FAFSA...Friend or Foe?

Hello all! It’s Liz at Evanston High School. It is a busy, chilly Monday morning! I have already had a bunch of students in my office asking questions and getting help on scholarships for the week. It seems however there is a big elephant in the room everyone wants to know about...

The HOT TOPIC of this month seems to be the FAFSA...dun dun dun.....(Free Application for Federal Student Aid for those of you not sure what FAFSA is.) The FAFSA for some reason has become a mysterious application students have heard about but are not sure how to act on. (Thank you to the high schools for doing all they can to get the information out there about the FAFSA!) The FAFSA should be something that EVERY college going person is aware of and has information about. It should not be a big hairy under the bed beast. It should be seen as an ally to financing college.

The FAFSA is used to determine the amount of money a family is expected to contribute to the price of attending a postsecondary institution. The results of the FAFSA are also used in determining student grants, work study, and loan amounts. FAFSA application is critical because it is used for Federal Pell Grants as well as other financial aid offered by colleges and universities. Many scholarships also require that students have an active FAFSA application before they can be considered. The FAFSA is free and only takes about 30mins to an hour to do online if you have your tax information in front of you and ready to go.

This is what the FAFSA asks you to provide:

  Information about the student

  Information about the student’s dependency status

  Information about the student’s parents and finances

  Information about the student’s finances

  A list of the schools that should receive the results of the FAFSA

NOTE: All financial information is kept confidential and NOT released to other government agencies. The information provided is solely used by the Office of Federal Student Aid, part of the Department of Higher Education.

Still unsure of the beast?

Here is my advice if a student is still suffering from FAFSA woes:

1. Ask questions. There is nothing wrong with not knowing what to do. Contact your local Educational Opportunity Center, the financial aid office at the schools you are applying to or the Guidance Office at your local High School for information on how to get help. There are FAFSA Frenzy events happening all over Wyoming this month where students can get help filling out the application. Find out where your local Frenzy is TODAY to get help.
2. Apply for a PIN on the FAFSA website as soon as you can so you are able to electronically sign your app.

3. Fill out the application completely and accurately, and be sure to get it in on time. Most schools have priority deadlines. Even a minor problem with the form could result in delays or the loss of financial assistance.

4. Fill out the form even if you think you will not qualify for aid. You never know what you can be eligible for until you just do it!
5. Once you fill out the form you will find out what types of aid you qualify for in a few short weeks. Getting aid for the next year of college is worth taking an hour to fill out the app.

6. FILL IT OUT! Don't wait, just get online and start! It is easier than you might think!

FINAL WARNING: The key word in FAFSA is the ‘FREE’ part. DO NOT PAY for anything FAFSA related. There are help service companies that will charge you $$$ to assist you with the form, PLEASE find free help, it is out there for you! I promise the FAFSA does not require professional assistance. Additionally make sure you are filling out the correct application from the .gov website.

For other information and to fill out YOUR FAFSA just visit:

www.FAFSA.gov

FAFSA is not scary, confront the beast with confidence!

Cheers,

Liz Rader

WyCAC Advisor

Evaston High School

erader@uwyo.edu