Anyone wishing to apply for federal loans or grants (and state aid, including LTG) must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

A FAFSA will need to be filled out for each award year that you want to apply for financial aid. An award year runs from July 1st of one year to June 30th of the following year. The initial step in this process is to determine which FAFSA you will need to complete.

Students in the School of Professional and Adult Studies are awarded for academic years, which can begin at any time. For that reason, you may be requested to fill out multiple forms for the time of year you begin/continue classes.

You should do this as soon as you file your 2006 federal taxes, if you will either be starting or continuing your enrollment on or after May 30, 2007 but prior to March 30, 2008.

You should do this as soon as you file your 2007 federal taxes, if you will either be starting or continuing your enrollment on or after April 1, 2008 but prior to March 30, 2009.

Tips for Completing the FAFSA

It is helpful to have a copy of your federal income tax returns when completing your FAFSA. * If you are a dependent student you will also need your parent's returns.

• You may want to complete the FAFSA on the Web Pre-Application Worksheet. 
• Answer all questions. If the answer is zero, be sure to fill in a zero. Missing information will cause delays in financial aid processing. 
• Montreat College's institutional code is 002948. 
• Be sure to remember to e-sign your FAFSA using your PIN number. 
• Be sure you have successfully completed your FAFSA submission. You will receive an e-mail confirmation if you have submitted the FAFSA correctly. 
• Attention: Those students who have previously completed a FAFSA and know their PIN number can elect to complete the abbreviated Renewal FAFSA on the web. If this applies, you will have the option to sign your FAFSA electronically.
• A 2006 federal tax return should be used for the 2007-2008 FAFSA.
• A 2007 federal tax return should be used for the 2008-2009 FAFSA.
• If you are married but filed separately, add each of your sections from the tax returns together before entered your total for each question.
• REMEMBER! You can minimize this box for future reference.
• If you have questions regarding filling out your FAFSA, you can go to www.studentaid.gov or call 800-433-3243

Finding and Completing FAFSA on the Web

The following instructions will assist you when using the U.S. Department of Education's FAFSA website. This step will take approximately 30 minutes to complete.

It may be a good idea to print this page prior to proceeding to the FAFSA site.

• Upon entering the site, you should notice the three columns with the numbers 1, 2, 3 shown in back of text. 
• Column 2, entitled "Filling out a FAFSA," is where you will look to begin. 
• Select the top option, "Fill out a FAFSA," to begin. (Students who are reapplying and have a PIN# can choose "Fill out a Renewal FAFSA.") 
• Scroll roughly two thirds of the way down the page until you see a black bar running across the screen. In this bar printed in white letters you will see the question, "Which FAFSA do you wish to file?"  It is just below the bar where you will make your selection.

Upon selecting your award year and clicking "next" you will be taken to that year's specific page. Simply follow the instructions shown and return to this website when you are done.

Thirty percent of all Free Applications for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) are chosen for verification by the Department of Education. If you are chosen you will be asked to provide tax information and complete a verification worksheet.