For the first time ever students will be able to complete and submit their FAFSA/Dream Act Applications before their college applications! This is great because it means you will have a better idea of all of your financial aid possibilities long before you have to make your final decisions about what school you are going to attend. Additionally, and this is HUGE, you will use "prior-prior" tax returns to report your income and your parents' income. Huh? What's that mean? It means you get to use the tax return that is already done! Not the one you will be working on. Beginning October 1st you can apply for financial aid through the FAFSA or Dream Act using your 2015 tax returns! Thanks Obama. No, seriously, it was his idea :)

So, come on down to the College & Career Center any time between 10:00 and 5:00, eat a doughnut or slice of pizza, and get it done! It should take you about an hour to complete your application assuming you have everything you need. Oh, yeah. Here's what you'll need:

• Your/your parents' Social Security Number
• Your/your parents' Alien Registration Number (if you are not a U.S. citizen)
• Your/your parents' most recent federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned. (Note: You may be able to transfer your federal tax return information into your FAFSA using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.)
• Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable)
• Records of untaxed income (if applicable)
• An FSA ID to sign electronically You can get one of these now and show your parents how to get theirs here: https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm

Want to know more? Visit the FAFSA or Dream Act page on the C&CC website.