Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the standard form required for federal and state need-based aid and for consideration for many other scholarships and grant opportunities. The FAFSA can be completed and filed at www.fafsa.gov.

Resources:

Tax Breaks for Higher Education: This page provides an overview of all the options that may be available to students and their families, including the Federal Tax Benefits for Higher Education.

Mistakes to Avoid When Completing the FAFSA: This tip sheet helps students and families avoid common errors when applying for student aid. It also provides Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) tips and links to free resources.

7 Easy Steps to the FAFSA: This is the student's guide to the FAFSA. It is a complete tutorial that will guide through the steps to completing the form.

Contact your financial aid office: If you feel that you would benefit from FREE, personal help completing the FAFSA, please contact the financial aid office of the school that you plan to attend in the fall of 2012.

Remember: Complete Your Taxes Early! Filing 2011 federal taxes early simplifies the FAFSA completion process, and it is to your advantage to submit your federal tax return prior to FAFSA Day, if possible. If a student or parent hasn't yet filed taxes and needs to estimate income information on the FAFSA when they first fill it out, they can use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to submit corrections at a later date once their taxes have been filed.