Guide to the FAFSA

All high school seniors are to fill out the FAFSA starting on October 1st. You will want to file as early as possible- financial aid is often awarded on a first come first serve basis. Even if you think you don't think you will qualify for aid, file your FAFSA! SERIOUSLY. Many schools require it for admissions and scholarships.

Q: When will I get my results?

A: After your FAFSA is filed, your Student Aid Report (SAR) should arrive within a few weeks. At this point, if you've already been admitted to a school (or a few schools), you should start receiving financial aid awards.

Q: Which year's tax information do I submit?

A: You will need the numbers from your prior-prior year federal income tax return. For example, for the 2018-2019 academic year FAFSA, you would use your 2016 income tax return. 2021-2022 you will use 2019 Tax returns.

Q: Do I really have to file it?

A: Technically, no. But, yes! There is no income cutoff to apply, and it won't just affect federal aid; your college may offer you other financial aid awards if you have a completed FAFSA on file.

Q: What if I am not a Senior?

A: If you want to know how much financial aid you might be eligible for once you do start applying to colleges, the FAFSA4Caster os what you will need. Just fill out some basic information, and it will estimate your eligibility for federal student aid. Check it out at www.fafsa.ed.gov!

Prep Work

You and your parents will need to have your financial and demographic information ready to go. This will include:

Federal income tax returns or W2's
Bank Statements
Untaxed income and investment records (like 529 accounts)

You will have to wait for 30 minutes after creating an account before you can log in and start filling out your FAFSA so patience will be required! :)

For a full list of information you will need to fill out the FAFSA, go to the RESOURCES tab and click "Information Needed to File Your FAFSA".