Financial Aid Workshops

Step-by-step FAFSA Application Workshops

Three Rivers Community College Financial Aid Department offers campus, and one-on-one virtual workshops on how to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for students and parents who have filed their federal taxes, and those individuals who are not required to file taxes according to the IRS.  Please remember the FAFSA application deadline for priority consideration is May 1st.  A step-by-step FAFSA Application video is also available below.

During any workshop option you choose, students will complete the FAFSA application online. If you plan on registering for a workshop, please read the information provided below — Do I Need to Provide My Parents’ Information on the FAFSA? —to ensure you bring the proper documents with you. Please be advised that if you do not have your FSA ID and the required documents, you will have to reschedule your appointment.

To register for a FAFSA Workshop please click the link below:

To watch a step-by-step video on completing the FAFSA click on the start arrow:

 

 

 

 

Materials You’ll Need for the Workshop

1. Do I Need to Provide My Parents’ Information on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)?

According to the Department Of Higher Education, all FAFSA applicants are considered either “Independent” or “Dependent.” Dependent students are required to include information about their parents on the FAFSA . By answering the questions below, you can get an idea of which category you fit into:

  • Will you be 24 or older by Dec. 31 of the school year for which you are applying for financial aid?
  • Will you be working toward a Master’s or Doctorate degree? (M.A., M.B.A., M.D., J.D., Ph.D., Ed.D., etc.)
  • Are you married or separated, but not divorced?
  • Do you have children who receive more than half of their support from you?
  • Do you have dependents (other than children or a spouse) who live with you, and receive more than half of their support from you?
  • At any time since you turned age 13, were both of your parents deceased? Were you in foster care, or a ward or dependent of the court?
  • Are you an emancipated minor, or do you have a legal guardian, determined by a court?
  • Are you an unaccompanied youth who is homeless or self-supporting, and at risk of being homeless?
  • Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training?
  • Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?

If you answered “No” to all the above questions, you are considered a dependent student and are required to provide your parents’ financial information when completing the FAFSA.  If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, then you are considered to be an independent student. You are not required to provide any parental information on your FAFSA. If you are under the age of 24 and answered “Yes” to any of these questions, you may be required to bring in additional documentation.

2. Gathering the Documents Needed to Apply

The FAFSA asks for information about you (your name, date of birth, address, etc.) and about your financial situation. Depending on your circumstances (for instance, when you filed taxes or what tax form you used), you might need the following information or documents as you fill out the FAFSA:

  • Your Social Security number (It is important that you enter it correctly on the FAFSA!)
  • Your parents’ Social Security numbers, if you are a dependent student. (See above – Do I need to provide my parents’ information?)
  • Your Driver’s License or State ID number, if you have one.
  • Your Alien Registration Number, if you are not a U.S. citizen.
  • Federal tax information or tax returns, including IRS W-2 information, for you (and your spouse, if you are married), and for your parents, if you are a dependent student:
    • IRS 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ
    • Foreign tax return and/or:
    • Tax return for Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Marshall Islands, the Federal States of Micronesia, or Palau
  • Records of untaxed income, such as child support received, interest income, and veterans non-education benefits for you and for your parents, if you are a dependent student.
  • Information on cash; savings and checking account balances; investments, including stocks and bonds and real estate, but not including the home in which you live; and business and farm assets for you and for your parents, if you are a dependent student.

To register and reserve a seat, or see workshop dates and times, please visit TimeCenter.

Questions? Contact the Financial Aid office at 860-215-9040 or financialaid@trcc.commnet.edu.

If you would rather complete the FAFSA application on your own,

Please go to our main Financial Aid page and follow the steps.

Questions?

Contact the Financial Aid Office at 860-215-9040 or financialaidhelp@threerivers.edu.