FAFSA

Short Cut to FAFSA

FAFSA: The Financial Aid tool of the United States

Obtaining financial aid begins with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA.

The U.S. Department of Education's federal aid program is the largest source of student aid in the United States. By filling out the free application, your information will also be directed to applications for funds from your state and/or your university.

Who is Eligible for FAFSA?

If you meet the following criteria, you could be eligible for federal financial aid:

• You are a United States Citizen or a Resident Alien (Green Card holder)
• You have a High School Diploma or a GED
• Your degree or certificate program is accredited or otherwise eligible
• You haven't defaulted any government loan (such as a financial aid loan).

For complete eligibility requirements click here.

FAFSA: The Online Advantage

By filling out the FAFSA online, you will increase response time exponentially. An online request generally enjoys a response time of 3 - 5 days. This certainly beats the normal response time of 2 - 3 weeks. Additionally, there is more help available with the online application!

It's a good idea to read the requirements carefully, look over the form, and gather all the necessary documents and information required BEFORE you fill out the application. The FAFSA Web site explains everything you need. Preparing yourself before filling out the application can save you a lot of time and frustration later.

The U.S. Department of Education also has a downloadable form called Completing the FAFSA for your convenience.

Another FAFSA tool to get you started: Worksheets.

In addition to the application, the FAFSA is chockfull of helpful resources:

• Worksheets to determine your dependency status. This can help save you lots of time and energy because if you are found to be dependent on your family, it can change your eligibility status.
• A necessary document list. This helpful checklist will help you be better prepared for the FAFSA.
• Practice worksheets. You do a dry run of the form before you fill out the official application.

FAFSA's answer to your Questions:

To contact the FAFSA, you can call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 800-4-FED-AID look for the 'Live Help' link on the FAFSA website. Customer service representatives are standing by to help answer your questions about completing the FAFSA.

FAFSA4Caster: Getting a Glance into the Future

The FAFSA4Caster is a tool developed for high school juniors (or below) to help estimate your eligibility for federal assistance and how much assistance you might qualify for. Being forewarned is forearmed, as the saying goes. With the information generated by this tool you can more effectively plan for your future needs.