Source: FAFSA blog

A quick FAFSA update…for the first time ever, the only way to file a FAFSA, is online. I remember when I was a first time FAFSA applicant, back in 1998…my mom and I slaved over the FAFSA forms. We were so relieved when we finally sent them off. I waited for about 2 months for my SAR (Student Aid Report), and when it finally came, it was not that at all. It was one piece of paper that informed me that I had filled out one field incorrectly on the FAFSA form, and therefore I had not been processed at all for Federal Aid, until I fixed it. By the time I did fix it, the Pell Grant was no longer available to me for that school year. I am very surprised that it has taken until 2007 to switch the FAFSA to an online application only, but I can’t complain. Hopefully this will eliminate any prospective student from missing out on financial aid that otherwise would have been available to them. To end this blog, here are some common FAQs I hear about the FAFSA:

Q: My parents refuse to give me their information to fill out the FAFSA, what do I do?
a: If you are 100% certain that you cannot convince your folks that the information provided for the FAFSA form is used solely for educational aid purposes, then your next step would be to head into your FAO. They can hopefully put together an aid package for you through the school, so that you can still attend classes.

Q: I have been denied for the FAFSA because I make too much money, what do I do?
a: What this person really means is that they filled out the FAFSA and the government determined that they do not show enough “need” for them to get free money…otherwise known as grants from the government. This does not mean, that this student cannot borrow the Stafford Loan. If you are not eligible for grants, inquire about the Stafford Loan.

Happy Holidays!

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