Introduction

As the summer approaches, it’s time to start thinking about college applications. This means applying for scholarships, financial aid, and other benefits to help you pay for school.

Financial aid is available to students with a high or moderate income and pursuing postsecondary education at a college or university.

Applying for financial aid can be confusing. It can take time to correctly fill out an online form or meet with your parents to gather all the necessary information.

Luckily, some experts can assist you through every step of this process! Here’s what you need to know about completing your FAFSA form.

What Does FAFSA Stand for?

FAFSA means Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Students fill out this form to know their eligibility for financial aid.

Complete the FAFSA form

• Go to the FAFSA website (https://fafsa.ed.gov) and log in.
• Complete the FAFSA form, a series of questions about your family, income, and assets.
• Make sure you have all the tax information needed for the FAFSA when completing it so that you don’t have to go back and forth between filling out your taxes and applying for financial aid (you can do both at once).
• You will need proof that you filed taxes because if it takes longer than expected for you to get them done or if they are done later than when they should be filed (April 15), then this could delay when we receive your application materials.
• Make sure you have bank account information so we can deposit any money directly into those accounts rather than giving checks or mailing paper checks (this saves both time and money.)

Gather Your Information

You’ll need to gather several important documents to get started with the Federal Application for Student Aid (FASFA).

The FAFSA asks for information about your family income, assets, and other financial aid documents. You can access these forms online and fill them out by hand.

• Your parents’ or guardians’ tax returns from the previous year
• Your W-2 forms from work if you are under 24 years old
• Any 1098-T form from your school if you attended college or university in the last year

Other necessary documents include bank statements, mortgage information, and copies of insurance policies that could be used to pay educational expenses (such as life insurance).

Please make sure all of these items are easily accessible because once you start filling out the FAFSA, you won’t be able to save any data or return it later.

If there’s an item missing from this list that seems relevant but doesn’t seem like it should be included here (for example, car payments), feel free to contact us at support@fasfahelpcenter.com so we can help figure out how exactly this applies to your situation.

Get an FSA ID

The next step is to create your FSA ID. You can do this by going to the website, www.fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm#start and following the instructions for creating an account, and completing your application for one.

Your unique username and password will be used to access all of the information submitted through the online FAFSA application process, so make sure you keep it safe!

Once you’ve created an FSA ID, you’ll be able to log back in at any time to check on your status or update your information if necessary (such as adding a dependent).

Fill out the FAFSA form.

You can fill out the FAFSA form online at fafsa.gov. If you prefer to talk with someone over the phone, call 1-800-433-3243 to get started as fast as possible.

You’ll require your social security number and personal information like your name, address, and phone number.

When filling out this form, it’s essential to know that some questions are only asked of people who are 24 years old or below:

• Do you have children? If so, how many?
• What is your marital status?
• Are you an independent student? That means that for at least one year before applying for aid (beginning July 1), did someone support your educational expenses without any financial help from anyone else?
• If so, who paid for things like tuition and fees; books; supplies; transportation costs from home; food away from home; health insurance premiums; child care costs related directly to schooling activities such as tutoring sessions or class trips outside regular school hours where no other options were available on campus due to distance limitations); housing costs except rent/mortgage payments made by someone else living at home like housemates sharing expenses off campus apartments etc. This includes utilities such as electric bills if they’re included when paying rent instead being billed separately every month through mail delivery type setup system.”

Review and sign your FAFSA form

Ensure you have all the information required for your FAFSA form. Review your FAFSA form before you submit it.

Sign your FAFSA form electronically if you are a dependent student, or print and sign if you are an independent student or parent.

If your parent(s) is/are helping to pay for college expenses, they will also need to sign their version of the form (with their name in line 2).

Suppose they can’t do this electronically because they don’t have access to a computer. In that case, they should print out a paper copy of their FAFSA acknowledgment page and mail it in with other supporting documents such as tax forms and proof of income (e.g., W-2s).

To begin completing your financial aid application:

Go to fafsa.gov with Internet access on any device with either a browser or mobile app capability with web browser functionality (iPad®, iPhone®, Android™ phone/tablet), log in using either “My FSA ID” or create one at this time if registering for the first time.

Then enter all personal information required on each screen before proceeding through any section where additional information is needed until reaching the end, where there are various options available, including “Save & Finish Later,” which allows users who have registered previously but did not complete application process prior deadline date due again next year.

Otherwise, simply select the “Submit Now” option at the top right-hand corner of the page after entering the last three digits of the birth year into the box below Student Information Section heading.”

Submit your FAFSA form to schools

Once you have completed your FAFSA form, use the correct school codes. Many schools use different regulations, so selecting the right one is essential.

Use the IRS Data finder Tool on fafsa.gov so that any tax information will automatically populate when you complete most sections of your online application.

If possible, submit your FAFSA form as soon as possible after January 1 because some schools require this information for enrollment decisions or scholarship consideration. And remember: if you are eligible for a Pell Grant (or other financial aid), apply for one.

How long does FAFSA take to Process?

For online Applications: 3 to 5 days

For Paper Forms: 7 to 10 days

Is FAFSA affected by Government Shutdown?

No, FAFSA isn’t affected by Government shutdown, your application will be processed and you’ll get the financial aid if eligible.

You can get help with school expenses through financial aid.

Financial aid is a pool of money schools use to help students pay for college-related expenses. There are various types of financial aid, which can be based on your family’s income, the cost of attending a particular school, or your academic performance.

You may be eligible for financial aid if: you’re a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen (usually someone who has permanent residency)

You’ve demonstrated financial need through the FAFSA or state equivalent application form (which we’ll explain later)

Does FAFSA Cover Summer Classes

FAFSA almost covers everything related to your courses throughout the Academic Year, so yes, FAFSA covers Summer classes as well.

Conclusion

If you are ready to begin applying for financial assistance, then we encourage you to do so.

It can be a confusing process, but by following these steps and completing the form correctly, it will be much easier.

Remember that asking questions is always okay. It is our hope that this guide has answered some of your questions about the FAFSA application and how it works.