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FAFSA Tips
The FAFSA asks you for information about your finances. Here are some tips to help you successfully complete the application.
- Do your homework. Know how the financial aid process works, your options, and deadlines.
- Get an early start. Pick up the FAFSA at your high school in November. Even if you'll be filing online, you can get a head start by completing the paper one first.
- Be neat. Use a pen with black ink as instructed. Print clearly and neatly in capital letters. Your FAFSA will be scanned so neatness can mean fewer corrections. Don't use a FAFSA that's torn, crumpled, or stained.
- Do it right the first time. Read all instructions thoroughly. Work through each step carefully. Be accurate and careful not to make mistakes. It's easier to fill out the FAFSA if you have a completed 2001 tax return, but if not, you can use estimates rather than missing a deadline. Estimated numbers can be corrected later on your Student Aid Report.
- Use your name as it appears on your Social Security card. Using a nickname or other name will delay processing.
- Set aside a good four hours or more. Gather these materials ahead of time:
§ The FAFSA and any additional application materials required by the college
§ Your Social Security number. If you don't have a SSN, apply for one at your post office or Social Security office.
§ Family financial records, including 2000 federal income tax return, with all schedules; W2 forms and other records of 2000 earnings; current bank statements, investment information, business or farm records; and records of veterans' benefits, Social Security payments.
- Write only in the response areas and boxes. Keep the margins clean.
- Answer all financial questions. If your response is zero, or the question doesn't apply to you, enter an 0. Using a symbol such as N/A or a dash could invalidate your whole application. Make a list of unanswered questions and check to be sure each has been answered before filing.
- Don't skip the drug question. It asks if you have been convicted of a drug-related offense. A drug-related conviction doesn't necessarily make you ineligible for aid. Call 1.800-433-3243 or contact your financial aid administrator if you have questions.
- Do not attach anything to the FAFSA. Send any additional information regarding your special circumstances directly to the financial aid office at each college you're considering. Contact each one first to see how and when the information is needed. Be sure to put your name, date of birth, and Social Security number at the top of each page.
- Be sure you and a parent, if required, sign the FAFSA. Unsigned forms will not be processed.
- Make a photocopy or keep a printout of your FAFSA. Also keep copies of all financial records you used to fill out the FAFSA.
- Do not mail, or even date, the FAFSA before January 1. If you do, it'll be returned unprocessed and you'll have to file again.
- Get help, if you need it. Contact your high school counselor or college financial aid administrator, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243 (or 319-337-5665 if you're out of the country) Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern time, or go to www.ed.gov/studentaid. TTY users may call 1-800-730-8913.
How to Apply?
- Find out what's offered and what's required when applying for admission, find out about each college's student aid programs and how to apply for them by talking with the financial aid administrator. Application procedures, deadlines, and requirements may vary by college. Out-of state colleges may have different application processes. Be prepared to provide additional materials, such as copies of your family's federal income tax returns, directly to the college.
- Complete the FAFSA. Applying for state and federal financial aid is free. Simply complete the 2002-2003 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. It asks for a lot of information about your family's finances, mostly from their tax returns. But you don't need to wait until your parents (or you) file your 2001 tax return-you can use estimates from December pay stubs and other end-of-year records which can be corrected later, if necessary. Meeting deadlines is more important than holding the FAFSA until you have the actual numbers.
The Federal Student Aid Information Center
The Center can answer your questions between 8 a.m. and midnight (EST), seven days a week.
l-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243)
Counselors at this number can:
 assist you in completing the FAFSA.
assist you in making corrections to your SAR.
tell you whether a school participates in the federal student aid programs, and tell you that school's student loan default rate.
explain federal student aid eligibility requirements.
explain the process of determining financial need and awarding aid.
have your application information sent to a specific school.
send federal student aid publications to you.
You may use an automated response system at this number to:
- find out if your federal student financial aid application has been processed.
- request a copy of your Student Aid Report (SAR).
- TTY users may call 1-800-730-8913 with any federal student aid questions.
Callers from locations that do not have access to 800 numbers may call 1-319-337-5665. This is not a toll-free number.
You can also write to the Federal Student Aid Information Center at the following address:
Federal Student Aid Information Center
P.O. Box 84
Washington, DC 20044
l-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243)
If you submit a paper version of the FAFSA or the Renewal FAFSA, you can use the postcard found in the application to track the processing of your application. You must fill in the postcard with the required information, attach a stamp to the postcard, and mail it with your application. When the Department of Education's processor receives your application, the postcard will be stamped with the date that it is received. You will receive the date-stamped portion of the postcard for your files. If you do not receive your SAR within four weeks of the date stamped on the postcard, you can contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center at the address or phone number and refer to the date stamped on the postcard.
Your Pin
The Department mails a Personal Identification Number (PIN) to most students who applied for aid as of the 2000-2001 award year. If you did not receive a PIN from the Department, you can get one from the Department of Education's Web site at www.pin.ed.gov
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