Filling Out the FAFSA Form
To be considered for federal financial student aid, a student must complete a FAFSA unless the only aid he wants to receive is a PLUS loan via his parent. The FAFSA collects financial and other information used to calculate the expected family contribution (EFC) and to determine a student’s eligibility through computer matches with other agencies.
The FAFSA is the only form students must fill out to apply for federal financial student aid. A school cannot require extra information from students except for verification or resolution of conflicting information. However, a school may require additional information for other purposes, such as packaging private or institutional aid. If the school collects additional information that affects federal financial student aid eligibility, it must take the information into account when awarding the federal financial student aid.
Students can fill out a paper FAFSA, or they can apply electronically using FAFSA on the Web or, with their school’s help, FAA Access to CPS Online. Students who applied in the previous year may be able to use the Renewal FAFSA on the Web.
Students can complete an application online at www.fafsa.ed.gov and submit it directly to the Central Processing System (CPS). They can also correct any of their previously submitted data except for the Social Security number (SSN). Help is available online, and students can also call 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243).
The paper FAFSA is no longer available for schools to order in bulk quantities (limited orders of up to 50 copies are permitted); however, students can still request it from the Federal Student Aid Information Center by calling 1-800-4-FED-AID. Moreover, there is now another option: a submittable FAFSA in portable document format (PDF, in color or black and white), which students can get at www.federalstudentaid.ed.gov. They can print the PDF and fill it out by hand, or they can type their data on the PDF before printing.
If the only federal aid a dependent student wants to receive is a PLUS loan through one of there parents, they does not have to complete a FAFSA, but the parent will need to complete a loan application and promissory note. In addition, the student must still meet all the usual eligibility criteria, and the parent must meet the PLUS eligibility requirements. A student must submit a FAFSA, however, to receive a graduate PLUS loan.
The FAFSA is organized as steps, with each step consisting of a group of related questions. In addition, the FAFSA contains instructions and one page of worksheets for calculating amounts that are entered in Steps 2 and 4. As of the date the FAFSA is signed, it is considered a “snapshot” of the family’s information that can be updated only in certain circumstances and only for certain items;
Students can get counsel on filling out the FAFSA on our website for students at www.studentaid.ed.gov. Where parents are mentioned it refers to the parents of dependent students. In parentheses are the numbers for the items as they appear on the paper FAFSA, SAR, ISIR, and FAA Access.
So I encourage you to not let the paper work scare you. It is really very simply if you read and pay attention the what the questions are asking. The answers will be just as simple. Have Fun.
