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Archive for January 13th, 2009

Filing the FAFSA Form for 2009

January 13th, 2009 by Krayton M Davis | 2 Comments | Filed in College Planning

So What’s This Talk about the FAFSA Form

Briefly, the FAFSA form is a U.S. Department of Education form that the student (and parents of dependent students) must file in order to qualify for federal student aid. It is used by colleges to determine your financial aid eligibility for all federal student loans, grants and many non-federal college scholarships.

You can submit the FAFSA form anytime after January 01 for the year you plan to attend school. For 2009, your FAFSA form submission will cover aid requirements for the 2009-10 academic year (July 2009-June 2010). You should submit your FAFSA form as soon as possible. Colleges have submission deadlines including many state aid agencies.

Required Documentation

You must have the following documents in order to file your FAFSA form properly. Don’t underestimate the importance of these documents when filing your FAFSA form. Leaving questions unanswered will delay your financial aid processing:

  • social security number and driver license
  • alien registration card (if you are not a U.S. citizen)
  • 2008 completed tax returns
  • W-2 and all 1099 forms
  • records of untaxed income, such as Social Security benefits, AFDC or ADC, child support, welfare, pensions, military subsistence allowances, and veterans benefits
  • current bank and mortgage statements
  • medical and dental expenses during the past year that was not covered by medical insurance
  • business and/or farm records
  • current investment records for stock, bonds, mutual funds, CDs, and money market accounts

About the tax return: you will need your tax return filed or about to be filed prior to completing the FAFSA form. You can file your FAFSA form and estimate your return; but you will need to come back and update the information if your filed return is different.

Note that the Federal Government will check your FAFSA form with your tax returns. Make sure the information you submit on your FAFSA form matches your filed tax return.

Who Must File the FAFSA Form

  • Every student who is requesting college financial aid.
  • Parents of “dependent students”.
  • “Independent students” will file on their own behalf and their spouse, if married. Parents of “independent students” do not need to file.
  • Use this dependency status worksheet to determine whether you are a “dependent” or “independent” student.

Filing Demonstration (on Thursday)

We will review the paper application for the FAFSA form this Thursday. We will use the paper application in this exercise as your worksheet. You can then use the worksheet once you are ready to file your FAFSA form electronically: download the paper FAFSA form file

The application segregates the form using a color for parents: the section colored in purple is for the parent.


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New Honda Insight Hybrid Makes Global Debut

January 13th, 2009 by Matthew C. Keegan | 1 Comment | Filed in Autos Express

John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., introduces the production version of the all-new 2010 Honda Insight, a dedicated gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle, during its world debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this week.

John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., introduces the production version of the all-new 2010 Honda Insight, a dedicated gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle, during its world debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this week.

Hybrid cars are pricey, not worth purchasing when fuel costs are low and cost much more to insure than standard automobiles. Well, if you believe that these points hold true, then you aren’t familiar with the Honda Insight, a five passenger hybrid model which made its international debut at this week’s auto show in Detroit.

True, your insurance premium may be slightly higher than a standard gas car, but in the case of this hybrid model, prices starting under $20,000 makes the Insight a real value. And, with an EPA fuel economy of 40 mpg city and 43 mpg highway, the Insight can significantly reduce costs at the pump compared to a similar sized gas powered model.

“Honda hybrids have always offered great value, high fuel efficiency and a healthy dose of fun near the middle price range in the Honda lineup,” said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda. “With the introduction of the all-new Insight, we’re opening up Honda’s fun-to-drive, versatile and fuel-efficient hybrid technology to an entirely new group of buyers that previously may not have considered a hybrid because of either image or cost.”

Honda has developed proprietary technology which the automaker says will help Insight owners achieve the full benefits of Honda hybrid technology, The Insight will feature a new interactive, driver-focused fuel economy enhancement technology named the Ecological Drive Assist System (Eco Assist(TM)) which combines multiple functions:

  • A driver-activated ECON mode that optimizes control of the continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), engine and related powertrain components to further improve vehicle fuel efficiency;
  • A driver feedback function that uses an innovative speedometer display with changing background colors to provide real-time guidance to the driver on achieving higher fuel efficiency; and
  • A unique fuel-economy scoring function using a plant-leaf graphic to provide feedback to the driver on current-trip driving efficiency and lifetime fuel-efficient driving performance.

All Insights will be powered by a 1.3-liter SOHC aluminum-alloy i-VTEC engine and CVT, along with a new generation of Honda’s IMA hybrid system to provide exceptional fuel economy.

Source: American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

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