The priority deadline to complete the 2012-2013 FAFSA is March 1, 2012. The FAFSA can be completed after the priority deadline; however, students who complete the FAFSA after the priority deadline of March 1 may not have their financial aid finalized by the deadline to pay the Fall or Spring semester bill, may have their schedule cancelled, and may incur a late fee on their student account.

1. After completing the 2012-2013 FAFSA, you should receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) either by mail or email. You should check the SAR for any discrepancies or errors. If you find anything that needs to be corrected, you can make those changes on the paper SAR and mail it to the Central Processing Center, or you can log into your FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov and make corrections online. You can always check the status of your submitted 2012-2013 FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

2. Approximately 30% of all FAFSAs are selected for a process called verification. If you are selected for verification, Appalachian must collect documentation to check the accuracy of the FAFSA information.  The Financial Aid Office will send an email to your Appalachian State University email account if you are selected for verification.  The email will inform you that there are documents which you must provide in order to finalize your financial aid.  You will be instructed to log into your AppalNet account and click on "Financial Aid" to view the required documents.  Your financial aid will not be processed until all required documents have been received and verification has been completed.
   The Verification Process

3. Once all required documentation has been received and processed, you will receive an award notification via mail to the permanent home address on file (if you are a new student) or via your ASU email account (if you are a returning student).  The 2012-2013 award notifications for students entering in the Summer 2012 or Fall 2012 semesters will be mailed out beginning mid to late March. The 2012-2013 award notifications for continuing students will be emailed beginning in mid- to late-May. Once you receive your award notification, you should take action by accepting or declining the offered financial aid within three weeks. Financial aid awards can be accepted or declined by logging into your AppalNet account and clicking on “Financial Aid.”