The 13,000 students of NIU who have applied for financial aid in the past year will see a major change when they reapply for aid for the 1994-95 school year.

Charles Ogundipe, the assistant director of financial aid, wants to inform the students of the new, easier way to apply for financial aid.

The Federal Department of Education has decided to take a different approach to financial aid applications. The students who have applied for aid in the past will automatically receive a renewal application in the mail. These students did not have to receive aid to get an application. They will need to look over the information on the completed form to make sure it is correct and fill in their parents’ and their own tax return information.

“This will make the process faster because there will be less information for the students to complete,” Ogundipe said.

All of the students’ previous information already will be on file with the financial aid department and the only thing the department will need to complete is the current information and the financial status from their tax returns.

Students who have never applied before will need to contact the school they are attending to get an application.

Some students will not receive the new applications for several reasons. These include not having valid information on their ‘93/‘94 applications or never having applied before.

Other reasons include a change in dependency status from the last time the student applied, no valid address, default status or social security number problems.

If, for whatever reason, students do not receive their financial aid application at their permanent address then they need to go the financial aid office and pick up an application after Jan. 3.

The NIU financial aid application will be ready for students to pick up Dec. 1. This will need to be completed as soon as possible because NIU will be verifying the information the student has filled out on the financial aid application.

The new applications will be easier for everyone involved in the process. There will be less confusion and information for the students to fill out, and it will be easier for the processor and for the school. This will make the process faster and more accurate because there will be less room for mistakes.

Ogundipe has some helpful hints for students who are completing the forms. First the students are encouraged to file correctly and by March 1. This will ensure students the fastest reply.

He also said to pay attention to the household size and number of people in college. The numbers need to be consistent on the two applications. The taxed income needs to list sources including unincomed credit.

If there are any reasons a student cannot apply on time, they are encouraged to file correctly.

“Do not rush through the process. If everything is correct, there is a better chance to file faster,” Ogundipe said.

If the student is trying to file on time and they do not have their parents’ information, they can still file, but they should overestimate their income. This will be in the student’s favor and automatically corrected to the lower amount and then sent to the student.

If students have the slightest doubt about anything on the application, they should contact the financial aid department immediately.

“(The new application) will make the process faster because there will be less information for the students to complete.”