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How Do I Apply for Financial Aid?

By , About.com Guide

Applying

Applying

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Question: How Do I Apply for Financial Aid?
It generally pays to submit the Parents Financial Statement (PFS) as part of the admissions' process. You may think that your financial situation precludes your child's receiving any financial assistance. The school on the other hand measures your PFS against the others in the pool for that academic year. It will make awards based on that information.
Answer: You have two options for completing and submitting your PFS (Parents Financial Statement): the traditional manual process or online using the Web-based application.

Submit Application Manually to Each School

You can complete the Parents Financial Statement documentation which will be part of the package the school sends you. Be sure to include copies of your W-2's and 1099's for the most recent tax year. Then submit directly to each school.

Submit the PFS Online

The National Association of Independent Schools offers a Web-based application service. The advantage is that you can point and click your way through the entire PFS application process. When you are finished, you can select the NAIS member schools which will receive your PFS. This is a great time-saver, to say the least.

The instructions are clear and concisely written. You should have no trouble completing your PFS online.

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