Step 1: Apply for Financial Aid

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the only application you will need to complete, in order to qualify for financial aid. This one application determines your eligibility for various types of federal, state, and institutional aid. It is important to note that the FAFSA is FREE – you do not pay anything to submit the application.

Before you start, make sure you create a Federal Student Aid account at https://studentaid.gov/. You must have an account to submit the FAFSA application, complete online forms, such as the Master Promissory Note and Entrance Counseling, and review the federal student aid that you have already received. In order to create your account you only need your Social Security Number (if applicable) and your own e-mail address. If you are a dependent student, one parent must also create a Federal Student Aid account as well, using their own e-mail address. It is extremely important that you do not use the same e-mail address when creating the Federal Student Aid accounts.

Get started on your FAFSA application. It is important to include Northcentral Technical College’s school code on your FAFSA, 005387, in order for the Financial Aid Office to receive the results of your FAFSA. FAFSA assistance is available to students either in person at the NTC Financial Aid Office located within the main campus in Wausau or through a virtual Zoom appointment with one of our highly trained financial aid specialists. Additionally, there are several College Goal Wisconsin events planned throughout the year at various locations across the state of Wisconsin. These events are free to students and their families, regardless of where you plan to attend. Lastly, the Federal Student Aid Youtube channel has many great informational and how-to videos to help guide you through the application process.

In order to be eligible for financial aid funding, you must submit the FAFSA application at least 2 weeks prior to your last date of enrollment for the academic year. The Financial Aid Office must receive your FAFSA and all required documents by the last date of enrollment in order to make a financial aid offer to you. It is imperative that you submit the application as early as possible, to avoid delays in processing.

Step 2: After the Application

After you have submitted your online Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, it will be processed in one to three days.

Next, you’ll receive an email with instructions to access your FAFSA Submission Summary. It will include four tabs: Eligibility Overview, FAFSA Form Answers, School Information, and Next Steps. The FAFSA Submission Summary will include estimates for the different types and amounts of federal student aid you may be eligible to receive. You will also see your Student Aid Index (or SAI). The SAI is an index number calculated using your FAFSA information to determine eligibility for need-based aid. This is the number that the Financial Aid Office uses to decide how much financial aid they are able to offer you, based on federal regulations.

Pay attention to the Next Steps tab! It will tell you if you need to take action on your FAFSA, such as starting a correction or sending additional information to the schools you have listed on your FAFSA.

If you need to make a correction to your FAFSA, fear not! You can easily make a correction by clicking Make a Correction button at the top of the FAFSA Form Answers tab on the FAFSA Submission Summary or you can also make a correction in the My Activity section of your StudentAid.gov account dashboard.

Step 3: Review Your Workday Account Information

Make sure you pay close attention to any items listed in the Awaiting Your Action section of your Workday account. These items may include verification items, proof of citizenship documentation, or other required documents. Your financial aid offer is contingent upon the completion of all outstanding Financial Aid action items.

Your FAFSA may be rejected, but this does not necessarily mean that you will be ineligible for financial aid funding at NTC. Sometimes, a FAFSA is rejected because of missing or incomplete information. Failure to electronically sign the FAFSA will result in a rejected FAFSA. If your FAFSA is rejected, you will be notified by the U.S. Department of Education and you will be instructed to log into your Student Aid account to complete the application. NTC will also send you a separate communication notifying you of the rejected status with the reason(s) for the rejection. It is your responsibility to ensure that your FAFSA is successfully submitted.

Step 4: Financial Aid Offer

In order to receive a Financial Aid Offer, you must:

1. Complete all outstanding Financial Aid Action Items in your Workday account
2. Secure admission into a Financial Aid Eligible program. If you are unsure if your program is eligible for Financial Aid, please contact our office.

Financial Aid offers are listed within the Finances section of your Workday account. Please use the Workday Financial Aid Guide For Students for assistance with the acceptance process.

If you intend to borrow federal student loan funding to help finance your education, you must accept the loans that are offered to you through your Workday account. Loans require completion of Entrance Counseling and a Master Promissory Note prior to disbursement of funds. Grants are automatically accepted on your behalf if you are eligible, so no action is required of you to receive grant funding.

**Important Note: Financial Aid Offers are estimated based off of full-time enrollment status (12+ credits each semester) and are subject to change based on your actual enrollment, after the following dates:

• May 1st for summer enrollment.
• July 15th for fall enrollment.
• November 1st for spring enrollment.

Any enrollment changes after the above listed dates may result in additional revisions to your financial aid.

If an adjustment is made to your initial Financial Aid Offer, you will receive a separate communication from the Financial Aid office letting you know that a revision has been made. Subsequently, if you are not enrolled prior to the dates listed above, your financial aid offer will be canceled, until your registration in classes is confirmed.