When do you know if your financial aid is approved?

When applying for financial aid.?

• I'm new to FAFSA, so I don't know how it works. When you are approved for financial aid, does the student have to apply for Cal Grants, SMART Grant, BOG waivers, Pell Grant, and AGC; or does the school do that for the student? I got an EFC of 0, and I only got the Summer Pell Grant, which was $369 because I go to community college. I didn't apply for anything but FAFSA. What do I do to receive the other grants listed?

• Answer:

  When you fill out the FAFSA application, you "put your name in the hat" so to speak, for ALL of the following forms of federal financial aid: Federal Pell Grant Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (National SMART Grant) Federal Work-Study (FWS) Federal Perkins Loan Subsidized Direct or FFEL Stafford Loan Unsubsidized Direct or FFEL Stafford Loan Direct or FFEL PLUS Loan (parent loans) Most states also use the FAFSA to determine eligibility for state grants as well. You likely only qualified for the Pell because you applied very late. (Pell is the one grant that funding "doesn't run out" during the course of the year like FSEOG and the others. Those who get FSEOG apply early (8 months before school starts.. this is early). The best thing you can do to increase your chances of getting the other federal grants is to apply using the fafsa application as soon after January 1st every year. Valentine's day is a realistic deadline because the taxes should already be completed and you are not using estimated income (which for all intents and purposes is WRONG and until it's corrected delays processing further). Hope it helps.