From not getting an FSA ID before filling out the FAFSA to forgetting to sign the form — it’s easy to make missteps when applying for federal financial aid.
But the US Department of Education wants to help students avoid the most common mistakes.
Continue reading Tips to Help Families Avoid Common FAFSA Errors
Need financial aid for the 2019-20 academic year?
The US Department of Education is reminding students to remain cognizant of deadlines when completing the FAFSA.
While the form is primarily used to award federal financial aid, many states also use the FAFSA to assess eligibility for their aid programs — and some of those deadlines are on the horizon.
In many homes, filling out the FAFSA is a family affair.
Although students are always encouraged to take the lead when it comes to applying to colleges, they are often required to work in conjunction with their parents or guardians to provide information about their family’s income and other factors when seeking financial aid.
With that in mind, the US Department of Education recently published a blog post with tips to help families navigate the FAFSA process.
A mobile-friendly version of the FAFSA website went live this week, the first step in a months-long process aimed at making it possible for students to apply for financial aid using their smartphones.
A beta version of a companion app — myStudentAid — is planned for next month, with the complete version available Oct. 1.
A little over half of all students who were eligible for the Pell Grant were selected for verification in 2015-16.
The procedure, which requires students to submit additional paperwork to prove their income, inserts an extra step into the financial aid process. And in an op-ed published by The Hill this week, Justin Draeger—president and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators—voiced concerns that verification keeps some students from attending college.
Continue reading ‘Verification Melt’ Keeps Students from College Dreams
Editor’s note: This post originally appeared on Admitted in November 2016. It’s being republished as part of NACAC’s Best of the Blog series.
You may be advising a student who lives with their grandmother or aunt, but was never legally adopted. In other instances, an older brother, sister, or family friend is raising a child but no official adoption took place.
For some families, this approach may have offered a way to handle conflicts and crises without involving the court system. However, complications can arise when it comes time to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Continue reading Completing a Dependency Appeal for Financial Aid
Students and parents will soon be able to use their smartphones to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced Tuesday that the mobile platform will roll out this spring as part of a larger effort to modernize the federal student aid system.
Need financial aid for the 2018-19 academic year?
The US Department of Education is reminding students to remain cognizant of deadlines when completing the FAFSA.
While the FAFSA is primarily used to award federal financial aid, many colleges, states, and scholarship programs also use the form to assess eligibility for their aid programs.
Continue reading Reminder: Keep an Eye on Financial Aid Deadlines
Getting ready to help students fill out the FAFSA?
The Department of Education released a list this week highlighting the eight steps that need to be followed when filing for federal student aid. And included in the article is an important reminder: Students can — and should — list multiple colleges on their FAFSA.
Continue reading Expert Advice: Listing College Options on the FAFSA
The IRS Data Retrieval Tool will be available to FAFSA filers this fall, but the tax information it imports will remain masked — even to students and parents.
According to a recent Federal Student Aid memo, the change will enhance security and privacy. But many financial aid professionals are worried the tool’s new constraints will discourage families and students from using it to import their tax information when applying for federal aid.
Continue reading FAFSA Update: Data Imported From DRT Will Be Masked
