The Free Application for Federal Student Aid or otherwise known as FAFSA is acknowledged as a very important procedure for all college goers. It assists in ascertaining the suitability of the student to get any financial aid for their education. The form should be filed in before any financial assistance can be granted, such as loans, work study programs and grants.
To complete the FAFSA form, you will need to furnish lot of information including personal particulars such as contact details, Social Security Number and date of birth. Then, there are other particulars to be filled relating to education level, financial background, living arrangements among many others.
Keep in mind, if under the age of 21, these questions will be based on your parents income. There are some exceptions to this rule, check the website or speak to a financial aid officer to see if you might qualify.
To help with answering the questions, you’d need copies of either your income tax returns or of your parents, and perhaps also details about any bank accounts that generate interest income.
Although you can make corrections as necessary, try to be thorough and answer all questions accurately. It helps to have all the information in front of you before you begin. Be sure to adhere to the priority deadlines. The deadlines may differ from the government and your school, always double check.
You may apply online or obtain a packet that must be mailed in. If you choose to apply online, you will first be prompted to create an account and a password. You will also be given a computer generated PIN. You can request the PIN be mailed or choose to view it online. At anytime during the application you may save the information and continue at a later date. After your application has been successfully submitted, you will receive a confirmation number and an e-mail.
The information provided on the FAFSA will calculate an estimated family contribution, commonly referred to as EFT. If the EFT is 0, you are not expected to have to pay for a portion of tuition costs. However, if the EFT is above 0 then you are responsible for paying some towards your education. Even if the student is not eligible for state or federal grants the FAFSA should still be completed. This helps to ensure that the student can obtain loans, work study, and apply for scholarships.
When the school receives FAFSA results, they will then contact the student regarding any additional information that may be needed. This may include but is not limited to a copy of tax returns, w-2’s, or any other document related. This process is called verification, not all students will be selected for this. Only after this process has been completed will the student be offered financial aid.
