The Student Information System (SIS) within MyNOVA has a new feature to increase communications between students and the College Financial Aid Office (CFAO). The “Message Center” allows the financial aid office to provide direct communications to financial aid applicants. These messages will range from updates on the application processing cycle to important actions students need to take to keep their applications moving.
Accessing the Message Center is quite simple. Within the SIS, use the following Navigation: Main Menu > Self Service> Student Center > Click on the Message Center hyperlink (in the Student Communication Center). Once you have accessed the Message Center, you will be able to view received messages which can be read via hyperlink. Students will have the ability to archive old messages, yet still have the ability to access archived messages at a later date as well.
The College Financial Aid Office will be using the message center to give students increased awareness of the financial aid application process and other important information. Messages are pertinent for the student and applicable to the student’s financial aid application. Be sure to log in and access the message center today. For additional information and screenshots, click here. – Message Center – Student View
FAFSA Changes for 2017–18
Reprinted from Dept. of Education at: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/about/announcements/fafsa-changes
On Sept. 14, 2015, President Obama announced significant changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) process that will impact millions of students. Starting next year, students will be able to do the following:
- Submit a FAFSA® Earlier: Students will be able to file a 2017–18 FAFSA as early as Oct. 1, 2016, rather than beginning on Jan. 1, 2017. The earlier submission date will be a permanent change, enabling students to complete and submit a FAFSA as early as October 1 every year. (There is NO CHANGE to the 2016–17 schedule, when the FAFSA will become available January 1 as in previous years.)
- Use Earlier Income Information: Beginning with the 2017–18 FAFSA, students will report income information from an earlier tax year. For example, on the 2017–18 FAFSA, students (and parents, as appropriate) will report their 2015 income information, rather than their 2016 income information.
If you’d like more details about the upcoming changes, you may read the following informational pieces from the U.S. Department of Education.
NOVA Partners with Inceptia for Default Prevention
You’re not alone when it comes to student loans. NOVA has partnered with Inceptia,
a division of National Student Loan Program (NSLP), to provide you with FREE assistance on your Federal student loan obligations to ensure successful, and comfortable, loan repayment. Inceptia’s friendly customer representatives may reach out to you if your loan(s) become delinquent. Inceptia is not a collection agency. We’ve partnered with them to help you explore a wide variety of possibilities such as alternative repayment plans, deferment, consolidation, discharge, forgiveness, and forbearance options. Inceptia will stay in touch with you via phone calls, letters, and/or emails to help you find answers to your questions and solutions to your issues. When it’s time to start repaying your student loans, don’t get stressed. If you’re confused about repayment plans or feel your loans are too impossible to tackle, we’ve got the money knowledge and resources to help. Inceptia may contact you with information about loan repayment options. Until then, get some loan knowledge from the Knowl at MoneyKnowl.org.
Complete College Planning Calendar
Going to college is one of the biggest decisions that people make. Not only is it a choice that influences everything from social circles to careers, it’s also often the largest financial investment a person will make following the purchase of a home. College requires extensive preparation: money needs to be saved, good grades earned, and schools evaluated. It’s a lot to do, but spread out over four-years of high school, it’s undoubtedly doable. The important thing is to anticipate and meet the major milestones. To that end, here are the key dates to watch out for.
Check out the Complete College Planning Calendar here.
Upcoming Money Management & Free Tax Prep Workshops
NOVA’s Financial Literacy Program will be holding Money Management Workshops throughout February and March to discuss strategies college students can use to improve their financial situation. Topics to be covered include budgeting, saving, emergency funds, credit cards, compound interest, credit reports, responsible borrowing, financial aid, student loans, and financial coaching. A few of the Money Management Workshops are scheduled to begin right after some of NOVA’s Free Tax Preparation Workshops end so that students may receive assistance from IRS-certified volunteers with preparing their 2015 tax returns and then stick around to learn about managing their finances.
More details about these events, including the time, date, and location of each workshop, are provided on NOVA’s Financial Literacy Blog. We hope to see you there!
NOVA Free Tax Prep Workshops
GET YOUR TAXES DONE FOR FREE!
IRS-certified volunteers will help ensure you receive the maximum tax refund and help determine if you are eligible for the earned income tax credit. If you or your family earned less than $54,000 in 2015, you may qualify for this free service. See the NOVA Tax Prep Flyer for additional information.
FSA ID Resources
To further assist you in your outreach, particularly with the 2016–17 FAFSA application, we have attached a number of FSA ID resources for your use:
- What’s an FSA ID and Why Do I Need One?: A two-page fact sheet providing an overview of the FSA ID, where it can be used, how to create one, and some important tips.
- Creating and Using Your FSA ID: An Overview: A PowerPoint presentation covering what an FSA ID is and who needs one, how to create an FSA ID, and how to troubleshoot common issues such as forgetting a username or password.
- FSA ID Digital and Social Outreach: A document providing sample Facebook posts, tweets, blog content, and other digital resources that you can use in your online and social outreach.
- How to Create an FSA ID: A tutorial video introducing the FSA ID and walking through the process of creating one.
Additional Resources
FSA ID website: https://fsaid.ed.gov
FSA ID Q&A: https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/pub/faq.htm
How to Create an FSA ID
The first step to applying for federal student aid is completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (or the FAFSA®). Before you fill out your FAFSA watch this video to learn how to create an FSA ID―a username and password― that replaced the Federal Student Aid PIN.
You will need an FSA ID to electronically sign and submit your FAFSA, as well as to make any needed corrections later. And if you are a dependent student, your parent will need his or her own FSA ID, too.
Do not allow someone to create your FSA ID for you, and you should not create one for someone else. Not even for a family member. This can cause problems with your financial aid down the road.
Check out this video for helpful information about creating an FSA ID and filling out the FAFSA, and for more resources, visit http://StudentAid.gov/fsaid.
The New College Scorecard
During this college application season, many prospective students and their families are making decisions about their postsecondary education, such as which of the many colleges and universities will best prepare them to achieve their goals. These decisions to pursue a degree, the type of degree, and at which institution, all have a lasting impact on students and their futures.
We have released a new College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/) to ensure that students and families have the most up to date, reliable information on colleges throughout this process, in an easy-to-use format. For every college, students can learn about how much they’re likely to pay, whether they’re likely to graduate, find good jobs, and pay off their loans.
$100 Million Growth in Financial Aid
Over the last seven years, NOVA Financial Aid has undertaken a strategic initiative to enhance financial aid services. The primary goals were to expand access to financial aid services, reduce processing times, and improve customer service. So how have we done?
The amount of financial aid awarded has essentially quadrupled since a process-improvement initiative began in 2009. Students received approximately $100 million more in grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study awards in 2014-2015 compared to 2007-2008. The number of financial aid recipients also increased during this period from 8,777 students (13.6% of the student population) in 2007-2008 to 23,379 students (30.4% of the student population) in 2014-2015.
Customer service surveys are also now sent to all students who visit a Campus Financial Aid Office or contact the Financial Aid and Student Accounts Support Center. Survey data from 2015 shows that approximately 92% of students have a positive perception of the services they received with 63% of survey respondents indicating they received “Excellent Overall Service”. Processing times have also been reduced significantly with the college’s partnership with Financial Aid Services, the entity that provides web-based verification support for financial aid applicants selected to verify the information reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).