Financial Aid Procedures

Students and parents completing the FAFSA on line should obtain a PIN number (electronic signature) at www.pin.ed.gov

Complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Renewal FAFSA. The FAFSA may be completed on line at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The paper version of the FAFSA may be obtained from college financial aid staff or high school counselors. By completing this document, you are applying for ALL types of Federal and State financial aid.

On line processing takes approximately one week and a paper copy takes three to four weeks to process. The college should receive your application based on this time frame. Additional processing time is needed by the college after the data is received from the government. If you have not heard anything from the college After the FAFSA is processed, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) from the government. REVIEW THE DATA ON THE SAR FOR ACCURACY. If corrections are needed, follow instructions on the SAR or web site or contact any financial aid staff for assistance.

Helpful Hints When Applying for Aid:

• Apply Early
• Use actual copies of your Federal tax forms
• Double check your answers
• Release information to Riverland by using school code 002335
• Contact financial aid staff if you have questions or concerns

Each academic year between 30-35% of students are selected for verification by the government or by the college. If selected, students must submit signed copies of their Federal tax forms, w2s and an Institutional Verification Form. This is a routine process and does not mean that the student and/or parents have made any errors in submitting the data. There could be additional forms requested, other than those listed above. Submitting these documents upon request; will result in a student's aid being processed in a timelier manner.

Awards are made for an entire year, unless a student has indicated they will be graduating at the end of fall semester.

Students may access their award letter by going online to http://www.riverland.edu/WebPortalLogin.cfm. You will need your school ID number and your password. Contact registration staff if you have difficulty in accessing your on line accounts.