How to Apply for College Financial Aide
OK, so you've been accepted in to college. First step down. Now comes the hard part: How are you going to pay for it? It's really not as hard as it would seem. With a little bit of patience, basic personal financial information, social security numbers and access to a computer, you can apply for financial aid. Follow these simple steps, and you will be well on your way to paying for college.
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Things You'll Need
- Internet access
- Copy of your tax statements
- Copy of your parents' or guardians' tax statements (The parents' things apply if you are under 25 or still live at home.)
- Your parents' or guardians' social security numbers
- Basic financial knowledge concerning bills you and your parents pay
- Basic knowledge on the college you intend to go to
Instructions
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1
Call, write or go by your school, and get a paper copy of the U.S. Department of Education Federal Student Aid form, better known as FAFSA. It is not required that you have a copy of this form ahead of time, but it helps you prepare to fill it out because you can go through it and make sure you have all of the information needed. There's nothing worse than thinking you are prepared and finding out you are missing key elements you have to have to finish the job.
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Go online to www.fafsa.ed.gov, and apply for a PIN number. When you go to the website, look at the left-hand side of the page. Click where it says "Students and Parents Apply for a PIN." The site will ask you a number of questions including your social security number. After requesting a PIN, you will receive one via email within a few days. It is important to apply for a PIN before filling out the application because you use your PIN to officially sign the FAFSA application. Without it, you will not be able to complete the next step.
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Wait for your PIN number to arrive. When it arrives, begin filling out the online FAFSA application. The FAFSA application is comparable to a tax form with additional questions on your school choice and where you plan to live while you attend school. When you finish the form, make sure to sign the form using your PIN number and print a copy of the form for your records.
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Check your email frequently. Within a day or so of filling out the FAFSA, you should receive an email acknowledging that your FAFSA was received and that it may take several weeks to get word of the results. You can modify your FAFSA or check on its progress anytime by going to the website and using your PIN number for access.
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Wait about three weeks to receive feedback on the results of your FAFSA. You will only be able to receive so much information online concerning the outcome. After about three weeks, call your school. The school itself will be able to inform you of what you did and did not qualify for and what steps you need to take to get any aid you are eligible for.
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Tips & Warnings
The paper FAFSA you requested in Step 1 can be filled out and turned back in. Just keep in mind that it will take a considerably longer amount of time to complete the process.
Each state has its own deadline when the FAFSA must be completed by. Make sure to have the FAFSA completed by that time, or risk the possibility of not receiving any aid for the upcoming school year.
Don't feel pressured to fill out the entire form if you are missing pertinent information. You can save your application and return to finish the process at a later date.
