Financial Aid Application Instructions

At CF, you must reapply for financial aid for each academic year you attend school and:

1. Be degree-seeking or certificate-seeking in an eligible program at CF.
2. Provide the Office of Admissions and Records with an official copy of your high school transcript or GED and, if you are a college transfer student, provide an official copy of your transcript from each institution you attended. Transfer course work must be evaluated before an award can be made.
3. After Jan. 1 each year, a student should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and submit it to the federal processor. CF's federal school code is 001471. In order for CF to process your financial aid, you must include this school code on your FAFSA. You may submit the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov (allow at least two weeks for processing).
4. Research and apply for CF and other local and national scholarships.

Verification: The federal government requires that some applications be reviewed for accuracy through a process called verification. If you are selected for this process, you will be required to complete a verification worksheet and provide other income information including copies of tax transcripts for individuals whose income was included on your application. You will be notified through the mail if you have been selected for verification. Your financial aid file will not be considered complete and ready for verifying until all missing eligibility information has been received and processed. You will not receive an award letter until your verification is completed. This process can take from six to eight weeks depending upon how quickly you submit accurate and complete information and documents.

Federal eligibility matches: The federal processor matches your name, date of birth and Social Security number with a variety of federal agencies. Agency matches are performed on the files of the Social Security Administration, Department of Homeland Security, Selective Service, Veterans Administration and the National Student Loan Data System. If any discrepancies or questions about your information occur, you will be asked to provide additional documents or take additional action to confirm your eligibility for federal assistance. The federal processor will notify you on your Student Aid Report of the results of these matches and whether additional information is required in order for your application to be processed.