Frequently Asked Questions 3
We have been closely monitoring the BCC app and have compiled students’ most commonly asked questions. From Admissions, Registration, Financial Aid/Bursar’s Office, Advisement, Academics, Advisement, ASAP, and Student Life to the most Helpful Resources, here’s what you need to know.
FAFSA Questions (27)
You can create an FSA ID when logging into certain ED websites, including this one. Create an FSA ID now.nnThe FSA ID process consists of three main steps:nn1. Enter your log-in information.n
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- Provide your e-mail address, a unique username, and password, and verify that you are at least 13 years old.
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n2. Enter your personal information.n
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- Provide your Social Security number, name, and date of birth.
- Include your mailing address, e-mail address, telephone number, and language preference.
- For security purposes, provide answers to five challenge questions.
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n3. Submit your FSA ID information.n
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- Agree to the terms and conditions
- Verify your e-mail address. (Note: By verifying your e-mail address, you can use your e-mail address as your username when logging into certain ED websites. This verification also allows you to retrieve your username or reset your password without answering challenge questions.)
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You can call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) with questions about the FAFSA on the Web or paper application process. Online help for completing the FAFSA is available at www.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov/completefafsa. Help text is available for every question on the FAFSA if you apply online using FAFSA on the web at www.fafsa.gov. You can also get free live help online at this web site.
If you need to make corrections to the SAR, you can make them online at www.fafsa.gov. You can made a few changes to your SAR information by calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243).
You must re-apply for financial aid every academic year. When filling out a FAFSA again the application will be partially completed for you using information that has been carried over from last year’s application.
You can list up to ten schools on your FAFSA. Those schools will receive you FAFSA results electronically.
Anyone in the immediate family who receives more than 50% support from a dependent student’s parents or an independent student and spouse may be counted in the household size. For example, a sibling who is over 24 but still receives the majority of his/her support from the parents can be included. Siblings who are dependent (as defined by the FAFSA) as of the date you apply for aid are also included, regardless of whether they receive more than 50% of their support from the parents. Any other person who resides in the household and receives more than 50% support from the parents may also be counted, as long as they will continue to reside with your parents and the support is expected to continue through June 30 2016. An unborn child who will be born during the award year may also be counted in the household size.nnHousehold size and tax exemptions are not necessarily the same. Exemptions look at the previous year or tax year and household size refers to the school year for which the student is applying for aid.
You should provide the SSN and last name of the same person or people for whom you are reporting financial information. In this case, provide the SSNs and names of your mother and stepfather.
Your FAFSA will be processed in two to four days. If you do get an email within a week you can check the status by going to www.fafsa.gov. You can also check by contacting the Federal student aid Information center at 1-800-4-FED-AID.
You should give only your portion of the exemptions, income, and taxes paid.
You are considered a veteran for the purpose of filling out the FAFSA if you have engaged in active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard) or are a National Guard or Reserve enlistee who was called to active duty for other than state or training purposes, or were a cadet or midshipman at one of the service academies and were released under a condition other than dishonorable.nnIf you are not on active duty in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard, but will be a veteran by June 30, 2010, you are considered a veteran for FAFSA purposes.
Only if the relative is your adoptive parent. Dependent students can be considered dependent only on their parent(s) and must report only parental information on the FAFSA. You must report any cash support given by relatives, but not in-kind support (such as food and housing) from relatives.
It’s a federal regulation. There are basic requirements a student must meet to be considered an independent student. If you do not meet these requirements but you still believe you are truly independent of your parents, you may appeal for a “dependency override” in the financial aid office at your school. In unusual cases, the financial aid administrator can change your dependency based on adequate documentation of special circumstances you may have.
Report only your mother’s income and asset information because you lived with her the most during the past 12 months. Use a W-2 Form or other record(s) to determine her share of the income reported and taxes paid on the tax return.
The federal government uses a process called verification to help determine the correctness of the financial information on your FAFSA. If your application needs to be verified, there will be an asterisk (*) to the right of the EFC and written comments on the SAR indicating what actions you need to take to complete the verification process. Your electronic record will also indicate that verification must be completed before any federal student aid payments are made.nnIf your application is selected for verification, or if there are any other questions about your application, the financial aid office will send you a letter asking you to provide documentation of your SAR information and complete a Verification Worksheet. You will have to submit Tax Transcript(s) and other requested items before you receive any payments of federal student aid.
Contact the financial aid office of the school(s) you’re interested in or plan to attend. If you’re eligible for aid, each school will send you an award letter, telling you the types of aid it will offer and how much you can receive.
Review it carefully to make sure it’s correct and complete. If it is and if it contains your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) contact the school(s) you’re interested in. The schools listed on your FAFSA will appear on your SAR, they’ll receive your SAR information electronically.
If you do not receive your SAR Acknowledgement within two weeks or SAR within four weeks after submitting your application, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243). You can use the automated system to find out whether your application has been processed or to request duplicate copies of your report. You will need to provide your Social Security Number and the first two letters of your last name. You can also check the status of your FAFSA and print a copy of your SAR at www.fafsa.gov.nnIf you apply on FAFSA on the Web, you will get a confirmation notice after you click on Submit My FAFSA.
You should not report any information for a friend or roommate unless the two of you are actually married or are considered to have a common-law marriage under state law. You must report any cash support given by the friend as untaxed income but should not report in-kind support (such as food). You would have to report as untaxed income the rent the roommate paid on your behalf.
You report the parent with whom you lived the most during the 12 months preceding the date you completed the FAFSA. It does not make a difference which parent claims you as a dependent for tax purposes. If you did not live with either parent or lived equally with each parent, the parental information must be provided for the parent from whom you received the most financial support during the preceding 12 months or the parent from whom you received the most support the last time support was given.nnIf the parent you receive financial support from was a single parent who is now married, or the parent was divorced or widowed but has remarried, your stepparents financial information is required on the FAFSA. This does not mean your stepparent is obligated to give financial assistance to you, but his or her income and assets represent significant information about the family’s resources.
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- Social Security numbers of student and parents’ (parents Social Security numbers are needed for dependent students)
- W-2 forms and other records of money earned by student and parents, if you are a dependent student
- Students and parents’ federal income tax returns (parents tax return is needed for dependent students and spouses tax return is needed for independent students)
- Untaxed income records – Social security, welfare, or veteran benefits for example
- Current bank statements
- Current business and investment mortgage information, business and farm records, stock, bond and other investment records
- Alien registration card, if you’re not a U.S. citizen
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An FSA ID is a username and password that you must use to log in to certain U.S. Department of Education (ED) websites. Your FSA ID identifies you as someone who has the right to access your own personal information on ED websites such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid ( FAFSA®) at fafsa.gov.nnIf you are a parent of a dependent student, you will need your own FSA ID if you want to sign your child’s FAFSA electronically. If you have more than one child attending college, you can use the same FSA ID to sign all applications. Please note: Each FSA ID user must have a unique e-mail address.nnYour FSA ID is used to sign legally binding documents electronically. It has the same legal status as a written signature.
Talk to your financial aid administrator in your schools’ financial aid office. If your family’s circumstances have changed from the base year due to loss of employment, loss of benefits, death or divorce, your school may decide to adjust data elements used to calculate your EFC. The adjustment might increase your eligibility for student aid.
If you are a dependent student and your parent is remarried, the stepparent’s information must be included or you will not be considered for federal student financial aid. If you believe that your situation is unique or unusual other than the stepparent’s simple refusal to provide the requested information, you should discuss the matter further with your financial aid administrator.
For the 2019-20 year, you can apply between Jan. 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020. For the 2020-21 year, you will be able to apply between Oct. 1, 2019, and June 30, 2021. However, there are a few federal student aid programs that have limited funds, so be sure to apply as soon as you can once the FAFSA is available for the year you’ll be attending school.
Your school must have your information by your last day of enrollment. If your school has not received your application information electronically, you must submit your paper SAR to the school by the deadline. Either the electronic record (ISIR) or the paper SAR that has been processed by the Department must have an official EFC. Once the school receives your information, it will use your EFC to determine the amount of your federal grant, loan, or work-study award, if you are eligible. The FAA will send you a letter explaining the aid the school is offering.
Generally, grants and scholarships that do not exceed tuition, fees, books, and required supplies are not considered income. Student aid is considered income when it’s taxable student grant and scholarship aid such as fellowships and assistantships which are reported to the IRS in your parents or your adjusted gross income.
Any person (other than your parents) who is counted in the household and will be attending any term of the academic year at least half time. The person must be working toward a degree or certificate leading to a recognized education credential at a postsecondary school eligible to participate in the federal student aid programs. You (the student) need not be enrolled half time to be counted in the number in college.
Helpful Resources
Resources | Location | Phone Ext (718-289-****) |
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Academic Advising (General) | Nichols Hall, 407 | 5401 | |
Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) | Nichols Hall, 411 | 3546 | |
Admissions | Loew Hall, 224 | 5895 | |
Athletics | Alumni Gym | 5338 | |
Books: New/Used/ Rental | Online | 800-887-6459 | |
Bursar (pay for classes) | Colston Hall, Main level | 5617/5618 | |
Career Development | Sage Hall, 201 | 5177 | |
College Discovery | Loew Hall 400 | 5882 | |
College Work Study | Colston Hall, 504 | 5700 | |
Counseling and Resources for Emergency Support (C.A.R.E.S) | Loew Hall 419 or 430 | 5179/5223 | |
CUNY EDGE | Loew Hall, 106A | 5849 | |
Disability Services | Loew Hall, 211 | 5874 | |
Early Childcare Center | Children’s Center, 219 | 5461/3512 | |
Financial Aid | Colston Hall, 504 | 5700 | |
First Year Program | Nichols Hall, 105 | 5120 | |
Food Pantry | Loew Hall, 419 | 5179 | |
Health Services (Immunizations & Minor injury Treatment) | Loew Hall, 101 | 5858 | |
Judicial Affairs (College Code of Conduct) | Loew Hall, 416 | 5630 | |
Leadership Clubs & Organizations | Roscoe Brown Student Center, 309 | 5194 | |
LGBTQI+ Resource Room | Roscoe Brown Student Center, 312 | 5903 | |
Library & Computers | North Hall & Library | 5439 | |
Male Empowerment Network | Roscoe Brown Student Center, 101-103 | 5713 | |
Public Safety/ Emergencies | Loew 511 | 5923 /5911 | |
Registrar (Verification of enrollment, | Colston Hall, 513 | 5710 | |
E-permit, Residency and Transcripts) | |||
Shuttle Bus | Departs from Meister every 20- 30 minutes | 5311 | |
Student Success | Loew Hall, 201 | 5278 | |
Technology Service Center | Roscoe Brown Student Center, 308 | 5970 | |
Tutoring/Learning Commons | Meister Hall, SB 003 | 929-314-3731 | |
Veteran and Military Resources | Loew Hall, 326 | 5447 | |
Womxn Up! | Roscoe Brown Student Center, 203B | 5266 | |
Writing Center & Computer Lab | Sage Hall, 100 | 5279 |