Complete the FASFA Online

If you or someone you care for is heading to college soon, then it is time for you to fill out a FASFA. The FASFA, or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is the gateway to billions of dollars in government loan and grant money. Organized and supported by The Office of Federal Student Aid, the FASFA is the gateway to federal financial assistance for education for over and potential students. In fact, The Department of Higher Education reports that over 14 Million applicants will seek assistance through the FASFA program this year. In fact, in my career as an educator, I have filled out a FASFA eleven times. Every time things change just enough to keep it interesting. The only way to ensure success is to be prepared and make sure you pay attention to the details.

According to the Office of Federal Student Aid, a well prepared filer should be able to fill out the complete form in approximately one hour. How does a person prepare themselves, and what does it mean to be prepared? This guide will give you all of the necessary information to help you prepare your FASFA so that it is not one of the thousands rejected every year.

Tips for Successfully Completing the FASFA

1) The FASFA will ask you for information in five basic categories. These include information about the student, the students dependent status, information about the students parents, financial information, and information about the current or potential school the student wishes to attend. You should have as much of this information collected and prepared in advance to beginning your FASFA.

2) Fill the FASFA out online. It is possible to apply for financial aid by mail, but the online application provides instant verification and error checking. According to the Department of Higher Education, the mail-in applications have a much higher fail rate than the online application.

3) Know what the FASFA is asking for. Anytime you see the pronouns 'I', "You", or "Your", it is referring to the student and not the preparer of the form or the parent. Getting this confused will cause your application to be rejected.

4) Even though you will see advertisements online for FASFA preparation services, do not be fooled. The FASFA is, and will always be, a free application process from the federal government. You should never be asked to submit any form of payment with your FASFA.

5) Both the online version and the paper version are color coded for quick reference. Student parts are labeled in green and parent parts are labeled in purple. Unfortunately, every year I have filled out the FASFA, the information in all of the different sections is different. You must pay close attention when filling out the FASFA form.

6) As with any computer application, it is imperative for you to save often. There will be a save button located at the top or bottom of every page. You should always save your application before you begin any page and after you finish a page. Losing all of your FASFA information because of a power or Internet outage would be very frustrating.

7) Even though you are filling out the FASFA online, it is a great idea to print out the paper version and fill it out in advance. This "practice FASFA" will help you ensure that all of your data is entered correctly, and that you did not skip any necessary information.

8) Know your school and federal deadlines. Sometimes schools follow the federal deadlines for filling out the FASFA, but many colleges have an early or priority deadline. If you fail to meet any FASFA deadline, you will miss out on any free financial aid.

9) Remember that a FASFA must be filled out every year. The renewal form is different than your first FASFA, but it is still important that it is filled out on time and completely. This process must be completed and renewed every year that you wish to receive financial aid.

10) When you complete your FASFA, make sure to print out a completed and finished copy for your records. Not only will it come in handy for a renewal, but it is your "receipt" that you filled out your form completely and on time.