• If you will be a new student at Dalton State and have not yet applied for admission, do so now. Apply online at www.daltonstate.edu/admission or call the Dalton State Admissions Office at 706.272.4436 or 800.829.4436 for a paper application.  You may complete admission and financial aid applications at the same time.
• If you have previously attended Dalton State, but have not attended for the last year, you must update your information with Enrollment Services at 706.272.4436. You must submit academic transcripts from all other academic institutions attended since you last attended Dalton State, regardless of whether financial aid was received for coursework attempted at the other institutions.

Apply for Dalton State College Foundation Scholarships for the 2009-2010 academic year by submitting a complete application to the Dalton State Financial Aid Office by February 1, 2009.  Applications are available in December at the Dalton State Financial Aid Office, in local high school guidance counselor offices, or online at the Alumni Foundation webpage.

Don't forget to search for other scholarships on the Web. Search for free at www.fastweb.com and www.scholarshipexperts.com and at www.daltonstate.edu/finaid/outsidescholarships.htm.  We recommend that you NEVER pay anyone to find scholarships for you.  With a few hours of research, you can generally find as much, if not more, information on your own.  Check out out scholarships page for additional scholarship opportunities.

• To apply ONLY for the Georgia HOPE Scholarship or Grant:

Go to www.daltonstate.edu/finaid, select HOPE Application Procedures and follow the instructions. Or request a paper HOPE Application from the Dalton State Financial Aid Office. Note:  Processing of the paper application will take longer than the online version.  Your other option is to complete the federal aid application - see below.

-OR-

• To apply for Georgia HOPE and Federal Aid:

Complete the 2008-09 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) after January 1, 2008. Complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov to speed up processing time or request a paper FAFSA from the Dalton State Financial Aid Office. DSC's school code is 003956.

The FAFSA serves as your application for federal and state grant and scholarship programs, including Georgia's HOPE program, and is the starting point to apply for on-campus work and student loans.  This process must be completed annually.

To file the FASFA online, both student and parent (dependent students only) should apply for a Department of Education Personal Identification Number (PIN) at www.pin.ed.gov.  Your PIN will serve as your signature for the online FAFSA.   If you have previously filed a FAFSA but cannot locate your PIN, go to www.pin.ed.gov and request that it be resent to you.

Gather copies of: 2007 federal tax returns and W2s, documentation of untaxed benefits received, such as Social Security benefits, and checking, savings, and investment account balances. Independent students need to gather the documents for themselves and their spouse, if married; dependent students for themselves and their parent(s).  Note:  See the FAFSA Dependency Status Worksheet to determine whether you are considered independent or dependent for federal financial aid.

Priority Deadlines for HOPE and federal applications:

     Fall Semester:  June 1

     Spring Semester:  October 1

     Summer Semester:  March 1

Important information about deadlines:  Your financial aid file must be complete by July 1 for Fall, November 1 for Spring, or April 1 for Summer term, in order to have financial aid available when tuition and fees are due. If your financial aid file is not complete by the deadline listed for the term you plan to enroll, be prepared to pay for tuition, fees, and books.