Step By Step Process

Confused about the FAFSA? Watch this 6 minute clip on the whole process...

What is the FAFSA?

The FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is used to apply for federal student aid. Which include: grants, loans, and work study.

Remember to apply early. There are some state deadlines that are much earlier than the deadlines for federal aid. Oklahoma deadline date to apply for Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant (OTAG) is April 15 - so please apply by April 1.

How do I apply?

A. Apply for your PIN (Personal Identification Number). This is your electronic signature upon completing the FAFSA. If you are a dependent student, your parent will also require a PIN. If you use an email address, you will receive your PIN's in a faster response time.

B. Complete your FAFSA. Print off the FAFSA Worksheet, complete it, then go to the FAFSA on the Web site to enter your information. It takes approximately 10 days for the US Department of Education to process your application. It will be sent electronically to NEO once it has been processed. Processing time at NEO varies depending on the time of year we receive your application.

NEO's school code is 003160.

Remember the OFA priority deadline is April 1. Applications received by this date will be awarded the BEST financial aid package.

C. Apply for Admission to NEO online.

D. You will recieve notification of your FAFSA through your provided email (if you file electronically) or by post (if you mail in a FAFSA). This output is called the Student Aid Report (SAR). Review your SAR for accuracy. You may make corrections electronically at the FAFSA website.

E. Watch for correspondence from this office via email. You will receive all correspondence from the OFA via email to your NEO student email account. If you have not enrolled yet, and do not have an NEO account from a prior semester, it will be sent to your personal account. If you do not have an email address at all, you will be sent a paper copy of this Award Letter by postal mail. Be sure to check your email address on a regular basis. You can check for missing documents by visiting the Student Web Product.

F. Once your financial aid file has been packaged, you can review your Award Letter online. Go to the Student Web Product, log-in and run your cursor over the "Financial Aid" tab at the top of the screen. Take the "Accept Awards" option to see the awards available for your review. If you are reviewing summer session aid, you may have to choose the select award year option to change the defaulted award year to the prior year.

Review and accept or decline required awards. Some awards are automatically accepted for you. You would only have to accept Student Loan or Federal College Work Study awards. OTAG and OHLAP will be automatically accepted for you when those funds arrive at NEO.

Your awards will be available for you to accept or reject for a limited number of days. Please be sure to look at your online "file" at least once a week to stay on top of relevant issues. If you are awarded Federal College Work Study funds or Student Loans, you are required to accept or reject these awards. If you do not respond within 2 weeks of the time of your award, these awards may be cancelled and re-awarded to other students.

What type of Aid is available and how do I apply?

Grants	Who is eligible?	Maximum yearly amount	How to Apply
Federal Pell Grant	Full / part-time undergraduate students	$5350 maximum	File the FAFSA

Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)	Full / part-time undergraduate students with exceptional need. EFC determines eligibility.	Varies, based on financial need. $200 Minimum to $4,000 Maximum	File the FAFSA

Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant (OTAG)	Full / part-time undergraduate students. Must be a legal resident of Oklahoma. EFC determines eligibility.	$1,000 maximum	File the FAFSA prior to April 1.


Loans	Who is eligible?	Maximum yearly amount	How to Apply
Federal Stafford Loan Subsidized / Unsubsidized	Full / part-time undergraduate students.	Year 1: $3,500 Year 2: $4,500	File the FAFSA. Complete an online Entrance Interview. A Promissory Note is required the first time you apply for a loan.

Additional Unsubsidized Loan Unsubsidized Loan	Full / part-time Independent undergraduate students. Must be enrolled in at least 6 hours each semester. Full/part-time Dependent undergraduate students. Must be enrolled in at least 6 hours each semester.	Year 1: $4,000 Year 2: $4,000 Year 1: $2,000 Year 2: $2,000	File the FAFSA. Complete an online Entrance Interview. Apply for Subsidized Stafford Loan prior to requesting this award. A Promissory Note is required the first time you apply for a loan. YOU MUST REQUEST THIS AWARD IN THE OFFICE OF FINANCIAL AID, IT IS NOT AUTOMATICALLY AWARDED TO YOU.

Plus Loan (Parent Loan)	Full / part-time Dependent students. Must be enrolled in at least 6 hours each semester.	Based on students Cost of attendance.	File the FAFSA. Complete an online Entrance Interview. A Promissory Note is required from the parent, and also signed by the student.


Work Study	Who is eligible?	Maximum yearly amount	How to Apply
Federal College Work Study Program (FCWS)	Full / part-time undergraduate students.	Varies based on financial need. Minimum wage, up to $4640 per academic year.	File the FAFSA. Request work section on the FAFSA or come by the OFA.

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Step By Step Process