HPAP update: almost there!

If you've met me for five minutes, you know I'm exceptionally Type A - and when it comes to massive financial investments, I'm exponentially moreso. When I applied for student loans, I read every. single. word of the promissory notes. As such, you probably won't be surprised to hear that I've been a little obsessive-compulsive about collecting the myriad of financial documents required for my HPAP application. As I mentioned in my previous HPAP post, there's a bit of a time commitment to getting all your ducks in a row before you apply. Because I've got a relatively uncomplicated income (I'm a salaried employee with no side contracts, I'm single and have no children, I have a reasonably responsible credit history) I'm lucky enough to write "N/A" next to half of the 22 required documents; that said, I still have a list of 11 pieces to pull together before my appointment to officially apply.

Without a doubt, the most complicated part of the HPAP paperwork is collecting all your old tax documents. Since the three years' tax history required encompasses time I spent in graduate school, working in another state, and searching for a job, this meant that collecting old W-2s and tax return attachments would be a bit more laborious than it might otherwise seem. The most migraine-inducing year was 2010, which is the year I finished my Master's, drove to Texas for two months' worth of a job, and then bounced along the Eastern seaboard until I found gainful employment. Because 2010 was also a HELL OF A YEAR for me, I was not as conscientious about saving my documents as I normally am.

So, first step: call my mom and freak out. Second step: decide it will all be okay. Third step: start tracking down payroll people from old jobs to get access to my W-2s. As of Friday, I'd received all the forms I needed (and submitted my 2011 tax return) except one - and was expecting that to arrive any day.

In the meantime, I set about getting my other list items checked off. There are two "verification" forms they require to be signed - a proof of employment form signed by my boss (check!) and a proof of rental signed by my landlord (check check!). I also have to submit a photocopy of my lease - and, since I've lived at my apartment longer than a year, the notification I got informing me of my annual rent hike. Last night, while searching for these pieces...I stumbled across the final W-2! It turned out I had indeed saved it - I just hadn't FILED it. As such, I'm now only waiting for my January paystubs and bank statements to be fully prepared for my application. Next step: approval!