ArticlesBase.com - Free Articles Directory
Free Online Articles Directory
08.08.2008 Sign In Register Hello Guest
Email:
Password:
Remember Me 
forgot your password?


Max Out your Financial Aid: Get your Fafsa Done Early

Author: Jeff Mictabor Author Ranking Bronze | Posted: 21-01-2008 | Comments: 0 | Views: 19 | Rating:  (50) Article Popularity - Green (?) Got a Question? Ask.
Sign Up Now!

Several schools are seeing a record-breaking number of college applications this year, The New York Times reported today, with the competition for open spots more fierce than ever. An increased demand for admission can mean increased demand for financial aid, so if you need money from grants and student loans to help pay for college, the earlier you can submit your application for financial aid, the better.

It may not be on your list of favorite things to do, but getting your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) filled out and submitted is a must if you want to qualify for federal need-based financial aid like Pell grants, Perkins loans, and Stafford student loans.

FAFSA Deadlines

The U.S. Department of Education will accept the FAFSA anytime between January 1 and June 30, but your state or school may set earlier deadlines. In fact, the FAFSA website encourages you to apply as soon as possible on or after January 1 to meet college and state aid deadlines.

Some schools, particularly those with a rolling-admissions program, may award their limited need-based grants, student loans, and work-study financial aid awards on a first-come, first-served basis or have priority deadlines in place. So the earlier you get your FAFSA in, the more you may be able to maximize your federal financial aid award.

How to Get Started

Get a paper FAFSA application from your high school counselor or your financial aid office. Or download the online version from the FAFSA website at: fafsa.ed.gov.

Go to the FAFSA website and sign up for a PIN number at: pin.ed.gov/PINWebApp/pinindex.jsp. In order to submit your FAFSA online, you’ll need the PIN to electronically sign your FAFSA application. You’ll also need the PIN to make corrections to your information online later, if you need to.

Get the documents you need and fill out your FAFSA. The FAFSA will ask you for your previous year’s tax info, as well as your parents’ tax info if you’re a dependent student. If you or your parents haven’t received your W-2s or filed your taxes yet, keep going! The DOE allows you to estimate your income and tax information on the FAFSA and then correct it later if you need to. Submit your completed FAFSA by mail or online.

About 4–6 weeks later, you should receive a Student Aid Report in the mail summarizing your FAFSA info. Make corrections, if needed, and submit your SAR for reprocessing.

If your application is selected for verification, your financial aid office may ask you to submit tax returns or other documentation. To avoid delays in being awarded your federal grants and college loans, make sure you meet your school’s deadlines.

If you’re a FAFSA newbie, getting through the application may seem overwhelming at first, but you can get free help from a number of sources: Set an appointment with your high school counselor, call your financial aid office, or contact the U.S. DOE’s Office of Federal Student Aid online at: FederalStudentAid.ed.gov or by calling 1-800-433-3243.

Life After the FAFSA

If it turns out you’re not eligible for need-based federal aid, you may be able to get the additional funds you need from non–need-based federal college loans, like PLUS loans and unsubsidized Stafford loans.

If your education-related costs still exceed your available federal financial aid, both need-based and non–need-based, you may be able to get the financial assistance you need fromprivate student loans. Since federal student loans generally offer more attractive terms than private student loans, though, you should always look into your federal financing options first.

Learn more about Private Student Loans and Student Loan Consolidation.

Rate this Article: Current: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s).

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/college-and-university-articles/max-out-your-financial-aid-get-your-fafsa-done-early-311746.html

Print this Article Print article   Email to a Friend Send to friend   Publish this Article on your Website Publish this Article   Send Author Feedback Author feedback  
About the Author:

Jeff Mictabor is an enthusiast on the topic of student loan issues in the news. He has been writing for the past 10 years for a variety of education publications. He now offers his writing services on a freelance basis.

Submitting articles has become one of the most popular means of generating quality backlinks and targeted traffic to your website. Join us today - It's Free!

Article Comments

Comment on this article Comment on this article
Your Name
Your Email:
Comment Body
Enter Validation Code: Captcha


Related Articles

Top-rated Online Colleges of 2008 Offer Financial Aid to Most Students
By: Jeff Mictabor | 29/02/2008 | Education
If your schedule demands flexibility, convenience and round-the-clock availability, an online college degree program might be able to accommodate you in ways that a brick-and-mortar school can’t.

Nextstudent Efas Trained to Deliver Premier Service in Student Loan Industry
By: Jeff Mictabor | 06/02/2007 | College and University
NextStudent, the Phoenix-based premier education funding company, assigns every customer a personal Education Finance Advisor (EFA) to direct them through the student loan process. This personalized attention ensures that every borrower receives the highest level of customer service and latest financial aid information available.

Concerns About College Costs Shaping More Students’ Decisions
By: Jeff Mictabor | 07/03/2008 | Education
Freshman concerns about college affordability are at a 35-year high, according to a recent survey by the Higher Education Research Institute.

A College Financial Aid Model for Private K–12 Students
By: Jeff Mictabor | 31/03/2008 | Education
One of President Bush’s education initiatives that would model private K–12 financing on a popular federal college financial aid program has sparked renewed debate about school vouchers and federal funding for private education.

Student Loan Consolidation May Get you Up to 20 More Years to Pay Off your Student Loans
By: Jeff Mictabor | 28/01/2008 | Education
If you’re a former student or a college parent with any outstanding federal student loans, you may be able to get up to 20 more years to repay just by consolidating your eligible federal parent or student loans.

U.s. Falls Behind Rest of World in College Degree Attainment
By: Jeff Mictabor | 01/02/2008 | College and University
The United States continues to lag behind other major industrialized nations in the percentage of the population with a college degree, according to a recent series of studies released by the Making Opportunity Affordable project.

Saving on College Tuition
By: Jeff Mictabor | 08/02/2008 | Education
While tuition and fees have risen over the last decade at all types of colleges and universities, these costs have gone up the least at two-year schools, according to a recent report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

Financial Aid 411: Know the Ground Rules for Paying for College
By: Jeff Mictabor | 18/02/2008 | Education
With college tuition prices on a steady incline that’s outstripping inflation, more and more students may need to rely on financial aid to help pay for school.

Got a Question? Ask.

Ask the community a question about this article:

Frequently Asked Questions

Defaulting on student loans?
By: Maggie31053 | 17-06-2008
I co-signed for my daughter's student loans which she now cannot afford to pay.  I cannot either as I was recently unemployed and am still in debt.  I do own my home, the only asset I have, and I am afraid that I will lose it because my daughter is defaulting.  How can I protect it, or should I sell it and rent somewhere?

Can I write off my student loans on my taxes?
By: Lane | 27-03-2008
Can I write off my student loans on my taxes? What do I have to do in order to accomplish this? 

Can someone staying outside uk apply for private ...
By: talk2dekky | 12-10-2007
can someone staying outside uk apply for private loans to study in any country.

Q&A Powered by:
Powered by Yedda 

Latest College and University Articles

How to Identify a Diploma Mill
By: Amelia Turner | 07/08/2008
A diploma mill is an organization that offers education certifications, diplomas or degrees which require little or no academic study. The degrees offered by diploma mills are "fake" degrees which are not recognized in the job market. It's not worth to risk your future by getting a degree from diploma mill. You must avoid these diploma mills with your best effort. Here are a few tips to help you identify if an education organization is potentially a diploma mill.

Beginning of Studies at College
By: Brendan Lee | 06/08/2008
The entrance the college is very important event in life of many people.

How to Adapt at Foreign College or University?
By: Brendan Lee | 06/08/2008
In many cases those who get the possibility to go to study abroad are the best students

New Student Flats in Falmouth Use Innovative Construction Techniques
By: Falmouth Student Accommodation | 06/08/2008
Falmouth Student Accommodation in the Maritime Apartment complex. With sea views and everything Cornwall has to offer on your doorstep, this is the ultimate accomodation for students at Falmouth, Tremough, Penryn, and the Combined Universities of Cornwall

Accredited Online Bachelors Degree . A Simple Overview
By: Derek Smiley | 05/08/2008
Obtaining your accredited bachelors degree online will enable you to take advantage of carrying out your business on the Internet.

How to Study Math and Physics Effectively
By: Duncan Kelly | 05/08/2008
I wrote a physical science exam and got 38%. Two months later I was allowed to rewrite the exam and I got 88%. Find out what I did in those two months...

Useful Summer for Students
By: Diego Hernandez | 05/08/2008
When the academic year is over, a lot of students begin to look for summer job or summer internship.

Take Care About Money for College in Advance!
By: Diego Hernandez | 05/08/2008
There are a lot of people who think about education at college for their children

More from Jeff Mictabor

Increase in ‘stealth Applicants’ May be Affecting Acceptance Rates
By: Jeff Mictabor | 16/05/2008 | Education
“Stealth applicants” is the term colleges and universities use to refer to those students whose first communication with a school comes via their admissions application. An increase in these “out-of-the-blue” applicants has thrown off schools’ ability to accurately predict the number of applications they will receive and has caused some schools to adjust their traditional admissions practices.

Changes to Pell Grant Program Needed to Target Lowest-income Students
By: Jeff Mictabor | 09/05/2008 | Education
Pell Grants, federal grants targeted at the nation’s most needy students, have not kept up with college costs. In fact, current Pell awards fall far short in helping low-income students cover their education expenses, according to a recently released report from the Institute for Higher Education Policy.

Study Reveals Slowdown in International Graduate Student Applications
By: Jeff Mictabor | 24/04/2008 | College and University
Britain, France, Germany, Australia, and China are becoming a stronger presence in the postgraduate studies landscape, cutting into the United States’ historical dominance as the most sought-after destination for international students seeking a master’s or doctoral degree.

A College Financial Aid Model for Private K–12 Students
By: Jeff Mictabor | 31/03/2008 | Education
One of President Bush’s education initiatives that would model private K–12 financing on a popular federal college financial aid program has sparked renewed debate about school vouchers and federal funding for private education.

Concerns About College Costs Shaping More Students’ Decisions
By: Jeff Mictabor | 07/03/2008 | Education
Freshman concerns about college affordability are at a 35-year high, according to a recent survey by the Higher Education Research Institute.

Top-rated Online Colleges of 2008 Offer Financial Aid to Most Students
By: Jeff Mictabor | 29/02/2008 | Education
If your schedule demands flexibility, convenience and round-the-clock availability, an online college degree program might be able to accommodate you in ways that a brick-and-mortar school can’t.

Financial Aid 411: Know the Ground Rules for Paying for College
By: Jeff Mictabor | 18/02/2008 | Education
With college tuition prices on a steady incline that’s outstripping inflation, more and more students may need to rely on financial aid to help pay for school.

Saving on College Tuition
By: Jeff Mictabor | 08/02/2008 | Education
While tuition and fees have risen over the last decade at all types of colleges and universities, these costs have gone up the least at two-year schools, according to a recent report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

Article Categories






Give Feedback

Sign up for our email newsletter

Receive updates, enter your email below