the fafsa
The very first step in paying for college will be to ask the government for all the help that they’re willing to offer. This will require you to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid… commonly known as the FAFSA. The granddaddy of all forms, the FAFSA will be used to determine whether you are eligible for financial aid in any form from the federal government. Because it is such a staple in the application process, many schools will attach it to the non-financial portion of the application. Either way, be sure that you do NOT procrastinate when filling out this form.
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First come, first served. File your FAFSA between January 1st and March 2nd.
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Just fill it out. Even if you think you’re ineligible for financial aid, it can’t hurt to try, as the federal government takes a number of variables into account when awarding financial aid.
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Apply online. In addition to expediting the process, the website is helpful in catching errors you might have missed and alerting you to them.
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Be careful. The most common issue with the FAFSA is simply clerical errors made while filling out the forms. Read it carefully, follow the instructions to the letter of the law, and make sure you answer all the questions. If the answer is zero, don’t leave it blank… write 0.
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Don’t make excuses.You don’t need to worry about filling out your most recent tax return in order to complete your FAFSA. Don’t be afraid to ask for help… there are several websites such as www.finaid.org or www.wiredscholar.comthat offer checklists and even real time question answering services.
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