Photo credit: via ED.gov
Students who want to apply for government grants, loans, work-study programs, and scholarships can ask for help from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid.
Federal Student Aid provides financial assistance to students to help pay for higher education. The agency is responsible for operating student financial assistance programs accredited by the Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education, has developed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and have allocated federal student aid funds to millions of students each year.
In order to be considered for financial aid, students must completely fill out the FAFSA form. Completing the FAFSA is your first step towards getting into college, career or trade school, or graduate school.
The FAFSA form is used by college students and their parents to apply and to determine if they qualify for financial aid from the federal government. FAFSA forms are also used by schools in determining if you qualify for scholarships that they are offering. Some scholarship programs use completed FAFSA applications to determine applicant eligibility.
Students or their parents are required to complete the FAFSA each year so as to account for changes that may occur in the family’s earnings. For instance, if your parents have gotten pay raises from $30,000 to $300,000 per year, the federal government will no longer offer family financial aid because of your family’s income status.
But if the household income drops, completing the FAFSA means you’ll be eligible for more financial assistance in the coming year.
Completing and submitting FAFSA application forms is free and quick, and it provides you access to the largest source of financial aid to fund your college tuition fees.
Why do you need to fill out the FAFSA?
You might miss out on a lot of financial aid if you don’t fill out the FAFSA. Just because your parents make more money, or you’re too old doesn’t mean you can’t be eligible for financial aid.
When can you fill out the FAFSA?
The FAFSA is available each year in early January. However, there are different deadlines set for each programs.
It’s advisable to file a FAFSA application immediately as it becomes available since some federal aid student programs have limited funds.
How do you fill out the FAFSA?
Here are ways on how to do it:
Visit www.fafsa.gov for faster and easier transaction
For a printed FAFSA, you can download a PDF FAFSA or order a paper FAFSA.
You can also ask your school’s financial aid office if you can file it there. Some schools have special software to send your FAFSA for you.
What is a FAFSA pin?
When filling out the FAFSA online, it’s required that you create a virtual account and get a FAFSA pin. This pin will assist you in completing the form and will continue to be used every time you apply for college grants or student loans.
What happens after filling out the FAFSA?
After you have applied, your FAFSA has yet to be processed. Then, you will receive an Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which your school uses to determine how much funds you can get.
