Hope College | Office of Financial Aid

Applying for Financial Aid

Priority Consideration Date

The priority consideration date for applying for financial aid at Hope College every year is March 1 for freshmen, upperclassmen and transfer students.

It is best to use your finalized federal tax return figures; however, it is more important to meet the priority consideration date. If your tax return is not completed prior to March 1, designate "Will File" on the appropriate field of the FAFSA.

Required Financial Aid Applications

To apply for financial aid at Hope College you must file BOTH the Supplemental Application for Financial Aid (SAF) and the online Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Renewal FAFSA for returning filers.

To help you in completing these two forms, refer to our for HELPFUL HINTS for FIRST TIME STUDENTS or for the HELPFUL HINTS for the RENEWAL STUDENTS documents.

The Supplemental Application for Financial Aid (SAF): The SAF cannot be submitted or saved online but you can complete it online and then print it and mail it to the Hope College Office of Financial Aid. Click below to access the form.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): The information you submit on the FAFSA is used to determine your eligibility for federal, state, and institutional funds. List Hope College in Section 8 of the online FAFSA (step 6 of the paper FAFSA) and with our school code as 002273.

How to File the FAFSA Online

To file online, go to www.fafsa.ed.gov to access FAFSA ON THE WEB and choose Filling out a FAFSA.

If this is your first time filing the FAFSA, go to the Filling out a FAFSA section and click on Fill out a FAFSA. You will then be taken to a page where you will be asked to select the award year for which you are applying for aid.

Important note for renewal aid applicants or applicants who submitted a FAFSA4caster: If you applied for aid in academic year 2008-09 or submitted a FAFSA4caster prior to January 11, 2009, you can reapply for aid on the Web using the 2009-10 pre-filled FAFSA feature (at www.fafsa.ed.gov). Much of your application data is carried over from your previous application so you simply need to review and update it.

When filing the FAFSA electronically, both you and a parent providing information on the FAFSA should have federal Personal Identification Numbers (PINs). The PINs serve as your electronic signatures on the FAFSA. If you or your parent do not have your PINs, you can both apply at www.pin.ed.gov. Once you apply, PIN information is sent to each of you at the email address you provide. If you do not indicate an email address, your PIN will be emailed to you a few days after you apply. (You can file the FAFSA on line without PINs, but you will have to print and sign the Signature Page and mail to to the processor. The FAFSA must have signatures to be processed.)

How to File a Paper FAFSA

You may complete a paper FAFSA instead of filing online. A FAFSA PDF Document is available to print, complete, and mail, or you may request a paper FAFSA to be sent to you by calling 1 800 433-3243.

Your Federal PIN

The federal Personal Identification Number (PIN) serves as your identifier to let you access your personal information within various U.S. Department of Education systems. It's like the PIN you get from your bank that enables you to access your account. Because your PIN serves as your electronic signature, you should not give it to anyone.

In addition to being able to submit your FAFSA online and make subsequent corrections, your PIN enables you to view the status and results of your processed FAFSA application online, access your federal student financial assistance information on the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) Web site, make address corrections to your Direct Loan account, calculate a loan repayment schedule, and access helpful loan counseling tools.

One of your parents should also apply for a PIN to be able to sign the online FAFSA electronically. This saves time and keeps the application process simple. To apply for a PIN, your parent can go to www.pin.ed.gov. S/he will be asked to provide date of birth, social security number, name and mailing address. If your parent provides an email address, s/he will receive a PIN within a day through email. If no email address is provided, s/he will receive a PIN in the mail within a week.

Your Student Aid Report (SAR)

The SAR is an acknowledgement you receive from the federal Central Processing System (CPS) that alerts you that your FAFSA has been processed. It contains a summary of the information you submitted on your FAFSA and messages to the FAFSA filer. It is important that you read the SAR and review the data your provided.

If you provide a valid email address on your FAFSA or Renewal FAFSA, The CPS sends an email informing with a link to view your eSAR on the Web.

If you do not provide a valid email address, you will receive a paper SAR three to four weeks after you file your FAFSA.

If any of the information on the SAR is incorrect, submit your corrections online at www.fafsa.ed.gov or follow the instructions at the top of Part 2 of your paper SAR to make corrections and mail it back to the CPS. The Hope College Office of Financial Aid receives your corrections electronically. If all of the information on the SAR is correct, just keep it for your records.

MyFSA
The Federal Student Aid Portal on the web provides extensive information about college planning and funding. Students can tailor the portal to their interests, streamlining access to their saved data.