A Parent’s Guide to Navigating Financial Aid

Financial aid refers to any form of funding that helps students pay for college. It’s important to understand the different types of aid and what makes each one unique.

Financial aid includes:

• Federal
  • Pell Grant
  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
  • Federal Work-Study Program
  • Federal Direct Loans
    • Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans
    • Parent PLUS Loan
• State
  • Tuition Aid Grant (TAG)
  • New Jersey Student Tuition Assistance Reward (NJ STARS) Scholarship
  • Community College Opportunity Grant (CCOG)
  • NJ Alternative Financial Aid (NJ Dreamers)
  • NJCLASS Loan
  • NJ STATE Grants
• Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE) Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF)
  • Middlesex College’s Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF)
• Middlesex College Foundation Scholarships
• Browse Other Types of Loans

Most Middlesex College students receive some form of financial aid, which may include federal and state grants, work-study opportunities, and loans. The requirements for federal and state aid differ.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of students by limiting who can access their education records. If you need access to specific information, ensure your student has provided the necessary proxy access.

Read more detailed information on FERPA and students’ rights.

Proxy access (sometimes called authorized user access) is an online service that allows secure access to share education records to others as you choose.

Read more information and instructions on how to add a Person Proxy.

How to Apply for Financial Aid

Applying for financial aid starts with submitting the financial aid application known as FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Detailed information on FAFSA can be found on the following sites:

• Getting Started: FAFSA Tutorials
• Steps to Apply
• Steps for Parents Completing the FAFSA Form
• FAFSA Application
• If you are an NJ Dreamer and are not eligible for financial assistance under the FAFSA, you may still be eligible for state financial aid through the New Jersey Alternative Financial Aid Application

In light of growing concerns about the security of financial aid information, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators provides a resource designed to help students from families of mixed immigration statuses understand their eligibility for federal financial aid and how information from the FAFSA is utilized.

FAFSA Information for Students from Families of Mixed
Immigration Statuses (PDF)

Student Accounts, sometimes referred to as Bursar’s Office, Business Office, or Cashier’s Office, oversees charges and credits on a student’s billing statement related to tuition, fees, payments, applied financial aid, and tuition remission.

See tuition and fees tables.

We provide multiple payment options. You can pay your tuition online or opt for one of our flexible payment plans.

See payment options and instructions.

Educational institutions file IRS Tax Form 1098-T, Tuition Statement, for each student enrolled and for whom a reportable transaction is made.

See 1098-T information.

It’s important for parents to understand that the FAFSA is not just for need-based aid. Many colleges use it to award other types of aid, including merit-based scholarships and federal student loans.

A contributor is anyone who is required to provide information on the FAFSA form, sign the FAFSA form, and provide consent and approval to have their federal tax information transferred directly from the IRS into the form. Read more about what it means to be a contributor.

It’s important to complete the FAFSA form to be eligible for federal student aid, even if a parent is not a U.S. citizen.

If parents are divorced, separated, or never married, and don’t live together, the parent who provided more financial support during the last 12 months is the contributor and must provide their information. Read more guidelines about contributors for the FAFSA form.

Providing consent and approval on the FAFSA form is a requirement for federal student aid eligibility.

The FAFSA website provides a list of information required to fill out a FAFSA form.

The FAFSA website provides information about date of legal residency required to fill out a FAFSA form.

If you have more than one child in college, career school, or trade school, you’ll need to follow five steps when filling out the FAFSA form. The FAFSA website provides information about these steps.

The FAFSA website provides more information about steps to take after submitting the FAFSA form.

There is a process for verifying applications and making corrections because students sometimes make errors on their applications. There are two types of verification:

• Federal – Will be completed by Middlesex College Financial Aid Office.
• State – Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) will email the student to notify them to complete their To-Do List.

The required documentation may vary for each student. Every student should check their self-service portal to see what documentation is needed and monitor their emails for communication from Financial Aid. For dependent students, parents are also responsible for submitting requested documentation.

Financial aid verification documents may include:

• Completed Middlesex College forms
• Complete income tax returns
• High school completion status (high school diploma or General Educational Development [GED])
• Identity/statement of educational purpose
• Income earned from work (for non-tax filers)