DAS Financial Aid Consulting Services, LLC

Hey Y’all, it’s Daina from DAS Financial Aid Consulting Services, LLC.

I am happy to be announcing the launch of my new Financial Aid Compliance Solutions program designed to help schools’ reduce their potential audit findings with tips that I have used over the course of the last 15 years.

If you are a school owner who is looking to have stress-free USDE annual audits, then, this program is for you and your financial aid staff. Beginning with the 2021/2022 Award Year let’s make sure your schools’ audits are seamless and stress-free.

✨Financial Aid Compliance Solutions program features one-on-one lessons with me virtually via Zoom on how to:

✔️Complete 2021/2022 FAFSA® with students and their parents with less errors.

✔️Review 2021/2022 ISIRS and 2019 Federal Tax Returns – Line items on the 2019 Tax Forms have changed since 2018.

✔️How to Resolve Conflicting Information Entered Quickly

✔️Verification 101: Documents needed to complete V1, V4 and V5 with COVID-19 guidelines that are still in effect.

✔️How to Determine Student’s Eligibility

✔️How to Present a Financial Aid Offer to Students and Parents to avoid Defaults.

✔️Your Institution will be featured in my popular Weekly Podcast Show – Let’s Talk Financial Aid for College™

✔️Personalized Weekly Q&A Sessions with me via Zoom.

Interested? Please contact me, Daina Anderson, at danderson@dasfinancialaidconsultingservices.com for registration information.

©2021 DAS Financial Aid Consulting Services, LLC – All Rights Reserved

I am happy to be participating in this year’s International Women’s Day on March 8, 2021.

In celebration of this incredible day, I have put together an event for high school girls currently looking to apply to college. Women looking to enroll in college/university or career schools need financial aid to pay for their education.

Join me on Monday, March 8, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. ET for an informative Q&A where you can “ASK ME ANYTHING – About Applying for Federal Student Aid Financial Aid.”

To sign up – simply complete the form so that you can be added to the event list and provided the Zoom link for the Q&A .

Financial Aid Advisors who are looking to help your students with accessing “FREE” financial aid opportunities while increasing your institutions’ cash flow? You will want to watch this video.

Mark your calendars for Thursday, October 29, 2020, to attend a webinar offering valuable tips on increasing your institutions’ cash flow. Sign up form is located down below 👎👎

When: Thursday, October 29, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. EDT

Hosted by Daina Anderson Sharples

Here is your invitation to learn How to Increase Your Institutions’ Cash Flow by Obtaining the Most in “Free” Financial Aid for Your Students. Sign up below to accept the invitation.

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©2020 DAS Financial Aid Consulting Services, LLC – All Rights Reserved

Welcome to Financial Aid Compliance Solutions.

Financial Aid Compliance Solutions offers a comprehensive compliance training program for Career and Technical School Financial Aid Advisors.

Ensuring successful financial aid appointments.

Receive financial aid disbursements faster.

System for an organized financial aid office.

Successful annual USDE audits.

Create a memorable financial aid experience for your students.

Time is spent assisting your current and potential students with their career paths.

Program begins on August 7, 2020.

This article will provide guidance as to how some colleges are handling the outbreak.

https://www.educationdive.com/news/as-coronavirus-concerns-rise-in-us-colleges-look-online-for-continuity/573426/

U.S. Department of Education guidance.

https://www.ed.gov/coronavirus?src=feature

©2020 DAS Financial Aid Consulting Services, LLC

We are very excited to announce that DAS Virtual Financial Academy is open. The first training session will begin on Friday, March 13, 2020, at 1:30 p.m. EDT via GoToMeeting.

This training is open to all Financial Aid Advisers and students of Career and Technical Schools.

© 2020 DAS Financial Aid Consulting Services, LLC.

DAS Financial Aid Consulting Services is providing a weekly Podcast.

Join us at https://dasfaconsulting.podbean.com/ on Friday mornings at 10:30 a.m. EST. beginning this Friday, January 10, 2020.

Call-Ins are Welcome!

©2020 DAS Financial Aid Consulting Services, LLC.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! While most students are getting ready to head out on Thanksgiving break to enjoy with family and friends, there are those students who will be spending the holiday on campus. If you happen to be one of those students, check out the community boards on campus as there are organizations that will be serving Thanksgiving dinner to those that are less fortunate. Take advantage of this opportunity to be part of a memorable Thanksgiving by not only partaking in the meal being provided but also consider offering your time to help prepare and/or serve the meal.

During this break, it is also encouraged that when classes resume on Monday that you have reviewed your Satisfactory Academic Progress (a.k.a SAP) with your Financial Aid Advisor. Satisfactory Academic Progress means that your attendance and grades are within the guidelines set by your institution and approved by the USDE. If you are not, this could affect your aid disbursements for the spring semester. Make sure you have your appointment scheduled to discuss your SAP.

Institutions that are Title IV eligible are required to have a Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy in place. It is up to the student to be familiar with the institution’s policy.

If you are not in SAP, most of the institution’s policies have a warning and probation system in place where you will be able to receive the aid disbursement while on probation status but will need to complete the plan that is set up to maintain your Satisfactory Academic Progress.

If you have failed a course or courses in the first semester, re-takes may be available but will affect your aid eligibility so you will need to discuss with your Financial Aid Advisor your revised eligibility.

Also, if your Financial Aid Advisor contacted you during the fall semester and requested that you provide documents to complete verification and you have not provided these documents, make sure you get those documents to your advisor as soon as possible. If verification is not completed within the time frame allotted by the USDE, this will affect your aid. In short, all aid for the award year that had been disbursed will need to be refunded and you (the student) will be responsible for the remaining balance owed to the school.

Lastly, now is the time to take a self-assessment. Meaning now is the time to ask yourself whether or not the program that you are enrolled in is really what you expected it to be? Are you satisfied with your progress? More important do you like what you are studying and what the end result will be? If not, now is the time to make changes. You may be able to transfer courses that you took during the fall semester to the new program you are interested in. Keep in mind that any changes to your enrollment and program will also affect your aid.

With all that said, enjoy this break with your family and friends.

©2019 DAS Financial Aid Consulting Services, LLC

Students who will be attending college or trade schools as of 7/1/2020 will need to complete the 2020/2021 FAFSA®.

DAS Financial Aid Consulting Services is your resource for preparing for your Financial Aid appointments. Our comprehensive service includes:

• Assisting with the completion of Free Application for Federal Student Aid – FAFSA®.
• Providing financial aid eligibility based on the results of the FAFSA®
• Providing compliance documents to complete the verification and C-code resolution.
• Providing scholarship and gap loan options
• Complete personalized files for you to provide to your Financial Aid Office at the time of your appointment.

©2019 DAS Financial Aid Consulting Services, LLC

by Daina Anderson Sharples

For most students, the answer is no. I will be the first to admit that when I decided to enroll in at a business college back in (well, we don’t need to know how long ago that was) but I can confirm that I had no idea what Pell Grant meant or the difference between a Direct Subsidized Loan and Direct Unsubsidized Loan. All I cared about was being able to go to school to get a degree and have a respectable career. Sound familiar?

In the end, it cost me $15,000 to put myself through college to obtain an Associates Degree in Paralegal studies. It took me 10 years to pay off my student loan debt. To accomplish this, at one point while I was in school, I worked 3 jobs. After all, was said and done, I accomplished this feat on my own.

Like many of you, who are considering taking on a substantial amount of debt is not to be taken lightly, but I believe that education is priceless. Education is an investment in YOURSELF. We all need to continue to grow or we become stagnant.

For most undergrad students, Pell Grant money is available, which is federally funded and is “free” money that does not have to be paid back. Subsidized Loans and Unsubsidized Loans are available and are federally funded, and have to be paid back. There is an origination fee associated with each loan. The origination fee rate for the loans is currently set at 1.062%. The rate will be decreasing to 1.059% for all loans that will receive their first disbursements on or after October 1, 2019.

The maximum amount that a student can apply for and receive depends on the year.

First-year/Freshmen Undergrads – $3500 in Subsidized Loan, $2000 in Unsubsidized Loan (Dependent students without a Plus loan denial), $6000 in Unsubsidized Loan (Independent students and Dependent students with a Plus loan denial).

Second-year/Sophomore Undergrads – $4500 in Subsidized Loan, $2000 in Unsubsidized Loan (Dependent students without a Plus loan denial), $6000 in Unsubsidized Loan (Independent students and Dependent students with a Plus loan denial).

Third-year/Junior, Fourth-year/Senior, and Fifth-year Undergrads – $5500 in Subsidized Loan, $2000 in Unsubsidized Loan (Dependent students without a Plus loan denial), $7000 in Unsubsidized Loan (Independent students and Dependent students with a Plus loan denial).

While this aid is available to undergrad students it is not enough to pay for most programs being offered. Additional funding needs to be obtained to pay for the remaining balances. This is where Sallie Mae® and Citizens Bank® (to name a couple of institutions) have come up with additional funding options. I highly recommend that you do your research so that you pick the best institution for your unique situation.

Until next time, keep reaching for the stars and continue to dream no matter what your age.

©2019 DAS Financial Aid Consulting Services, LLC

Welcome Back to School Class of 2020!

Here’s a friendly reminder on October 1, 2019, the USDE will make the 2020/2021 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA®) available to complete. You will need to have your parent(s) and your federal 2018 Tax Return (if one was filed) to complete the application.

Now is the time to begin to prepare for your financial aid appointments at your college/university/trade school of choice. The faster you complete the FAFSA® the sooner you will be able to know how much you will qualify in Federal Aid.

12th Graders – here is your checklist created especially for you by the USDE. https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/prepare-for-college/checklists/12th-grade

Additional checklists are available for juniors, sophomores, and freshmen:

11th Graders – here is your checklist created especially for you by the USDE. https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/prepare-for-college/checklists/11th-grade

10th Graders – here is your checklist created especially for you by the USDE. https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/prepare-for-college/checklists/10th-grade

9th Graders – here is your checklist created especially for you by the USDE. https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/prepare-for-college/checklists/9th-grade

Even for adults who are going back to school, a checklist has been created for you. https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/prepare-for-college/checklists/adult-student

While these checklists may seem to be overwhelming it is meant to be a tool to assist you and your parents through the financial aid process.

STUDENTS – YOUR GOAL SHOULD BE TO EXHAUST ALL GRANT AND SCHOLARSHIP AID AVAILABLE BEFORE APPLYING FOR LOANS

Scholarships are available and should be applied for as early as possible. There are multiple websites including state agency websites for your home state offering scholarships. This is free money that is just sitting there waiting for someone to apply for it.

Once you know your financial aid availability the next step in this journey is to find a college/university/trade school that you can afford.

We will discuss school shopping in our next blog. Until then, get yourselves organized and ready to complete the 2020/2021 FAFSA®.

©2019 DAS Financial Aid Consulting Services, LLC

DAS Financial Aid Consulting Services, LLC  provides students and Financial Aid Advisers with expert guidance and training to navigate through the U.S. Department of Education’s system.  Beginning with completing the F.A.F.S.A. (Free Application for Federal Student Aid); answers to eligibility questions; and help with understanding the Department of Education’s rules and regulations.

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©2019 DAS Financial Aid Consulting Services, LLC