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Adobe Acrobat or PDF Forms/Files
Before attempting to read these files, you will need to have the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed (download Acrobat Reader). The free Adobe Acrobat reader will allow you to view and print PDF files. Also see the Adobe Acrobat Reader download page for quick links to Acrobat Reader for Windows with Search and Accessibility features. In addition, Adobe offers other Online Conversion Tools for Adobe PDF Documents including web-based and e-mail submissions. Additional conversion tools are available in the Adobe Accessibility Resource Center.

Rich Text Format (RTF) Files
Rich Text Format (RTF) is a standardized word processing format that is supported across a number of platforms. RTF files can be opened in many word processors and other RTF-aware software packages with much of its formatting left intact. Microsoft's free Word viewer (download MS Word Viewer) also allows RTFs to be viewed. In addition, many word processing programs will also allow users to save a document in RTF format when you select " Save As..."

Note that some fields on the RTF application Form Pages have been "protected" to minimize the chances that applicants will attempt to alter the forms. Format Pages, however, have been left "unprotected" to allow applicants to format text and/or insert graphics, diagrams, or tables. These format pages are intended to assist applicants in the development of specific sections of the application.

MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint Files
Microsoft provides free software that allows viewing MS Word (download MS Word Viewer), Excel (download Excel Viewer), and PowerPoint (download PowerPoint Viewer) files without owning the full version of the software.

Saving Files Locally
When you click on a link to a file in other than HTML format, your browser may open the document in the browser window, open the document in it's native application automatically, or prompt you to save the file locally. The action the browser takes depends on your local browser/application configuration. You will need to have the appropriate application or file viewer (see free viewers above) to view these documents.

If your browser automatically opens the document in it's native application or reader, you will have the option to do a File/Save to capture the document to your local computer.

If your browser prompts you to download and save the file, simply choose an appropriate place on your local hard disk to store the file. You will want to carefully note the location you save to so that you will be able to find the file when the download is completed.
In addition, you can save a file by right clicking on the link, then clicking "Save target as" or "Save Link As" and browse to the appropriate drive and folder, then save the file.

Using Compressed and Archived Files

In some cases, large individual documents or groups of files have been archived together and compressed into a single (smaller) file. File names of these archives end in "ZIP". Clicking on a link to an archived file file will result in that file being downloaded to your computer.

Once downloaded, these compressed files can typically be uncompressed by simply double-clicking and choosing a destination folder to store them in.