Step 1. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
The FAFSA determines a students’ eligibility for federal and state aid, which includes grants and federal loans. It can be completed on the web at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The FAFSA is available for the upcoming award year after January 1 of each year. All students need to submit the FAFSA in order to receive/continue receiving financial aid. You will need a Personal Identification Number (PIN) in order to electronically “sign” your FAFSA. If you are a dependent student, your parent must have his/her own PIN as well. The website to apply for a PIN is www.pin.ed.gov.
To ensure that Columbia College Hollywood receives your FAFSA, be sure to list our Federal School Code of 014697.
Students who provide a valid e-mail address on their FAFSA will receive an e-mail with a link to their Student Aid Report (SAR). All students should review the information on their SAR for errors. If estimates were used for the income section of the FAFSA, be sure to correct the information provided as soon as you have accurate information. Be sure to also review the comment section of your SAR because you may have been selected for a review process called Verification. Each year the Department of Education randomly selects a percentage of FAFSA forms for verification. This means that the Financial Aid Office will be requesting verification documents, including copies of federal tax returns, to verify that the information provided on your FAFSA is accurate.
Need help completing the FAFSA? Watch a short FAFSA video tutorial or click here for FAFSA Frequently Asked Questions.
Step 2. Complete the CCH Online Financial Aid Interview
A new financial aid interview must be done each year after May 1st and prior to September 1st. The complete the interview, please visit our Online Virtual Financial Aid Office. The interview should take 10-15 minutes to complete and will give you an initial estimate of the federal financial aid you are eligible to receive. You will need your Expected Family Contribution from the FAFSA to finish the interview, so be sure to have this figure handy. Even if you do not want student loans and only want grants and scholarships, you must still complete the online interview.
Step 3: Receive Your Award Eligibility Letter
After each of the above steps has been completed, a Financial Aid Coordinator will contact you to provide you with your award eligibility letter. Your award eligibility will show how much financial aid you have been awarded and how much in additional funds, if any, you need. Keep in mind that the award letter you initially receive is only based on the information currently available to us. Additional funds, such as scholarships and parent loans, can be added on after the first award letter is generated.