It’s that time of the year where you receive multiple forms to file your taxes, and as they pile up you begin to wonder where to find the tax forms to file and how to figure out what information you really need? Wouldn’t it be nice if you could get someone to help you through this cumbersome process? The good news is you can, and it’s free!

Here’s the information sent out by the IRS.

IRS Free File: Ideal for young and first-time filers

What is this?

Most Free File users are under the age of 30 with modest incomes. The Free File adjusted gross income limit for 2020 is $69,000. For those who want to do their own taxes, Free File means free tax preparation, free electronic filing and free direct deposit, which is the fastest way to get a refund.

How does it work?

1. Go to IRS.gov/freefile to see all Free File options.
    
2. Browse each of the 10 offers or use a “look up” tool to help you find the right product. Each Free File partner sets its own eligibility standards generally based on income, age, and state residency, but if your adjusted gross income was $69,000 or less, you will find at least one free product to use. Two products are in Spanish.
    
3. Select a provider and follow the links to their web page to begin your tax return.
    
4. Complete and e-file your tax return only if you have all the income and deduction records you need. The fastest way to get a refund is by filing electronically and selecting direct deposit. If you owe, use direct pay or electronic options.

For more information on free file, visit irs.gov/freefile.

The sky is falling, the sky is falling! No, not really, but it is time to file your FAFSA before it’s too late.
If you wait too long and need assistance paying for your tuition, it will feel like the sky is falling come August when tuition payments are due.

Continue reading

Has anyone ever told you “college is an investment in your future”? Have you ever thought about what that truly means? The mere fact that you need to save and apply for funding makes it feel cumbersome … and really the bottom line is, is it affordable?

The good news is that it is! The direct cost of attending college is your tuition and books. With the support of your family, you can choose to reduce the additional costs of housing and meals or miscellaneous expenses by living at home or budgeting to live frugally. Sticker prices of attending college often include all of those costs showing a high price to pay towards your education; with the help of financial aid, tuition and books is easily covered.
Continue reading

DATA entry can be tedious, mundane and nitpicky – but for the FAFSA it is critical to get all of the correct information entered on the FAFSA ~ especially tax information!
Continue reading

It’s time! Hard to believe, but yes it is time to file your FAFSA; the application to file for the 2018/19 financial aid year is now available as of Oct. 1, 2017.

We will be hosting FAFSA workshops on the following dates: Wednesday, October 4, 2017 3:00 – 7:00 pm on the West Bend Campus, Wednesday, October 11, 2017 3:00 – 7:00 pm on the Fond du Lac Campus and Wednesday, October 18, 2017 3:00 – 7:00 pm on the Beaver Dam Campus. It is critical to file the FAFSA at the right website, with the right information early and we will be available to help you.

If you want to receive the best funding available, you will want to apply early with the 2016 tax information (the most recent tax year filed). In our next blog we will share with you how to use the Data Retrieval Tool so you can import tax information and avoid all the data entry. For now, plan to bring a few things with you to the workshops. Here is a handy list of those items: Your (and your spouse’s, if applicable) Federal Income, Tax Return for 2016 (IRS Form 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ), Your parents’ Federal Income Tax Return for 2016 (for dependent students), Your (and your spouse’s /parents’, if applicable) untaxed income records, Social Security number, Additional outside resources such as TANF, WIC, or Veteran Benefits, Driver’s license, Parent’s date of birth (if applicable), and W-2 Forms.

Have you recently received an email from the financial aid office about costs and your financial aid from Moraine Park?

This email is a new state requirement that we are obligated to follow.

The intent of the email is to inform you what your costs are, list any aid you have received, repayment and financial literacy information, with the hope that once you read through it, you would feel like you have a solid understanding.

Understanding of what, you say?   
Continue reading