Jacob K. Javits FAFSA Letter

Dear Jacob K. Javits Fellow:

Continuation of your studies on the Jacob K. Javits Fellowship requires that you complete the [next fiscal year] Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by [date], and submit the results to your Javits Program Coordinator at your school. The [fiscal year] FAFSA becomes available on January 1, [date].

Please be sure to file the FAFSA electronically via the Web at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

NOTE: You need a PIN number only if you want to use information from your prior year’s FAFSA submission. You may also obtain a hardcopy of the FAFSA from the Financial Aid Office at your school or by contacting the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1(800) 433-3243. However, please be advised that the result from a hardcopy submission of the FAFSA takes four to six weeks.

The FAFSA instructions allow you to make estimates of your income, assets and expenses if you have not received your W2s or filed your taxes at the time you complete the form. You do not have to have your W2 information to complete the form per instructions on the FAFSA. If possible, use last year’s figures to gauge an estimate, if you filed taxes and had similar employment. If not, you can add your checks and taxes from pay stubs in order to make an estimate. Graduate students are automatically considered independent in the Title IV processing system. You are not required to provide your parents’ financial information.

The Department of Education is requesting your institution submit paperwork relevant to your fellowship by [date]. Please be aware that a fellowship will not be processed for you if your financial need information is not included on the continuation paperwork from your school.

The Jacob K. Javits Fellowship is authorized by Part A, Subpart 1, Title VII of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. Congress has appropriated funds for fellowships in the [date] academic year. The Javits Fellowship is renewable for three years, or the time needed for completing your program of study, whichever is less. You may receive a continuation of the Jacob K. Javits Fellowship only if you comply with the requirements of the statute, regulations, and policies established by the Jacob K. Javits Fellowship Board. The financial information collected is used solely for determination of the stipend amount and total fellowship award. Any financial data made public is only presented in aggregate.

The FAFSA will be used to determine your need for the maximum fellowship stipend. The maximum fellowship stipend for this year was [amount]. The maximum Javits stipend for [date] will be at least [amount] but is subject to change based on the FY [date] fellowship stipend for the National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship Program as of February 1 of that year. The actual stipend amount for an individual Javits fellow will be based on their financial need as calculated under Title IV, Part F of the Higher Education Act, as amended, or the maximum stipend, whichever is less.

The Javits Fellowship also includes an institutional payment. This year the institutional payment was [amount]. The institutional payment for [date] will be the current amount of [amount] adjusted in accordance with the Consumer Price Index at the end of year. Your institution has agreed to accept the institutional payment in lieu of all tuition and other expenses normally charged to students in your program. The institutional allowance is reduced by any amount that your institution charges to you or requires from you in the form of labor in payment for tuition and fees.

Please consult with your institution regarding questions on calculating financial need, institutional transfers, interruptions of study, and part-time employment. The Javits Coordinator at your school will provide assistance to you if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Cosette Ryan

Graduate Team Leader

Jacob K. Javits Fellowship Program

U.S. Department of Education