The 2018-2019 FAFSA is open!
The free application for federal student aid (FAFSA) is officially open for the 2018-2019 school year! If you're not familiar with FAFSA it is, in short, federal student aid funded by The U.S. Department of Education through a combination of grants, loans and work-study. Such aid is awarded to help with the costs of attending college (or a career school) by covering expenses such as tuition and fees, room and board and books and supplies. Financial aid is not solely limited to the U.S. federal government. In fact, as a student you have other resources you can consider for financial aid such as state grants (based on the state you live in), the college you are attending, different organizations that may offer grants or scholarships and private loans. Nonetheless, applying for FAFSA is a great way to determine how much you are eligible to receive towards your education.
Bear in mind you are not committed to any federal aid that is offered to you until you have accepted your award package from your school!
If you are applying for the first time-no worries! Navigating the FAFSA application is very easy as the website provides step-by-step guidance to answering each question. You'll need about an hour to complete the application; however, I would recommend that you have the required documents on hand when you are ready to apply this way you can reduce the time needed to complete the application. Otherwise, you'll delay the submission of your application.
Here's what you'll need:
Your social security number AND your parents' social security number if you are a dependent student
Your Alien Registration number (if you are not a U.S. citizen)
Driver's License number (if you have one)
Federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned (i.e. bank statements, records of investments, child support) for you AND your parent if you are a dependent student
An FSA ID for you AND your parent if you are a dependent student
If you're not sure whether you are considered a "dependent" student or not you can find out here. Also, you can always go back in to make corrections on your FAFSA after you've applied, however the first step is completing the initial application first! So, what are you waiting for? Don't delay! Apply early as there are deadlines depending on the state you live in and college you want to attend.
If you need further information concerning FAFSA, check out their website directly! Otherwise, if you're ready to apply click below and get started!
