Sources of Money 7: Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

On Tuesdays we review a source of financial aid available to help you pay for college

Aaron could not qualify for federal student aid when he lived with his parents. They earned too much money. When he married, however, his new family qualified with their lower income. He attended a small liberal arts college in the northeast. The school used the same form, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), for school scholarships that students completed for Pell Grants and student loans. He paid for his entire master’s program with financial aid.

Prepare Your FAFSA Now

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opens the doors to multiple sources of financial aid:

• Pell, FSEOG, and Teach Grants
• Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants
• PLUS Loans
• Perkins Loans
• Stafford Loans
• Federal Work-Study programs
• Private scholarships through small colleges

Students must submit a Free Application for Financial Aid (FAFSA) each year that they want money. Instructions for completing the FAFSA can be found on the government web site. You must complete your FAFSA between January (after you complete your Federal Tax Forms) and June. However, several sources of financial aid are awarded based on a first come, first served basis. So, delaying submitting the FAFSA may lose you some financial aid.

You also must submit a separate FAFSA for each student requesting federal aid.

Tips for Completing Your FAFSA

Learn more about completing your FAFSA through the following links. They provide excellent answers to questions and tips. I refer you to them rather than repeat what they say:

• Lynn O’Shaugnessy’s blog The College Solution
• New York State Higher Education Services
• Federal Student Aid
• Rogue Community College
• College Confidential

You may also receive help through your state’s office of higher education. Several states offer workshops in February and March to help students and parents complete their FAFSA. You may find workshops near you by searching the state name and “higher education” or “FAFSA assistance”.

Also, you do not need to pay for someone to complete your FAFSA.

Thursday we discuss how reusable essays can help you save time in your applications