Filing your FAFSA and Other Finaid Applications

It is financial aid forms time. If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to complete the FAFSA (FREE Application for Federal Student Aid).  You might also be completing a College Board Profile or other college financial aid forms too.

Check on Requirements!

• Check on FAFSA codes for colleges
• Check for requirements for filing extra forms such as CSS Profile or own college forms
• Check on any state form requirements

Gather ALL  information needed. Be sure you have:

• Your social security number
• Parents’ social security numbers
• Your income statement (if you had any) for the past year
• Amount in savings, checking or other types of assets
• Copy of latest tax return

Inform Colleges of Special Circumstances. Let the college know in a separate letter if:

• A parent lost a job or income went down
• Parents were divorced
• There is a family member with special medical costs
• There are any other special circumstances in your family the college should know about

Do NOT Report more information than requested.

• Don’t include assets from parent retirement
• Don’t include a farm your family lives on
• Don’t include a small business income or assets
• Don’t include your family home as an asset

Do NOT File Late.

• Don’t forget to file financial aid forms in January, or by mid-February at the latest
• Don’t forget to check all deadlines for forms at colleges

Take Action:

• Create a Financial Aid Form report to use when completing your FAFSA. It summarizes all the financial aid requirements for each of the schools on your list and has the FAFSA codes for all your colleges.
• Complete the EFC Calculator in the Surveys section
• Watch for any upcoming financial aid deadlines from the colleges you applied to
• Mark off each financial aid milestone as you complete it