FINANCIAL AID HANDBOOK
A COLLEGE EDUCATION IS A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT
Choosing a college is a big step, but we are here to help. Florida State University Panama City is committed to finding the best financial options possible for our students through financial aid and scholarships. We understand your challenges and are doing what we can to make sure that a FSU Panama City education is not only excellent, but also affordable.
The university is ranked No. 3 among public institutions in The Princeton Review’s 2022 “Best Schools for Financial Aid.” FSU Panama City students benefit from even lower student service fees, which means a lower price tag on your education.
FINDING SCHOLARSHIPS
Florida State University awards more than 200 scholarships each academic year through the generosity of private donors. Scholarship award amounts vary and are often awarded based on demonstrated academic success, donor-stipulated criteria and financial need.
The FS4U application process allows students to apply for scholarships across the university. The online portal takes you through the entire process, from researching scholarships to accepting offers. Students will know where they stand from start to finish and receive updates and prompts along the way.
Visit pc.fsu.edu/finances/ scholarships for more information and instructions on how to apply.
SCHOLARSHIP SEARCH SUCCESS!
1. Complete the FAFSA at www.studentaid.gov.
2. Start looking for scholarships as soon as possible. The sooner you can identify scholarships the better. When looking for scholarships, keep in mind that everyone goes for the big $5,000 plus scholarships, yet few try for the $300 to $3,000 ones.
Go on a treasure hunt for scholarships based on:
athletic gender military unusual academic creativity heritage service
3. Keep a record of open and closing dates and the URL for each scholarship you find, even if the dates have already passed. You can reference the list next year to apply.
4. Be prepared: Have a resume documenting community service hours, academic honors, memberships, sports, etc. to reference on applications.
5. Write a personal statement of your goals.
6. If a scholarship needs letters of recommendation, it is a good idea to ask for more than is required just in case one of the references forgets.
7. Once you receive a scholarship, always send a handwritten or typed and personally signed thank you letter/note. You want to stand out to the donor in a positive way.
8. When this scholarship opens again next year, contact donors to ask if they will continue to support your education. Tell them again how much last year’s award helped. Because of your thank you letter, you might be able to continue to receive assistance.
FAFSA BASICS
• Website: www.studentaid.gov
• FSU School Code: 001489
Why the FAFSA?
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid helps identify your eligibility for various types of financial aid.
• Federal Financial Aid: Pell Grant, work study and student loans
• State Aid: Grants and scholarships
• Private Aid: 80% of private scholarships, including the FSU Foundation scholarships, require a FAFSA on file
Not filling it out will cancel your eligibility to either be considered or qualify, so complete the FAFSA each year. The application is available Oct. 1 each year and must be renewed every year you are going to school, even in graduate school. File early, as some financial aid is first come, first served!
Florida State ranks
PUBLIC UNIVERSITY — U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges 2024”
Preparing to fill out the FAFSA
1. As you complete the FAFSA, you — and your parents, if applicable* — should have the following records available to help you answer questions on the application:
• Social Security Card
• Driver’s License (if any)
• Permanent Resident Receipt Card (if applicable)
• W-2 forms and other records of money earned for the year
• Income tax return. You will need to use tax returns from two years prior to the award year (ex. Use the 2020 tax return for 202223 award year). The FAFSA has a tax retrieval tool to make the process quicker and easier.
• Records of child support paid
• Records of taxable earnings from the Federal Work-Study or other need-based work programs
• Records of student grants, scholarships and fellowship aid, including AmeriCorps awards, that was included in your (or your parents’) AGI
• Current stock, bond and other investment records (Do not include your retirement savings)
• Current business and farm records (for businesses with 100+ employees)
• Current bank statements (enter on the FAFSA only the amount set aside for education only)
* A dependent student should have all the records listed above from his or her parents except for their driver’s licenses.
2. Be sure to read the information on the Privacy Act and use of your Social Security number.
3. Verify your answers to make sure they are complete and accurate. Be sure you have provided the necessary signatures electronically or on paper. If you apply electronically, follow the online instructions to print or save a copy of your application for your records. Be sure to submit your application and receive your confirmation page.
Estimate of how much it will cost to attend FSU PC at financialaid.fsu.edu/cost.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Should I still fill out the FAFSA if I don’t think I will qualify for the Federal Pell Grant?
YES!! Even if you do not qualify for the Federal Pell Grant, there are other types of financial aid that this application can help you qualify for. Other federal/ state money and about 80% of most private scholarships require the FAFSA application to be completed.
Why do I have to use my parents’ income information to complete the FAFSA?
The Federal Department of Education needs this information so they can see how to help the student. If you are under 24, not married, have no children of your own, not a veteran, not active duty or do not already have your first bachelor’s degree, you will be required to include your parents’ information, even if you no longer live at home or are not claimed on their tax returns.
What are the different types of financial aid?
• Grants: Are free funds you do not have to pay back. Federal and State Grants.
• Scholarships: Awards based on specific criteria. For example an admissions scholarship may require that the student maintain a GPA.
• College Work Study: Is a posted award that you work against to receive.
• Loans: Are borrowed money to help pay for your tuition and books, while you are attending school. You must be enrolled in at least 6 billable credit hours per semester to receive this type of aid. For Federal Stafford Loans, no payments are required while you are attending school. You have 6 consecutive months before a payment is required after your true last date of attendance. There are two types of Stafford loans, please talk to your financial aid advisor to understand the difference between the two.
• Bright Futures: Is a state scholarship funded by the Florida lottery system. Upon graduation from a Florida high school, you must have met scholarship criteria and attend a Florida college or university to be able to use this scholarship. Your GPA must not drop to keep this award. (High school seniors are required after Oct. 1 to activate your pin and fill out the “Florida Student Financial Aid Application” to qualify. This is separate from the FAFSA. Visit floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org or call 1-888-827-2004 for more information.)
• 529Education Plans and Florida Prepaid: This is a program that parents or grandparents pay into at today’s tuition rates. Call 1-800-552-4723 for more information or visit myfloridaprepaid.com. grants
What does the SAI (Student Aid Index) mean?
This is the number the Federal Department of Education assigns to the information you provided at the time you filled out the FAFSA. This number is used to determine what types of financial aid you can qualify for.
What is the Budget or COA (Cost of Attendance)?
It is the figure schools use, along with the SAI number to determine what types of financial aid you can received and how much. The budget is put together with figures given by the Department of Education. The cost of attendance is calculated using the following common expenses.
Cost of Attendance Breakdown:
COA
The budget used is more than just the cost of tuition and books so the students can receive additional funds to help offset the cost of going to school. The remaining need is the amount of free financial aid you may receive for the academic year, including Pell, grants, scholarships and/or student loans. tuition &
FINANCIAL AID RESOURCES
Listed here are just a few sites to explore on your treasure hunt for scholarships to help pay for college. Think outside of the box to consider hobbies, sports, and even musical instruments, etc.
General Information
• finaid.org
• scholarships4highschool.org
• collegeboard.org
• fastweb.com
• coca-colascholars.org
• studentaid.gov
• salliemae.com/scholarship
• scholarshipamerica.org
General searches
• Sallie Mae: salliemae.com/college-planning/tools/ scholarship-search
• Horatio Alger Association: scholars. horatioalger.org
• Scholarships.com: scholarships.com/ scholarship-search
• CareerOneStop: careeronestop.org/toolkit/ training/find-scholarships.aspx
• fastweb: fastweb.com/college-scholarships
Minorities
• AAUW Pompano Beach Scholarship: aauw.org
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund: hsf.net
• APIA Scholars Program: apiascholars.org/ scholarship
• United Negro College Fund: uncf.org/scholarships
• The American Indian College Fund: collegefund. org/students/scholarships/
• National Association of Black Journalist Scholarships: nabj.org
FSU PC PROMISE HOTLINE (24/7) (850) 832-5649 pc.fsu.edu/promise
ADVISING (850) 770-2280 advising@pc.fsu.edu
Armed Forces
• afas.org
• moaa.org
• afcea.org
Scam warnings
• finaid.org/scholarships/scams
ADMISSIONS & RECORDS (850) 770-2160 admissions@pc.fsu.edu
FINANCIAL AID (850) 770-2177 pcc-financialaid@pc.fsu.edu