergraduate. Another common error, is reporting a professional degree when the student is actually attempting a vocational program. “Professional” refers to a degree to practice medicine, dentistry or law.

Q: What if there is no value to report for a question or the amount is negative?
A: When there is no value to report, or the value is negative, please report a -0- (zero.) If you leave the response blank, you can delay your application because the processor will assume you overlooked the item.

Q: I have lost my job since last year, and my taxes do not really reflect what I am earning on unemployment, is there anything financial aid can help me with?
A: If you or your family have experienced any unusual circumstances (divorce, death of a parent, loss of employment, loss of income or benefits, homelessness, unusually high medical expenses, military service, natural disaster, etc.) please contact the financial aid office, as this may affect your need for financial aid. A financial aid officer may be able to use professional judgment to adjust your financial aid eligibility.

Q: I completed my FAFSA, what now?
A: After your FAFSA has been submitted online, you will receive a document called the Student Aid Report (SAR). (If you provided an email address on your FAFSA, you will receive an email with a link to your SAR within three to five days.) Your SAR will indicate your EFC (Expected Family Contribution) and tell you if you are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant. You must review your SAR to check for errors, or to see if the financial aid office needs any further information to process your application. If you are selected for verification or there is a question about your application, the financial aid office will request additional information. If you need to correct any information you have reported, you can make the corrections online.

Q: How does the Financial Aid Office communicate with me?
A: All communications from the Financial Aid Office are sent to students through their CCRI email. You are able to view your financial aid information by logging into your CCRI account and choosing the “for students” tab.