Year: 2014

Happy New Year from all of us at Orientation and Family Programs and Services! As we start the New Year, we want to know how we can continue enhancing our programs and serving you and your student in 2015. If you have feedback on the programs and services we offer families, please email families@gmu.edu, or if you want to speak with a current Mason parent consider emailing a member of our Parent and Family Council at askpafc@gmu.edu.

Thank you for being an integral part of the Mason Family! We wish you joy and happiness throughout the New Year.

Orientation and Family Programs and Services

January 1	2015-2016 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Available
January 5	Administrative Offices Re-Open
January 16	Campus Residence Halls Re-Open at 10 a.m.
January 19	Martin Luther King Day (No Classes)
January 20	First Day of Classes
January 20	Spring 2015 Domicile Appeals Deadline
January 20 - 24	Winter Welcome Week
January 27	Last Day to Add Classes
January 27	Last Day to Drop Classes (No Pentalty)
January 29	Evening of Reflection: Martin Luther King Jr. (http://mlkday.onmason.com)

The final weeks of the semester can be hectic for students and families. We hope that you are able to enjoy quality time with your student during this winter break. From all of us here at Orientation and Family Programs and Services, we wish both you and your student a fun and restful vacation! We look forward to serving you in the New Year and are thankful you and your student are part of our Mason Family.

Orientation and Family Programs and Services

On January 1, 2015 the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2015-2016 academic year will be available to complete online at www.FAFSA.gov.

Students, both returning and prospective, who wish to apply for financial aid will want to submit the FAFSA by George Mason University’s priority filing date of March 1.  It is never too early to start this process by having conversations with your student over winter break.  It is important for students and families to ensure they are completing the FAFSA accurately and on time.  See below for more information on the priority filing deadline and resources designed to guide students and families through the filing process.

What is a priority filing date?
The priority filing date is the day that Mason begins processing FAFSA applications for the upcoming year.  Due to the increasing number of financial aid applicants at George Mason University, combined with a limited amount of state and institutional aid available, this is the date used to determine who will be considered eligible to receive such awards.  To ensure that your student is considered for these types of aid, please encourage them to submit their FAFSA prior to the March 1 deadline.

The FAFSA requests completed tax information.  What if my student has not yet not yet filed his or her taxes?
On the FAFSA application there is an option to choose “will file”.  Both students and parent(s) can put estimated income information into the FAFSA to submit the application in a timely manner.  Each year, in order to meet the priority deadline, a number of our applicants choose this method to ensure that the FAFSA is submitted before this deadline.  Once you and your student have completed and filed taxes, both of you will need to go online and make corrections by using the IRS Data Retrieval process within the FAFSA application to input the accurate tax information in order to ensure an accurate financial aid package based on actual income and data.

What if my student needs help completing the FAFSA?
There are many tools available to assist both students and families with completing the FAFSA. For example, on Mason’s Office of Student Financial Aid website there are videos with step-by-step instructions to assist with the process.  Also, you can visit the U. S. Department of Education’s website for more helpful information to assist your student when completing the FAFSA.    

Heidi Granger
Director
Student Financial Aid