Tips on How to Apply for Financial Aid

Know the Deadlines

• Find out each college's specific application deadlines, which are typically available on the school's website, and be sure to apply on time.
• If you're applying to a school through Early Action or Early Decision, be aware of the school's timeline, as those applications will likely be due earlier (probably sometime in the fall).

Satisfy All Requirements

• Be sure that both the student and the parent(s) apply for an FSA ID a few days before completing the FAFSA^®, as you need an FSA ID to start the FAFSA, and you cannot get an FSA ID and start the FAFSA on the same day. You can apply for an FSA ID at the Federal Student Aid FSA ID site. If parents are married to each other and filed joint tax returns, only one parent needs an FSA ID.
• Report your financial information as accurately as possible, because the will affect the initial offer you receive.
• Complete a separate application for each member of your family planning to attend college.
• Confirm the student's federal dependency status—dependent or independent—and the information requirements for each. You can learn more at Federal Student Aid's Dependency Status webpage.
• Remember that any question referring to "your" on the FAFSA, such as the phrases "your name" and "your Social Security number" refer to the student (not the parent).
• Understand the following requirements for the reporting of parents' financial information on the FAFSA and CSS Profile (see the Federal Student Aid's Reporting Parent Information webpage for more details):
  1. Married (including same-sex parents): both parents provide information
  2. Single or Widowed: one parent provides information
  3. Divorced or Separated: the parent who provided more financial support in the previous 12 months for the student; if that parent is remarried, include step-parent's information, including same-sex step-parents
  4. Court-Appointed Legal Guardian or Foster Parent: no parental information is required on the FAFSA, because the student is considered federally independent. On the CSS Profile, the Legal Guardian should answer the parent questions.

Take Advantage of Resources

• Fill out the application at the FAFSA website to reduce errors and speed up the process. Save your information periodically to avoid losing the work you've already done and to be able to leave the website and return later exactly where you left off.
• Attend a FAFSA Day event to receive free help completing the FAFSA.
• Communicate any special circumstances that affect your family's financial situation and your ability to pay for college by writing to the financial aid office at each school on your list.
• Contact the college's financial aid office for assistance if you need help completing your forms.

Stay Organized

• Create a family email address so that everyone can keep track of correspondence that will be sent by the Federal Student Aid office, colleges and universities, and others.
• Keep copies of everything you are asked to submit to the financial aid office, including tax forms, income documents, and bank statements.
• To ensure that you have access to all of your financial aid information whenever you need it, store the following documents in one place:
  1. Copies of submitted documents
  2. Year-end bank statements and account summaries
  3. Year-end pay stubs, W2s, and 1099s
  4. Most recently completed tax returns and/or official tax return transcript
  5. Verification forms, if required
  6. Acceptance letters
  7. Financial aid offers
  8. Outside scholarship information