Who can assist me with any FAFSA questions I might have?
You can call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) with questions about the FAFSA on the Web or paper application process or about federal student financial aid general. In addition, FAFSA on the Web filers can get help at www.fafsa.ed.gov/faq001.htm.
What should I (the student) do if my family has special circumstances that aren't mentioned in the application?
Talk to your financial aid administrator in your schools' financial aid office. If your family's circumstances have changed from the base year (2008) due to loss of employment, loss of benefits, death or divorce, your school may decide to adjust data elements used to calculate your EFC. The adjustment might increase your eligibility for student aid.
I'm not sure if I want to take out a student loan or work during the school year. What should I enter for the questions asking if I am interested in student loans or work-study?
Some schools use this information to put together a financial aid package for you. Answering "Yes" to either question does not obligate you to take out a loan or accept a work-study position. It usually just means that the school will offer you a loan(s) or work-study as part of your aid package. If you do indicate on the application that you are interested in either a loan or work-study, you can change your mind and not accept the loans or work-study later.
If I live with an aunt, uncle, or grandparent, should that relative's income be reported instead of parental information?
Only if the relative is your adoptive parent. Dependent students can be considered dependent only on their parent(s) and must report only parental information on the FAFSA. You must report any cash support given by relatives, but not in-kind support (such as food and housing) from relatives.
What if I live with a girlfriend or boyfriend who pays the rent?
You should not report any information for a friend or roommate unless the two of you are actually married or are considered to have a common-law marriage under state law. You must report any cash support given by the friend as untaxed income but should not report in-kind support (such as food). You would have to report as untaxed income the rent the roommate paid on your behalf.
When is student aid considered income?
Generally, grants and scholarships that do not exceed tuition, fees, books, and required supplies are not considered to be taxed or untaxed income. If you have an ROTC scholarship, a private scholarship, or any other kind of grant or scholarship, that grant or scholarship will be considered as an available resource by the financial aid office when packaging aid but will not be reported as income on the application.
You should report grants and scholarships you reported on your tax return. You should then report these items as exclusions from income.
What's the difference between cash support and in-kind support?
Cash support is support given either in the form of money or money that is paid on your (the student's) behalf. You must report cash support as untaxed income. Thus, if a friend or relative gives you grocery money, it must be reported as untaxed income. If the friend or relative pays your electric bill or part of your rent, you must also report those payments.
Examples of in-kind support are free food or housing that a family receives, usually in exchange for work or services. You usually don't report such support.
However, the application does require you to report the value of housing a family receives as compensation for a job. The most common example is free housing or a housing allowance provided to military personnel or clergy, which is required to be reported.
If I'm an emancipated minor, am I now independent?
If you were/are an emancipated minor as determined by a court in your state of legal residence, you are considered to be independent by the U.S. Department of Education. You may need to supply the Financial Aid Office evidence of this.
If I am in the National Guard or am an active duty military member, am I considered a veteran for purposes of filling out the FAFSA?
You are considered a veteran for the purpose of filling out the FAFSA if you have engaged in active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard) or are a National Guard or Reserve enlistee who was called to active duty for other than state or training purposes, or were a cadet or midshipman at one of the service academies and were released under a condition other than dishonorable.
If you are not on active duty in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard, but will be a veteran by June 30, 2010, you are considered a veteran for FAFSA purposes.
If my parents are divorced, whose information do I need?
The parent with whom you lived the most during the 12 months preceding the date you completed the FAFSA. It does not make a difference which parent claims you as a dependent for tax purposes. If you did not live with either parent or lived equally with each parent, the parental information must be provided for the parent from whom you received the most financial support during the preceding 12 months or the parent from whom you received the most support the last time support was given.
I am entering financial information for my mother and stepfather on the FAFSA. Should I give my father's Social Security Number (SSN) and last name, or my stepfather's?
You should provide the SSN and last name of the same person or people for whom you are reporting financial information. In this case, provide the SSNs and names of your mother and stepfather.
What should you do if the parent with whom you live is remarried and the stepparent refuses to supply information?
If you are a dependent student and your parent is remarried, the stepparent's information must be included or you will not be considered for federal student financial aid. If you believe that your situation is unique or unusual other than the stepparent's simple refusal to provide the requested information, you should discuss the matter further with your financial aid administrator.
How does a family decide who should be counted in the household size?
Anyone in the immediate family who receives more than 50% support from a dependent student's parents or an independent student and spouse may be counted in the household size even if that person does not reside in the house. For example, a sibling who is over 24 but still receives the majority of his/her support from the parents can be included. Siblings who are dependent (as defined by the FAFSA) as of the date you apply for aid are also included, regardless of whether they receive more than 50% of their support from the parents. Any other person who resides in the household and receives more than 50% support from the parents may also be counted, as long as they will continue to reside with your parents and the support is expected to continue through June 30, 2010. An unborn child who will be born during the award year may also be counted in the household size.
Household size and tax exemptions are not necessarily the same. Exemptions look at the previous year or tax year and household size refers to the school year for which the student is applying for aid.
My parents separated four months ago. I live with my mother. My parents filed a joint tax return and claimed me as an exemption. Do I report both their incomes, or just my mother's?
Report only your mother's income and asset information because you lived with her the most during the past 12 months. Use a W-2 Form or other record(s) to determine her share of the income reported and taxes paid on the tax return.
If I (the student) am separated but filed a joint tax return, how is the information reported?
You should give only your portion of the exemptions, income, and taxes paid.
Who qualifies to be counted in the number in college?
Any person (other than your parents) who is counted in the household and will be attending any term of the academic year at least half time. The person must be working toward a degree or certificate leading to a recognized education credential at a postsecondary school eligible to participate in the federal student aid programs. You (the student) need not be enrolled half time to be counted in the number in college.
When Does My School Have to Receive the Results From My Application?
Your school must have your information by your last day of enrollment. If your school has not received your application information electronically, you must submit your paper SAR to the school by the deadline. Either the electronic record (ISIR) or the paper SAR that has been processed by the Department must have an official EFC. Once the school receives your information, it will use your EFC to determine the amount of your federal grant, loan, or work-study award, if you are eligible. The FAA will send you a letter explaining the aid the school is offering.
What if I don't get a SAR Acknowledgement or SAR, or I need another copy of that form?
If you do not receive your SAR Acknowledgement within two weeks or SAR within four weeks after submitting your application, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243). You can use the automated system to find out whether your application has been processed or to request duplicate copies of your report. You will need to provide your Social Security Number and the first two letters of your last name. You can also check the status of your FAFSA and print a copy of your SAR at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
If you apply on FAFSA on the Web, you will get a confirmation notice after you click on Submit My FAFSA.
What is the Data Release Number (DRN)?
The Data Release Number (DRN) is required to make certain changes associated with the FAFSA you filed. You can make corrections to your mailing address and/or to the schools you listed to receive your FAFSA data. Just call the U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid Information Center (1-800-4-FED-AID [1-800-433-3243]). The DRN also allows you to release your FAFSA data to schools you did not list on your original FAFSA. The DRN is printed in the lower left-hand corner of your Student Aid Report (SAR).
I sent in my FAFSA over four weeks ago but haven't heard anything. What should I do?
Your FAFSA will be processed in two to four weeks. If you do not hear anything within four weeks you can check the status by going to www.fafsa.ed.gov. You can also check by contacting the Federal student aid Information center at 1-800-4-FED-AID. You must provide them with your Social Security number and date of birth as verification.
Why should I bother to complete the pre-application worksheet rather than just fill in the FAFSA and use that when I apply online?
This worksheet is set up to follow the order of questions that are on the online version of the FAFSA. The paper FAFSA has the questions in a different order so it is more difficult to transfer your answers to the online FAFSA.
How soon after January 1 should the FAFSA form be sent in? Is it better to wait until the income tax forms have been completed?
Send in the form as soon as possible after January 1. You do not have to wait until your taxes are done. Although it is better to do your taxes early and file your FAFSA after that, it is ok to use estimates of your income, so long as they aren't very far off from the actual values. You will have an opportunity to correct any errors later. If you wait too long, you may miss out on scholarships or campus based aid such as Work-study.
What information do I need to complete a FAFSA accurately?
- Social Security numbers of student and parents' (parents Social Security numbers are needed for dependent students)
- W-2 forms and other records of money earned by student and parents, if you are a dependent student
- Students and parents' federal income tax returns (parents tax return is needed for dependent students and spouses tax return is needed for independent students)
- Untaxed income records - Social security, welfare, or veteran benefits for example
- Current bank statements
- Current business and investment mortgage information, business and farm records, stock, bond and other investment records
- Alien registration card, if you're not a U.S. citizen
How do Returning or Continuing Students Re-apply?
You must re-apply for financial aid every academic year. When filling out a FAFSA again the application will be partially completed for you using information that has been carried over from last year's application.
I'm a dependent student, but whose information do I report if my parents are divorced or separated?
You report information about the parent you lived with for the greater amount of time during the 12 months preceding the date of application. If you didn't live with either parent, or if you lived with each parent an equal number of days, use information about the parent who provided the greater amount of financial support during the 12 months preceding the date of application. If you didn't receive any parental financial support during that time, you must report information about the parent who most recently provided the greater amount of parental support.
If the parent you receive financial support from was a single parent who is now married, or the parent was divorced or widowed but has remarried, your stepparents financial information is required on the FAFSA. This does not mean your stepparent is obligated to give financial assistance to you, but his or her income and assets represent significant information about the family's resources.
How do the schools I'm interested in, get my FAFSA results?
You can list up to ten schools on your FAFSA. Those schools will receive you FAFSA results electronically.
What do I do with my SAR?
Review it carefully to make sure it's correct and complete. If it is and if it contains your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) contact the school(s) you're interested in. The schools listed on your FAFSA will appear on your SAR, they'll receive your SAR information electronically.
What if I later want to add or change schools?
You can make changes online with your PIN or you can call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1(800)433-3243.
How do I make changes or corrections to my Student Aid Report (SAR)?
If you need to make corrections to the SAR, you can make them online, or you can usually make corrections to a paper SAR, if you received one. Your SAR will contain instructions on how to make corrections. You can made a few changes to your SAR information by calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243). You can change your address, the names of schools that you want to receive your FAFSA information and answers concerning a drug conviction.
Once my SAR is correct and complete, how do I find out if I'm eligible and what aid I'll receive?
Contact the financial aid office of the school(s) you're interested in or plan to attend. If you're eligible for aid, each school will send you an award letter, telling you the types of aid it will offer and how much you can receive.
My SAR indicates that my application has been selected for "Verification". What is that?
The federal government uses a process called verification to help determine the correctness of the financial information on your FAFSA. If your application needs to be verified, there will be an asterisk (*) to the right of the EFC and written comments on the SAR indicating what actions you need to take to complete the verification process. Your electronic record will also indicate that verification must be completed before any federal student aid payments are made.
If your application is selected for verification, or if there are any other questions about your application, the financial aid office will send you a letter asking you to provide documentation of your SAR information and complete a "Verification Worksheet". You will have to submit copies of U.S. Income Tax returns and other requested items before you receive any payments of federal student aid.
What is a PIN and what is it used for?
It's an electronic access code number that serves as your identifier. Your PIN helps you to:
- Apply online for federal student aid, using FAFSA on the Web.
- "Sign" your application electronically and complete the student aid process totally online. If you're a dependent student and your parents have a PIN, they can sign the application electronically, as well. Signing the application at the time you apply means you'll get your results faster.
- Make corrections to your FAFSA.
- Access your Student Aid Report and make corrections to it.
- Access all your federal student aid records online, including federal loan information.
How and when do I get a PIN?
Go to www.pin.ed.gov at any time, don't wait until you apply for federal student aid. You can request your PIN before you complete your FAFSA on the Web application. If you're a dependent student your parents should request a PIN also, so you and your parent can electronically sign your FAFSA on the Web before it's submitted.
How will my PIN be sent to me?
When requesting a PIN, you'll need to provide your name, Social Security Number, date of birth, and mailing address, and submit your request. If you provide an e-mail address, you'll get an e-mail response with your PIN number. If you don't provide an e-mail address, you'll get your PIN in 7-10 days through regular mail.
I lost my PIN. What should I do?
If you have lost or forgotten your PIN, you will need to request that it be sent to you again. If you think that someone else may know your PIN, or you believe your PIN may have been compromised when it was lost, we can generate a new PIN for you. Go to www.pin.ed.gov for instructions for instructions on replacing a lost PIN or to request a duplicate of your PIN.
My parents don't support me and won't contribute to my education, so why am I still considered a "dependent" student?
It's a federal regulation. There are basic requirements a student must meet to be considered an independent student. If you do not meet these requirements but you still believe you are truly independent of your parents, you may appeal for a "dependency override" in the financial aid office at your school. In unusual cases, the financial aid administrator can change your dependency based on adequate documentation of special circumstances you may have.
