Contributed photo More than 250 students registered for fall semester at Richmond Community College on Wednesday. They have until the end of the business day on Aug. 1 to pay their tuition and secure their class schedules. After that, courses will be made available to students scheduling classes and paying tuition during final registration on Aug. 15 and 16. To date, 2,142 students have scheduled, up from 1,893 at the same time last year. College officials feel applicants recognized the need to apply and schedule early so they can get the course schedules they want.

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Students attending Richmond Community College this fall need to complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.gov as soon as possible to have time to meet new verification guidelines before registering and paying for classes on Aug. 15 or 16.

A process known as “verification” randomly selects applicants for review and actively selects applicants whose paperwork may have errors.

According to RCC Director of Financial Aid Bruce Blackmon, the college can no longer accept paper photocopies of tax returns for students who receive verification notices from the federal government.

“This is confusing to students who have been able to submit paper copies in the past. Now, you must log in to your FAFSA account, navigate to the Financial Information Tab, click ‘Already Completed,’ open the IRS link, and answer the questions. You will be notified you are connecting to the IRS website. It is critical to enter the information exactly as it appears on your tax return, and click ‘submit.’ Follow the instructions through to the end of the ‘Sign and Submit’ section of the FAFSA or the program will not recognize that you have made the match,” said Blackmon.

Applicants can find a “how-to” video on YouTube by searching “IRS Data Retrieval 2012-13.” They may also call the IRS and request a tax transcript at 1-800-908-9946. Select “Option 2,” and enter “2011.” They can also be ordered online at www.IRS.gov.

Students will also need to complete and submit a Verification Form to RCC’s Financial Aid Office. It is available from the office or online at www.richmondcc.edu under Prospective Students, Financial Aid, and Forms.

Other questions may be directed to the Financial Aid Office at 910-410-1726.