FAFSA Tips
If you would like to receive need-based money for college, you must complete the FAFSA at
www.FAFSA.ed.gov. You can do this anytime after Jan 1st of your senior year.
Need-based aid (grants, loans, and work-study) uses a measurement of income and assets to calculate an
Expected Family Contribution, or EFC. If your EFC is less than the cost of attendance at a college, you
are eligible for need-based aid. If your EFC exceeds the cost of attendance, you are judged to be “no-
need,” and must rely on other forms of assistance.
Beginning on January 1, the way you ask for financial aid for college is to complete a form called the
Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly known as the FAFSA. Not only is this form used for
federal aid (the largest sponsor of college assistance), in most cases it also determines how much you
receive from your state and college aid programs. Most colleges ask for you to complete the FAFSA
between Feb 1 and April 15.
About a week before the earliest aid deadline gather your list of colleges and get together all the
documents you will need –
student driver’s license
Social Security numbers for both student and parents
W-2 forms for both student and parents
draft or actual 2008 income tax returns for both student and parents
non-taxable income for 2008
bank statements, investments
business records and farm assets
1. Go to www.PIN.ed.gov, and get a PIN for both student and parent. Be sure to save your PIN as
the student PIN can be used for every year in college and the parent PIN for all children who
apply for aid. Receiving your PIN by email is the preferred option.
2. Go to www.FAFSA.ed.gov. You will see the FAFSA process divided into 3 Steps – Before
Beginning a FAFSA, Filling out the FAFSA, and FAFSA Follow-Up.
3. Before you start, there is a step that you may want to take if you are not sure if you will qualify,
or if you are a high school junior and want to look ahead at your aid prospects. In the lower left
corner you will see a link to FAFSA4caster. The 4caster serves a number of different functions. It
is primarily a way to make an early estimate of eligibility for need aid, but it also can help you get
started with the actual FAFSA by linking you to the PIN site and allowing you to transfer 4caster
data to FAFSA on the Web.
4. One way or the other, let’s assume you now have your PINs and are ready to start. Click on the
#1 in the upper left, “Before Beginning a FAFSA” and go through the menu items so you
understand fully what lies ahead.
5. Fill out the FAFSA Worksheet first. It contains imbedded instructions which should clarify what
each question asks for.
6. Go to Step 2, “Filling Out the FAFSA.” If you are having trouble, use the “Need Help” button, or
you can get personal help from FAFSA customer service by clicking on “Live Help.”
7. Be sure to save your work as you go along. When you are done, “sign” the FAFSA by using your
PINs.
8. After all this, you will want to take advantage of the services offered in Step 3, “FAFSA Follow-
Up.” This is a very useful section where you can check on the status of you FAFSA, receive a
copy of your Student Aid Report that contains your EFC, make corrections, and add other
colleges.