I. Federal Student Aid Forms [studentaid.ed.gov]

A. FAFSA Application

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the form used by virtually all two- and four-year colleges, universities and career schools for the awarding of federal student aid and most state and college aid.

Deadlines

Students should apply as soon as possible on or after January 1. For the 2009-2010 school year, we must have your application no later than June 30, 2010. Your college must have your correct, complete application information by your last day of enrollment in the 2009-2010 school year.

Filing Methods

There are three ways to complete and submit a FAFSA: online, PDF and paper.

1. Online FAFSA: FAFSA on the Web

You can use the online version of the FAFSA at our Web site FAFSA on the Web (www.fafsa.gov).

Why use FAFSA on the Web?

To make the process even faster and easier, FAFSA on the Web now even lets applicants from the previous award year pre-fill the application with much of their preexisting data.

Tell your friends! The official FAFSA is at www.fafsa.gov - not at a .com Web site. If you go to a .com site, you will probably be asked to pay to submit the FAFSA. Remember, the first F in “FAFSA” stands for “Free” - so use the official government site to submit your application.

2. PDF FAFSA

With the PDF FAFSA, you can fill out the application on screen and print the completed form, or you can print the blank form and fill out the application manually. You then mail us the completed form for processing. Your PDF FAFSA will be processed in two to three weeks.

Select the black and white PDF if you plan on printing in black and white. Select the color PDF if you plan on printing in color.

Viewing

The PDF FAFSA is available for you to print and fill out manually or is screen-fillable. Screen-fillable means you can enter your data on the screen before printing. Please note that if you choose this option you will not be able to save your data to your PC.

3. Paper FAFSA

If you don’t have Internet access, you can request a paper FAFSA by calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) or 1-319-337-5665. (Hearing impaired TTY users can call 1-800-730-8913.) After completing the paper FAFSA, you mail us the form in the attached pre-addressed envelope. Your paper FAFSA will be processed in two to three weeks.

If you don’t hear anything within three weeks of the date it was mailed, you can check the status by going to www.fafsa.gov. You can also check by contacting the Federal Student Aid Information Center at the numbers listed above or by writing to the following address:

Federal Student Aid Information Center
PO Box 84
Washington, D.C. 20044-0084

Our toll free number is 1-800-4-FED-Aid (1-800-433-3243). TTY users (for the hearing-impaired) can call 1-800-730-8913.

Getting Help with the FAFSA

In addition to the toll-free telephone number listed above, we offer free guides, worksheets and sample forms to help you understand and complete the online, PDF or paper FAFSA.

Completing the FAFSA

If you’re not sure how to answer a question on the FAFSA form and/or you’re wondering, “Why do they ask that?”, or saying, “My family situation is different—now what do I do?”, see Completing the FAFSA. The publication explores the purpose of FAFSA questions and discusses how information should be reported in some unusual cases.

FAFSA on the Web Worksheet

A worksheet has been designed to help students and their parents complete the online FAFSA. You can download and print a copy of the 2009-10 English (color or black and white) or Spanish (color or black and white) worksheet if you plan to use FAFSA on the Web to apply for financial aid for the 2009-10 award year. (The FAFSA on the Web Worksheet is for informational purposes only and will not be accepted for processing.)

Sample Paper FAFSA

If you would like to see a sample paper FAFSA or print out a copy for use in the preparation of your paper application, click here. (The sample FAFSA form is for informational purposes only and will not be accepted for processing.)

Student Aid Eligibility Worksheet for Question 23

Students should complete this worksheet if they answer “Yes” to Question 23 on the FAFSA. You can download and print a copy of the 2009-2010 Student Aid Eligibility Worksheet for Question 23 inEnglish or Spanish.

B. Student Loan Applications.

To apply for a federal student loan, you must complete and submit a FAFSA. Based on the results of the FAFSA, the college will send you an award notification. An application for a student loan or the process to obtain one will be part of the award notification package issued by the college. Contact the financial aid office at the school you are planning to attend for details regarding the student loan application process.

2009-2010 Influenza Season Week 42 ending October 24, 2009

from the www.cdc.gov

All data are preliminary and may change as more reports are received.

Synopsis:

During week 42 (October 18-24, 2009), influenza activity increased in the U.S.

• 8,268 (42.1%) specimens tested by U.S. World Health Organization (WHO) and National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS) collaborating laboratories and reported to CDC/Influenza Division were positive for influenza.
• All subtyped influenza A viruses being reported to CDC were 2009 influenza A (H1N1) viruses.
• The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza (P&I) was above the epidemic threshold.
• Twenty-two influenza-associated pediatric deaths were reported. Nineteen of these deaths were associated with 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus infection and three were associated with an influenza A virus for which the subtype was undetermined.
• The proportion of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness (ILI) was above the national baseline. All 10 regions reported ILI above region-specific baseline levels.
• Forty-eight states reported geographically widespread influenza activity, Guam and two states reported regional influenza activity, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico reported local influenza activity, and the U.S. Virgin Islands did not report.

2009 H1N1 Flu:

Key Flu Indicators

Each week CDC analyzes information about influenza disease activity in the United States and publishes findings of key flu indicators in a report called FluView. During the week of September 20-26, 2009, a review of the key indicators found that influenza activity remained elevated in the United States. Below is a summary of the most recent key indicators:

· Visits to doctors for influenza-like illness (ILI) continued to increase in some areas of the country, and overall, are higher than levels expected for this time of the year.

· Total influenza hospitalization rates for laboratory-confirmed influenza are higher than expected for this time of year for adults and children. And for children 5-17 and adults 18-49 years of age, hospitalization rates from April – September 2009 exceed average flu season rates (for October through April).

· The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza (P&I) based on the 122 Cities Report was low and within the bounds of what is expected at this time of year. However, 60 pediatric deaths related to 2009 H1N1 flu have been reported to CDC since April 2009, including 11 deaths reported this week.

· Twenty-seven states are reporting widespread influenza activity at this time. They are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming. Any reports of widespread influenza activity in September are very unusual.

· Almost all of the influenza viruses identified so far are 2009 H1N1 influenza A viruses. These viruses remain similar to the virus chosen for the 2009 H1N1 vaccine, and remain susceptible to the antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir with rare exception.