Kishwaukee College Financial Aid Coordinator Pamela Wagener reminds everyone who is enrolled in college or plans to be a college student in the 2013-14 academic year that February is Financial Aid Awareness Month. 

The Financial Aid process begins with students filing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) with the Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid Programs. The FAFSA asks for information on income for both the student and parents or just the student in situations that meet the criteria for independence. The FAFSA is available online at www.fafsa.gov. Students who will be attending college in the fall semester should be sure to complete the 2013-2014 FAFSA (not the 2012-2013 FAFSA). 

Families are encouraged to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when completing the FAFSA. When selecting this tool, the FAFSA and IRS information is verified at the time of submitting the FAFSA. This will ensure that accurate information is filed at the time of submission. This means that copies of tax returns will not be requested by financial aid offices and can make the awarding of financial aid easier and faster for students and their families.