Financial Aid Office

How do I apply for Federal Financial Aid?

For a helpful step by step tutorial for filling out the 2013-14 FAFSA, visit this handy Web site FAFSASimplification created by the University of California, Santa Barbara.  Here is a link to a video that is both entertaining and instructional http://www.finaid.org/fafsa/video.phtml or this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2d7IfFgxTs.

William Paterson University School Code: 002625, priority filing deadline: April 1st. New students who file the FAFSA well before April 1st, will receive earlier notification of eligibility.

Apply online at FAFSA on the WebSM. Submit a FAFSA. The FAFSA is used to apply for federal financial aid (grants, work-study, and loans). Also, many colleges, universities, and career schools use your FAFSA information to award state and college aid. The process is free. Never pay to apply for federal financial aid.
You'll need a PIN to "sign" your online FAFSA, make corrections to the application, and more. If you are a dependent student, your parent will need one too. You can get your PIN before you begin or as you complete the FAFSA — it's up to you. Get a PIN now! Note: Complete the FAFSA each year, starting on January 1.

Click here for a complete list of documents recommended to complete FAFSA application: 

How do I apply for New Jersey State Aid?

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid using NJCU's federal School Code (002625).
The Federal Processor will forward your application to the State of New Jersey for consideration for state financial aid.

The state of New Jersey requires all residents to Report Additional Information for state aid.  Please visit the state website at hesaa.org to complete the requirement.

Important Deadlines:

If you are a continuing student, your FAFSA must be processed by June 1st.
If you are a new applicant, your FAFSA must be processed by October 1st.
All other applicants (Spring semester only) March 1st

The IRS Data Retrieval Tool allows students and parents to access the IRS tax return information needed to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students and parents may transfer the data directly into their FAFSA.

If you are eligible to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, we highly recommend using the tool for several reasons:

1. It’s the easiest way to provide your tax data.
2. It’s the best way of ensuring that your FAFSA has accurate tax information.
3. You won’t need to provide a copy of your or your parents’ tax returns to your college.

If you do not use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to provide tax information and your college requests a copy of your tax return or your parents’ tax return, you may be required to obtain an official tax transcript from the IRS.

Requesting a federal Tax Return Transcript is as easy as 1-2-3!

1. LINK
Visit www.irs.gov
Look under TOOLS →"Order a Return or Account Transcript"
OR call the IRS at 1-800-908-9946, and follow the menu prompts
2. REQUEST
Choose "Go To Order A Transcript," under box 3
Enter the required data to request the TAX RETURN TRANSCRIPT
HINT: You may need to order transcripts for multiple people -yourself (and spouse) and/or your parent(s)
3. SUBMIT
Receive the TAX RETURN TRANSCRIPT in the mail
Make a copy for your records
Submit the TAX RETURN TRANSCRIPT(S) to the office(s) requesting the documents -be sure to include the student's name and Social Security Number or Banner ID # on the Transcript(s)

All About Awarding

Please also see Who is Eligible and All About Awarding for more information.