How to Apply for Academic Year 2009-2010

The Three Step Application Process

1. File your 2009-2010 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.ed.gov.  School Code 002014 must be included or added to an existing FAFSA for LSUHSC-NO to receive the results.
   

2. Complete a Federal Stafford Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) if you are seeking student loan funding and you did not borrow at LSUHSC for the 2008-09 academic year.  You can go to Choosing a Lender for a list of lenders worthy of consideration.

Students who borrowed Federal Stafford at LSUHSC in 2008-09 do not need to complete a new MPN or the online counseling session discussed below. Most borrowers will obtain sufficient funding through the Federal Stafford program. Some may need to seek additional funding through the Graduate PLUS, Undergraduate PLUS (for parents of dependent undergraduates), or private alternative loans. These more expensive options are also discussed at the lender websites.

3. Complete the Federal Stafford Loan online entrance counseling session at http://mappingyourfuture.org/oslc/index.cfm?act=Intro&OslcTypeID=1.

A Detailed Description of the Application Process

STEP 1 Ø Free Application for Federal Student Aid

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  Students must complete a FAFSA for each academic year they seek aid.  The Department of Education and the Financial Aid Office highly recommend filing the FAFSA on the web at www.fafsa.ed.gov.   The Department of Education provides PIN numbers for use as electronic signatures at www.pin.ed.gov.

• File the FAFSA in January or February to facilitate prompt processing of aid for the Fall semester.

• Study all directions and complete all FAFSA worksheets. Many items are not self-evident.
   

•  List the LSUHSC New Orleans Federal School Code, 002014, in Step Six of the FAFSA.
   

•  Undergraduates (Associate/Bachelors degree seekers) must follow the FAFSA to determine if parent data is required.  Students in LSUHSC Masters and Doctoral programs are graduate/professional level and do not have to include parent data on the FAFSA to qualify for U.S. Department of Education federal aid. 
  
  However, applicants for Health Professions Loan (DDS), Primary Care Loan (MD), or federal extreme need scholarships must include parent data.  Also, students with low income parents should include parent data if possible.
   

• Feel free to bring your FAFSA in for review with your financial aid counselor, but submit your electronic or paper form to the federal processing center.

Student Aid Report - The Student Aid Report (SAR) lists the results of the FAFSA filing.  Contact the financial aid office immediately if any of the follow occur.

• There are errors in your report

• Your SAR includes the letter “C” next to the EFC figure, or

• LSUHSC-NO is not identified as a data recipient.

Verification - If the SAR indicates an aid applicant is selected for verification, the application file will not be complete for processing until the financial aid office receives a completed Independent Verification Worksheet or a completed  Dependent Verification Worksheet and all required Federal Income Tax Returns. The SAR may also identify other requirements.

Step 2 Ø The Federal Stafford Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN)

The Federal Stafford Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) covers multiple academic years.  Note: minimum level enrollment for Stafford is five credits graduate, six credits undergraduate, in a regular semester.  Loan applicants filing the MPN electronically with their selected lender must submit a printout of the MPN to the LSUHSC-NO Student Financial Aid Office.  Visit Choosing a Lender for more information and lender links.

Optional Amount Specification and Additional Funds Request Forms - You can use the LSUHSC-NO Stafford Loan Request Form to notify the Financial Aid Office of the amount you wish to borrow for the academic year. This form is optional, but should be completed by borrowers who know in advance that they want to borrow below the maximum amount available.

Additional Amount Request - You have already requested a Federal Stafford loan for the 2009-2010 academic year using the Master Promissory Note and Federal Stafford Loan Request form. Use the LSUHSC-NO Additional Amount Request Form to request additional Federal Stafford loan funding for the 2009-2010 academic year.

Step 3 Ø  Federal Stafford Entrance Counseling

Complete the Federal Stafford Entrance Counseling at http://mappingyourfuture.org/oslc/index.cfm?act=Intro&OslcTypeID=1. Electronic confirmation is required to complete the loan application file.