1. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
2. Submit the Simmons Student Information Form

The 2012-2013 academic year includes:

• Summer 2012
• Fall 2012
• Spring 2013

If you are applying for the 2011-2012 academic year (Summer 2011, Fall 2011, and Spring 2012), you can download the 2011-2012 Student Information Form on the Forms and Publications section of our website.

New Student Eligibility Considerations

To be eligible for financial aid:

• You must have been accepted to a degree-seeking program;
• You are enrolled at least half-time per semester as defined by the Office of the Registrar;
• You must not be in default on a Federal Stafford or Perkins Loan or need to pay a federal grant
  overpayment;
• You are a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.

New applicants should complete their financial aid application concurrently with their admission application. 

Step 1: Complete Your FAFSA

It's all about FAFSA: the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. In order to be considered for financial aid, you must complete and submit your FAFSA. The information you report on the FAFSA is used to calculate your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which is a measure of your or your family's financial position. The EFC is used to determine your eligibility for federal student aid.

Priority consideration is given to those students who file by March 1. If you miss this priority deadline, do not worry.  You can still submit a FAFSA after March 1 and you will be considered for financial aid.

What Information Do I Need to Complete the FAFSA Accurately?

You'll need the following (yours, your parents, or anyone whose tax returns will need to be considered for you to receive aid):

• Social Security number
• W-2 forms and other records of earnings
• Federal Income Tax Return (and that of your spouse, if you're married)
• Any foreign tax return or tax return from Puerto Rico
• Untaxed income records — Social Security, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, welfare, or veteran's benefits records, for example
• Bank statements 
• Business and investment mortgage information; Business and farm records; and Stock, bond, and other investment records
• Alien registration card—if you are not a U.S. citizen
• The Simmons College code: 00220800

Submitting Your FAFSA

You can complete your FAFSA by going to www.fafsa.ed.gov.

Alternatively, you can get a paper FAFSA from your high school or local library, or from the Federal Student Aid Information Center (see address below). Mail the completed FAFSA in the pre-addressed envelope that's in your FAFSA package.

The FAFSA should be completed as soon as possible, even if you are still waiting to receive an acceptance decision from Simmons College. You are allowed to use estimated income information if you haven't yet submitted tax returns for 2011. If you estimate income information on the FAFSA, you can update the FAFSA later in the year with actual figures once the tax return has been filed.

FAFSAs must be signed electronically using a U.S. Department of Education Personal Identification Number (PIN). If you do not already have a PIN, you can apply for one now at www.pin.ed.gov. Be sure to maintain a copy of this PIN for your records. You will need to use it to make changes to your FAFSA, or to file again in future years. 

IRS Data Retrieval Tool 

The IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) is available for online FAFSA submission and is accessible through the FAFSA website at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The DRT allows FAFSA applicants the ability to transfer their income information from the IRS to the FAFSA.

Beginning with the 2012-2013 academic year, all applicants who indicate they have filed or will file a 2011 tax return will be directed to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to report and/or update their income information on the FAFSA.

Instructions on how to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool:

STEP 1 - Choose "Start Here" and log into your FAFSA application.

STEP 2 - Under the "Financial Information" section, you will be asked a series of questions to determine whether or not you are eligible to use this tool.

STEP 3 - If you are eligible to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, you will be prompted to enter your PIN and then select "Link to IRS."

STEP 4 - Once you are connected to the IRS.gov site, review your information for accuracy, select the appropriate box at the bottom, and select "Transfer Now."

The Federal Student Aid Information Center

You can get information from the Center for free by calling: 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243). You can also write to the Federal Student Aid Information Center at the following address:

Federal Student Aid Information Center
P.O. Box 84
Washington, DC 20044-0084

Note: You must re-apply for federal student aid every year. Also, if you change schools, your aid does not automatically transfer with you.

FAFSA Verification

Some students may be chosen by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) for verification of the information they submitted on the FAFSA. If you are chosen for verification, you will be asked to submit some or all of the following information by May 1, 2012:

• 2012-2013 Verification Worksheet for Independent Students  (you can download this from the Forms and Publications page)
• Other income and asset information

Step 2: Submit the Simmons Student Information Form

The Simmons Student Information Form is available for download as a PDF file. Complete the form, sign it and submit it to:

Student Financial Services
Simmons College
300 The Fenway
Boston, MA 02115
Fax: 617-521-3195

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at sfs@simmons.edu or 617-521-2001.