University of Memphis students relying on financial aid to fundtheir tuition have less time to complete the necessary forms, U ofM financial aid officials said Tuesday.
The deadline for U of M students to complete all requiredfinancial aid documents for the 2004 fall semester has been changedfrom Aug. 1, 2004, to July 1.
"If all required documents are not submitted by July 1, theFinancial Aid Office cannot guarantee that fall financial aidawards will be processed by the fall fee payment deadline," saidKaren Smith, associate director of financial aid.
One required document is the Free Application for FederalStudent Aid, which is due no later than May 1 for the fallsemester.
After the FAFSA has been received, The University will send thestudent any other forms to be processed, such as an entranceinterview or any tax information.
Because new information can always be added or adjustedelectronically, students do not have to complete their taxes beforefiling the FAFSA.
"It is very pertinent for all students interested in fallenrollment to get the FAFSA in by May 1 for the Financial AidOffice to further process students," said Torrence McKnight,assistant director of financial aid.
The FAFSA can be completed online at www.fafsa.ed.gov in thecomputer lab in the Financial Aid Office of Wilder Tower, Room 103,where technical assistance is also available.
The majority of calls coming into The University switchboardduring the first and last weeks of classes each semester areusually calls to the Financial Aid Office, according to financialaid officials. Students are urged to complete all necessary formsbefore the busiest times of the year.
Financial aid officials also expect the number of aidapplications and calls to the office to increase because of newfunds made available through Tennessee's HOPE scholarship.
However, the new deadline should help alleviate most of thosecalls, financial aid officials said.
"If students would apply earlier and get all necessary documentsin earlier, we could provide better customer service," said RichardRitzman, director of financial aid. "The sooner we receiveinformation from students and parents, the better we can serve thestudent body."
