Applying for financial aid may seem very difficult, but the Financial Aid Office is here to help you through the process.

There are three types of financial aid: scholarships and grants, loans, and federal work-study. Most aid packages consist of a combination of these. The good news is that nearly everyone is eligible for some kind of financial aid. Filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) available at www.fafsa.ed.gov is the first step in the process of determining what financial aid you will be eligible for. Be sure to add the Cabarrus College Federal School Code of 015358 so that your results will be sent to the Financial Aid Office.

Before the Financial Aid Office can determine your financial aid package you need:

•	To be accepted into a degree or diploma program at Cabarrus College.
•	To complete a current FAFSA form and list Cabarrus College under the school selection.
•	Provide any documents requested by the Financial Aid Office.
•	Be a US Citizen or eligible non-citizen.
•	Have a valid Social Security Number.
•	Be registered with the Selective Service, if required.
•	Certify that you are not in default on a federal student loan and do not owe money on a federal student grant.
•	Certify that you will use federal student aid only for educational purposes.
•	Maintain satisfactory academic progress.

Apply for financial aid as soon after January 1st as possible but by March 15th to be able to receive the maximum financial aid. FAFSAs submitted after this date will be considered as funds are available.

Verification of Student Aid Application
The U.S. Department of Education or Cabarrus College may select your application for a process called "verification." As part of verification, you will need to provide certain documents and information to the Financial Aid Office to verify that the information reported on your FAFSA is correct.

The verification process begins after the results from your FAFSA are received by the Financial Aid Office. At that time, you will receive a letter from the Financial Aid Office asking you to provide a signed copy of your federal income tax return, or your parent's return (or your spouse's return, if you are married and your spouse filed a separate return) and a copy of all related W-2 forms. You must also provide a completed verification form. (See the bottom of this page for required verification forms).

You should be prepared to provide any required verification documentation as soon as possible to prevent delays in your financial aid. Failure to provide requested documentation means you will not receive aid from the Department of Education, and you may not receive aid from other sources.

To complete the verification process, the documentation you provide will be reviewed, and any necessary corrections to your FAFSA data will be made.

Any person who intentionally makes false statements or misrepresentations on a federal aid application is violating the law and is subject to a fine, imprisonment or both.

For questions or assistance, contact Robin Robinson, Financial Aid Specialist 704.403.2445 or Valerie Richard, Director of Financial Aid 704.403.3507.