Firstly, I would like to encourage parents to not be stressed by the form – it is fairly simple, but if this does stress you out, feel free to call and we will help wherever we can.
Our advice is to always check in BEFORE you complete and sign the FAFSA to see if you would be able to qualify for better benefits with some proper planning.
- Gather everything you need ahead of time.
These items include:
a. Student’s Social Security number (it’s important that you enter it correctly)
b. Parents’ Social Security numbers if student is a dependent
c. Student’s driver’s license number if student has one
d. Alien registration number if student is not a U.S. citizen
e. Federal tax information or tax returns
f. Records of your untaxed income, such as child support received, interest income and veteran’s non-education benefits, for student, and for parents in the case of a dependent student
g. Information on cash; savings and checking account balances; investments, including stocks and bonds and real estate but not including the home in which student lives; and business and farm assets for student, and for parents in the case of a dependent student
2. Go to https://fafsa.ed.gov/ Remember the first “F” stands for “Free” so make sure you are on the official government website, not one that charges money. You will also need to register for a username and password at www.fsaid.ed.gov
3. File as soon as you can. At many schools, Aid is often distributed on a first-come, first-served basis so don’t wait until after filing your taxes to complete your FAFSA – you will be able to upload your tax info later.
- Check with your student’s school to make sure you are aware of any deadlines for filing the FAFSA
- Read all the questions carefully and double-check all information.
- Add your college(s) of choice to your FAFSA application using the School Code Search tool on the main page. You can add up to 10 schools for free. Your FAFSA will automatically be sent to these schools for review if you add them. This will make it easier for you to compare costs between all of your school choices.
- DO not add your Retirement account totals to your assets.
- Always click “Yes” for possible Student Work/study opportunities – you never know if and when you might need it.
- Complete the FAFSA form even if you think you will not qualify for Need-Based Aid. You will need it for Negotiated Aid.
- Print out the completed form so that you have a record of what you filled in and print out the final page AFTER you have signed the form – it has your EFC [Expected Family Contribution] number on it.
Oh yes, did we mention that you need to sign the form? Both student and parent. Students, make sure you check your e mails regularly, including your spam folder.
Keep in touch with the colleges that you are applying to in order to make sure that they have received your FAFSA form. Most colleges review FAFSA in late February to early March.
These things are why we do what we do at College Planning America.
Contact us at davec@collegeplanningamerica.com or 714-813-1703
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