How to Get Out of Debt

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly called FAFSA, is considered a must for college students. It helps determine the eligibility of the student to receive financial assistance with their education. The FAFSA must be completed before the school can offer any type of award package. This may include grants, loans, work study programs, and scholarship money.

To complete the FAFSA form, you will need to furnish lot of information including personal particulars such as contact details, Social Security Number and date of birth. Then, there are other particulars to be filled relating to education level, financial background, living arrangements among many others.

These details will be based on your parents’ income, if you are below the age of 21. There is some exclusion to this point, for which it’s best if you clarify with a financial aid advisor or check on the website.

To help with answering the questions, you’d need copies of either your income tax returns or of your parents, and perhaps also details about any bank accounts that generate interest income.

Even though you may revise your answers as and when required, it is best to be acquainted with all details so that your answers are accurate. It is a good idea to have all the required details handy while filling in the form. Ensure that you drop your application well before the deadline. The state deadlines are usually much earlier than federal deadlines, so be aware of the correct dates.

The application can be submitted in either of two ways. First is by filling in the form and sending by post. Second option is to submit online. If you choose the latter, you will need to create an account, after which you will be given access to an auto-generated PIN. You can choose to access this PIN either online or get it posted to you. You don’t necessarily have to fill the form in one go. You can save information that you have filled and come back to proceed further. To acknowledge your application submission you will receive a unique reference number and an email confirming the receipt of the application.

The details that you share in the FAFSA form, will help in deciphering the estimated family contribution or EFT. When the EFT is above 0, you will be required to bear a portion of the tuition costs. However, if the EFT is 0, then you are not required to bear any of your tuition costs. It is advisable to submit the FAFSA even if a student is not qualified for either state or federal grants. The process will help the student in obtaining any loans or applying for scholarships.

When the school receives FAFSA results, they will then contact the student regarding any additional information that may be needed. This may include but is not limited to a copy of tax returns, w-2’s, or any other document related. This process is called verification, not all students will be selected for this. Only after this process has been completed will the student be offered financial aid.