Parents & FAFSA  

Lawson State School Code:  001059

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We are pleased to have your student as part of the Lawson State community. One of our goals is to assist parents in helping their students with the financial aid process, so that it is simple and clear. With this goal in mind, we have created this Web page just for parents to share some general financial aid information with you that may be helpful.

Get Educated on FAFSA

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FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, protects the privacy of student educational records. Any information provided is kept in strict confidence. Please rest assured that we are very aware of concerns for safekeeping of your information. We want you to know that we strictly adhere to FERPA. Although it does limit what we can share with you about your student, it protects your student. 

Approximately 80% of Lawson State students receive some type of financial assistance, including grants, scholarships and work study. The process of applying and receiving aid can be intimidating for some, but it does not have to be. As a guide to assist you, we are providing some basic steps and a time line below.
  
•The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is available October 1 each year, and students may complete it online from our Web site at www.studentaid.gov. We recommend all students file the FAFSA regardless of family income. Although some students do not qualify for federal Pell Grant, they may qualify for other aid.

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•The FAFSA should be filed by mid-February at the latest to meet our scholarship application priority date of April 15th each year. Students who meet the priority application date are given the greatest consideration for campus based aid. The FAFSA can be completed using estimated tax information, if needed, and then can be corrected to finalize the process.

•Students can begin looking for their Lawson State Award Notification in June to mid-July.  The award notification provides an estimate of financial aid based on information from the FAFSA and other sources. Once your student is a registered student, he/she can access their MyLawson account, Student Information Center, Financial Information and Financial Aid Requirements.   Under Financial Aid Requirements, the student should review the list to determine what else is needed “to do” or submit to complete the financial aid file. Students should review their “To Do List” on a regular basis throughout the year when documents are submitted.

•Your student should make sure their “To Do List” is complete as soon as possible and at least two months prior to the beginning of the semester! If not, it could cause you and your student frustrating delays.

We have created an Application Checklist, which we recommend you review and share with your student.

You may want to remind your student that scholarships are awarded by several sources at Lawson State.  The student can have their questions answered more accurately by contacting the office that awarded the scholarship or contact the awarding agency.

Prepaid College Tuition Program (PACT)

The AL PACT program is Alabama’s Prepaid Affordable College Tuition program, which is administered through the Alabama Department of Treasury and Lawson State Student Financial Services Office (Student Accounts) through 3rd party billing. Beginning Fall 2011 term, PACT tuition and fee payments are prorated, and are subject to change as determined by the Alabama Department of Treasury.  Mandatory fees, such as activity fee and technology fee, are paid through AL PACT; however, laboratory fees are not included. The college does honor other state's PACT programs as long as documentation is submitted regarding invoicing. For more information, please call 1-800-ALA-PACT (1-800-252-7228), or view the web site at http://www.treasury.state.al.us. Questions or comments regarding 3rd party billing? Contact LaSonya Patterson 205-929-2042.
 

What is the FSA ID?

The FSA ID serves as your identifier to let you access your personal information in various U.S. Department of Education systems. It is similar to the Personal Identification Number that you get from your bank that enables you to access your account. Because your FSA ID serves as your electronic signature, you should not share it with anyone. 
Once you successfully complete a request, the Department of Education will e-mail FSA ID information. Student and parent must have individual e mail accounts.
When you use your FSA ID, you must type the FSA ID exactly as it appears.

Where can I use my FSA ID?

You can use your FSA ID at these U.S. Department of Education Web sites:
•FAFSA on the Web: Access and complete your Renewal Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
•You may also use your FSA ID to electronically sign your submitted FAFSA
•Submitting corrections to your processed FAFSA.
•Obtain a copy of your processed FAFSA information.
•The National Student Loan Data System  /  Web site: View a history of the federal student financial aid you have received.

Additional information and links are listed below.

23/24 Application Checklist

Application Steps - Application to Disbursement - The Application - Priority Dates - Student Aid Report (SAR) - General Eligibility Requirements - When students MUST Provide Parental Information - Types of Aid Available 

Private Educational Loans

Scams,Financial Aid Fraud, and Identity Theft Caller impersonating Federal Official requesting bank information.

Scholarship search information is available at www.finaid.org and at www.fastweb.com.

Tuition and Fees