FAFSA Information
The purpose of this page is to clear any misconceptions about FAFSA and encourage students to sign up for financial aid on time. FAFSA is limited so please remember to fill out your FAFSA as soon as the application comes out!
Objectives
- Understand the differences between Pell grant and loans
- Understand the timeframes of the application openings
- Understand the purpose of financial aid
- Know the different ways of reaching out to the financial aid office
We know the FAFSA process can be a little intimidating but we are here to help you!
What is FAFSA/WASFA?
FAFSA is a form of financial aid provided by the Federal government for students in need of paying for tuition through pell grants and or additional scholarships. WASFA, like FAFSA, is a form of financial aid provided by the State government for students who are international and or undocumented.
What is the Difference Between a Pell Grant and a Loan?
A Pell grant is money given to you by the government for free and does not need to be paid back whereas a loan is money lent from the federal system to you but is expected to be paid back to the Department of Education in due time. Please note that any scholarship you obtained will be applied with the Pell grant.
How Can I Apply and What is the Application Like?
The application can take a while and will ask for personal information such as your SSN, income tax information, marital status, etc. You can sign up for FAFSA through the government website by clicking the link Federal Student Aid Links to an external site., starting with creating your FSA ID. During the application process, the application will ask for the federal school code, Renton Technical College's federal school code is 014001. Once you are finished with the application process, contact the financial aid office at RTC to notify them and ask them what additional documents they need to process the financial aid. Also, if you are finishing school and do not plan on going back as you have completed your desired degree, remember to lock your FSA ID for security reasons through your settings. This is to prevent identity theft and fraud.
How Will the Financial Aid Office Contact me?
The Financial Aid Office will communicate with you by your student email or through the phone number on file. For more information regarding the setup of your student email click the Student Email Links to an external site. link.
Documents Required
Generally, these documents are what is needed during the verification process by the financial aid office but they may require more not listed here:
How Can I Reach the Financial Aid Office?
You can reach the Financial Aid Office through email, phone, or Zoom:
- Zoom link: Tell the host you would like to be directed to the financial aid office. Links to an external site.
- Email: financialaid@rtc.edu (may take more than 24 hours for a response)
- Phone number: (425) 235-5841
Application Openings
Applications open after October 1st. It is strongly recommended that you sign up for FAFSA as soon as possible and renew your forms every year to receive the most amount. Renewing is a simple process if you have already made your FSA ID and account as you just need to log in to fill out the necessary information when the applications open on the government website. Please check with the Financial Aid Office about deadlines or go to the RTC website to refer to the processing priority dates. Links to an external site.
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