As all high school seniors know, college can be expensive—nearly $55,000 a year for Elon University in North Carolina expensive—a number that, for most teens, would likely induce a panic attack. However, the United States government has provided what many will consider a godsend, as well as a major headache: the FAFSA. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid can be used as a calculator for colleges when deciding how much financial aid to award a student. In addition, students may be eligible for the Federal Pell Grant, Work-Study programs, and more.
Though filling out FAFSA can be a painful experience, numerous tips can make turning in FAFSA as pain-free as possible.
1. Fill it out online
The paper version of the FAFSA comes with over a hundred questions, according to U.S. News, which will likely cause any family to break down completely. Instead, opt for the online FAFSA, which comes with technology that will enable students to skip questions or import tax forms to fill out questions automatically.
2. Make a college list and collect deadlines
Even though students complete the FAFSA mainly to attain federal financial aid, many colleges also use the form to award private scholarships and even reduce tuition. Make a list of the colleges you wish to apply to or have already applied to in order to save time when completing the application, as FAFSA will ask for this information. Keep in mind that FAFSA allows only up to ten colleges to be added.
3. Make a FSA ID
Before sitting down to fill out the FAFSA, the student and each of their parents must create a FSA ID, which serves as an electronic signature of sorts. Do this ahead of time, as the ID may take a few days to process. Making the FSA ID requires a social security number for each user, as well as date of birth and name. If a parent or student does not have a social security number, US News advises inputting all zeroes, then selecting the option to print a signature page at the end of the application and signing manually.
4. Obtain necessary documents
Filling out the FAFSA will prove extremely difficult without the necessary documents, so make sure to track down these papers before initiating the process. You will need parents’ tax information, records of untaxed income, net worth and investment information, and current bank statements. The FAFSA will ask for documents from the “prior-prior year”; for example, if filing for the 2021-2022 school year, use tax documents from 2019. If you held a job in the prior-prior year, the FAFSA will also require submission of your own tax information as well.
5. Answer questions accurately and thoughtfully
Now for the final piece of the puzzle: the questions themselves. Make sure to have a parent or guardian present during the actual application process to verify all the information. If a question arises or any information proves difficult to find, families can use Nitro to find help on specific sections of the FAFSA.
Yes, the FAFSA can be a pain to deal with, but ultimately, it will pay off in the long run thanks to all the financial aid it may help families qualify for. Keep calm, push through, and don’t forget to check deadlines for each school’s FAFSA submission on their website.
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