Central Piedmont’s login service is restored, so platforms that use the single sign-on service are accessible once again. Thank you for your patience and understanding as the Information Technology Services team continues to test and bring services back online that have been impacted by the February 10 cyberattack.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is the application that you must complete to determine your eligibility for federal, state, or institutional student aid, such as Pell grants and work-study opportunities. Complete the FAFSA even if you are not sure that you are eligible for aid. You could be eligible for more than you expect.
It is tough to predict exactly how much money your family will receive, but complete the FAFSA even if you are not sure you will get financial aid. If you wish to apply for Central Piedmont scholarships and many other scholarships, you will need to have completed the FAFSA. Additionally, if your family’s financial situation changes while you are in school, it will be easier to determine if you qualify for any resources if you have completed the FAFSA.
Your FAFSA is also used to determine whether you’re eligible for other financial aid, such as many need-based scholarships. To determine your eligibility for financial aid and your financial aid award, we calculate your demonstrated financial need. Need is the difference between the cost of education and what you and your parents might reasonably be expected to contribute to meet college costs. Due to the availability of funds, state grants, Federal Work-Study, and scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis based off the priority date. These contributions are determined by using the federal methodology as administered by the U.S. Department of Education. The expected parental and student contributions are calculated based on the financial information provided by parents and students on the FAFSA and a Federal Income Tax Return. The analysis system attempts to judge how much a family can realistically afford to contribute, not how much they will pay. The system is concerned with objective facts of a family's financial position and not with the family's financial practices. The analysis procedure is used to determine an expected family contribution based not only upon income, but upon a variety of other variables as well, such as family size, number of family members attending college, taxes paid, investments, and so forth.
If you are classified as a dependent student by FAFSA guidelines, but you consider yourself to be an independent student, you can apply for financial aid as an independent student only in extreme cases. Examples of this would be the death of your parents, or cases of abuse or neglect by your parents. Documentation of your situation is required and you must show how you currently meet your living expenses.
Note that all financial aid awards are subject to verification for accuracy. Adjustments may be needed after documents are submitted.
Apply Early and On Time
The FAFSA is now easier to file and available early, giving you a better opportunity to receive federal funds for school. File your 2020-21 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) today! The Central Piedmont School Code is 002915. Be sure to complete the financial aid process by the Central Piedmont financial aid office's suggested deadlines. You will not be considered for any financial aid or scholarships until all required documents are completed and returned to the Central Piedmont financial aid office. Applying early will allow you to submit the FAFSA as early as October 1st using prior year information. For example, you can apply for 2020–21 financial aid starting October 2019, using 2018 tax information. Applying earlier will allow you to ensure classes are covered by financial aid much sooner, and will help you avoid processing delays.
Paper applications are being phased out and are no longer available in the financial aid office. You may request a paper FAFSA by contacting 1.800.433.3243 (1.800.4FED AID).