Apply for Financial Aid
To apply for Financial Aid, you will need to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Your completed FAFSA will be used by Triton College to put together your federal student aid package. Your eligibility for federal grants (which don’t have to be repaid) and federal loans (which do) will generally be based on your financial need, as determined by the information you supply on your FAFSA.
7 Steps to Applying for Financial Aid
STEP 1: Gather your documents and information
To file your FAFSA, you'll you will need:
- Your Social Security Number
- Your Alien Registration Number (if you are not a U.S. citizen)
- Your federal income tax returns from 2 years prior, W-2s, and other records of money earned
- Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable)
- Records of untaxed income (if applicable)
NOTE: If you are under the age of 24 you will also need most of the above information for your parents.
STEP 2: Visit the FAFSA Website
FAFSA.gov is the only website you should use to apply for Financial Aid. Never use any website that asks you to pay to apply for aid.
STEP 3: Create your FSA ID
Create your FSA ID if you have not done so. You must create your ID at least 24 hours prior to completing your FAFSA. If you are a dependent student your parents will also need to create a FAFSA ID, they should also create this 24 hours prior to adding their information to your FAFSA. Save your ID! Your FSA ID will give you access to FSA online systems and can serve as your legal signature. You will need this the next time you apply for Financial Aid.
STEP 4: Begin your application
NOTE: You will need to enter Triton's school code. The School Code for Triton College is: 001773.
STEP 5: Enter your financial information
The student’s own financial information should be provided under the students portion of the FAFSA. For dependent students, the parent(s) financial information should be provided under the parent’s portion of the FAFSA. If you need assistance completing the FAFSA, you should bring your documents to the Financial Aid Office and a staff member will guide you through all the steps needed in order to complete your application.
STEP 6: Complete and submit your application
Don't forget to SUBMIT your FAFSA when you're done. Review the confirmation page and check for mistakes. If dependent, the student submits their portion, but the FAFSA will not be complete until the parent also submits their portion of the FAFSA.
STEP 7: Submit your Social Security Number
Students should also make sure their Social Security Numbers are on file with records, as this is how FAFSAs are transmitted to schools. Without an SSN on file for the student, Triton will not receive the FAFSA application.
STEP 8: Create a StudentForms account to submit any documentation that may be required
Students should navigate to Student Forms to create an account to see if additional documents are needed.
What Happens Next?
The results of the FAFSA are necessary to begin a financial aid file. Once the FAFSA has been reviewed, additional documentation may be requested. Financial aid will not be disbursed without an official copy of a High School/GED transcript.
After you submit your FAFSA, it can take 1-3 days for the application to process. Once the application shows that it’s processed you’ll receive your FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS). Your FFS is a paper or electronic document that gives you basic information about the FAFSA data you submitted, including your answers to the questions on your FAFSA. Your FFS won’t tell you how much financial aid you’ll get. If you provided an email address when you submitted your FAFSA, you can expect to receive your FFS within a few days of electronically filing or within two weeks of mailing.
FAFSA FAQs
The Triton College Title IV school code is 001773.
The actual FAFSA application must be completed on the Web at http://fafsa.gov and the school code for Triton is 001773.
Students may request a copy of their W-2 Forms (Wage Transcript) from their employer or by calling the IRS Customer Service number at (800) 829-1040.
Tax filers may request a Tax Return Transcript of their federal taxes directly from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Tax transcripts are free and can be requested one of two different ways:
Please note: Online and telephone IRS Tax Return Transcripts requests cannot be sent to a third party by the IRS and will take 5-10 days to process.
1. Online Request: Get Transcripts by MAIL
- To request a tax transcript online, please visit www.IRS.gov and select Get Transcripts of your Tax Records located under the Tools section
- Select the Get Transcript by MAIL
- Enter the following:
- Social Security Number
- Date of Birth (Day, Month, Year)
- Street Address
- Zip Code
- For Type of Transcript, Select RETURN TRANSCRIPT
- For Tax Year, Select the year you are requesting
- Select Continue
A confirmation page should generate telling you they have received your request for a tax transcript and it should be received within 5-10 days to the address entered in their request.
2. Telephone Request
To request a tax transcript by telephone, please call the IRS at: 1-800-908-9946.
- At the prompt enter the following tax filer information
- Social Security Number, Press 1 to confirm
- Street number from address (ex: 301 Oak Street, just enter 301)
- For a Tax RETURN Transcript, Press 2
- Select the tax year you are requesting
To speak to an IRS representative you may call 1-800-829-1040.
Triton college recommends students submit their FAFSA form as soon as it becomes available on October 1st of each year. The Illinois Alternative Application opens the same day as the FAFSA on October 1st. The state of Illinois can impose priority deadlines for the Grants available. If the state of Illinois imposes a deadline, then FAFSA applications or Alternative Applications received after the deadline may be put on a waitlist to see if additional funds becomes available.
YES. The FAFSA uses the student's/student's family's income and tax information from 2 years prior taxes to judge their eligibility for need-based financial aid during the upcoming academic year (the award year). Because of this, students can now complete their FAFSA beginning October 1st.
After completing the FAFSA students should expect an email immediately confirming their submission from FAFSA to the email they provided on their application. 48-72 hours later another email should arrive confirming that your FAFSA has been "Processed Successfully" and sent to the schools you chose when filling out the application. This email should also offer a link to view your Student Aid Report (SAR). Your FAFSA is received by Triton College three days after successful processing.
Common errors preventing successful submission or processing can include:
- The exclusion of an electronic signature for either the parent or student.
- Failure to select the "Submit" button after reviewing the information entered
- Discrepancies in income information (commonly a student or parent will report that they have paid more in taxes than they've made simply because they have not carefully read all instructions).
The most common error preventing Triton from accessing your FAFSA is:
- The exclusion of Triton's School Code (001773). If the code of the school you choose to attend was not included on your FAFSA, that school does not have access and cannot begin assessing your file and packaging your award.
- Student has not provided their social security number to Triton College, Records Office.
No, it is not too late! The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can be completed until June 30 each year. The only requirement is that the student must still be enrolled in classes at the time of their application. The FAFSA is available online at http://fafsa.gov.
The Federal government considers a student to be Independent if they meet one or more of these criteria:
- Are 24 years of age or older.
- Have already received their first bachelor’s degree and will be working towards their master’s or doctorate degree during the FAFSA-related academic year.
- Are married (including those who are separated but not divorced).
- Have children for whom they provide more than half of the economic support.
- Have dependents other than a child or spouse, for whom they provide more than half of the economic support.
- Are an orphan (both parents are deceased) or ward of the court, or were a ward of the court until the age of 18.
- Are considered Unaccompanied Homeless Youth who lack safe, stable housing and who are not in the care of a parent or guardian.
- Are currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training.
- Are a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces.
All other students are considered to be dependent, and the parents’ information and signature will be required on the FAFSA. Students will be required to provide information supporting claims of independence where applicable. If a student believes they have a situation that should be considered individually, ask to speak with a Financial Aid advisor.
Your SAI is an index number used by financial aid professionals when creating an aid offer. Your SAI is calculated using information that you (and other contributors, if required) provide on the FAFSA form.
A negative SAI indicates you have a higher financial need. For example, if you have an SAI of –1500, you’ll qualify for a maximum Pell Grant award assuming you have not exhausted your lifetime amounts and meet all student eligibility requirements. Learn how the SAI is calculated.
The remaining amount is called unmet financial need (Cost of Attendance – SAI = Financial Need). The Triton College Financial Aid Office will award the maximum amount of financial aid for which the student is eligible in an effort to meet Financial Need.
Yes, there are no exceptions to this. If a student or family's financial circumstances change, they may be eligible for more or less aid. The student's eligibility for financial aid may change significantly depending on change in family income, size and number of members enrolled in college.
If divorce, death, loss of employment or another major change occurs in the family situation, affecting the student/student's family's ability to contribute to the cost of education, the student should contact the Triton College Financial Aid Office to speak to a financial aid advisor who will discuss their options with them.