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How to Apply

There are three steps involved in applying for financial aid:

  1. Complete "The Free Application for Federal Student Aid" (FAFSA)
  2. Submit the "Simmons Student Information Form"
  3. Provide additional documents that the Office of Student Financial Services may request from you

NOTE:  You can start to apply for the 2010/2011 academic year after January 1, 2010.  The 2010/2011 academic year includes:

  • Summer 2010
  • Fall 2010
  • Spring 2011

After January 1, 2010, the FAFSA for 2010/2011 will be available online and our Student Information Form will be available for you to download on 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 or as soon as possible after January 1. 

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. We recommend that you complete the FAFSA on or before February 15 to ensure that Simmons receives it by March 1. Note that while applications received after the priority deadline will be reviewed for financial aid, late filing may result in a delay in the processing of your award and may jeopardize receipt of some funds, regardless of eligibility.

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)
  • Your parents' Federal Income Tax Return (if you're a dependent student)
  • 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 or your family haven't yet submitted tax returns for 2008. 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.  If you are a dependent student, your parents should also apply for a PIN so they can electronically sign your FAFSA.

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 Verfication

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 April 15, 2009:

  • Verification Worksheet for Independent Students (If you are a Dix Scholar who is still a dependent student, you will instead submit a Verification Worksheet for Dependent Students). 
  • Student—A signed copy of the student's 2008 federal tax return including all pages, schedules, and W-2 forms must be submitted to the Office of Student Financial Services.  Additionally, married students filing separate tax returns must also submit a signed copy of their spouse's federal tax return and W-2s.  If you were not required to file a 2008 federal tax return, you can report this on the Verification Worksheet.
  • Parents—For students who provided parental information on their FAFSA, a signed copy of their parents' 2008 federal tax returns including all pages, schedules, and W-2 forms must be submitted to the Office of Student Financial Services. If the parents were not required to file a 2008 federal tax return, they must indicate this on the Verification Worksheet.

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.