Financial Aid in Hyper-Multi-Task Mode
As an avid nature lover, I think of winter as a quieter, darker, and more reflective time, a time to get cozy and wait for the spring thaw to come. Many of the birds in the woods have migrated, the deer are searching for food, and the bears are sleeping. The deciduous trees have shed their leaves and the forest floor is covered with snow. It is quiet when I snowshoe.
Not so at Cornell! Towards the end of January the FASE office goes into hyper-multi-task mode. Our current students have returned from Winter Break and are in the midst of the registration process, and we’re working closely with our Early Decision and Regular Decision financial aid applicants. Here are a few of the questions we are currently receiving about new student applications.
Is it too late to apply for aid?
No, we will continue to consider applications. The advantage of applying by the deadline is that you find out your aid information at the same time that you learn of your admission, but you can apply for aid at any time.
What do you need to apply?
There are a few basic things that everyone needs to fill out/submit – FAFSA, CSS Profile, Cornell Aid Application, most recent Student and Parent tax returns. Then there are some forms that are marked “if applicable.” Check out the Applying for Aid tab on our website (www.finaid.cornell.edu) to personalize your own checklist with all of the necessary and “if applicable” forms so that you are sure you are doing everything necessary for your family situation. If you have already started the financial aid application process, you can check the status of your application at any time by clicking the Check Application Status link on our webpage.
How do we get information to you?
Whichever method you choose to send in your documents, please send them only once. We prefer to receive documents by fax or by email. Our fax number is (607) 255-6329 and email is finaid@cornell.edu. Our fax machine is a secure line that can receive documents 24/7, so send them in whenever is most convenient for you! If you send them via postal service, please don’t staple pages together as this slows down processing time. Check out “Read the Recipe” below for some more tips on applying for financial aid, and as always, contact our office if you have questions or concerns.
We have not gotten 2008 W2 yet. So could we submit 2007 income tax as an estimate at moment?
Darren Chen – Yes, please submit your 2007 W2s and income tax returns. We can use these for an estimate of financial aid. When you file the CSS Profile and the FAFSA, you should estimate what your 2008 tax returns will read so that if your income has changed significantly from 2007 we can give you a more accurate picture. We will need your 2008 tax information when it is complete… we will use the actual 2008 tax return to calculate the actual financial aid award.