Every student who plans to attend a post-secondary school should complete a FAFSA form in order to be considered for scholarships and other financial aid. This is how post-secondary schools decide how much of the sticker price you will actually have to pay, so even if you feel you may not be eligible for aid, you still need to complete this process.
FAFSA typically opens on October 1st each year. It is best practice to complete the form as soon as possible so that you can receive the maximum amount of aid.
Steps for completing this process:
You and each of your contributors (usually your parents/guardians) will need to apply for an FSA ID at https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch
Follow all directions on that site, keeping your ID number safe- you will need this every year that you are in school (master's and doctorate included)
You and your contributors will need to complete a FAFSA form- the videos within the form help walk you through what you need: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
You will need to know exactly how much money is in each of your bank accounts on the day you complete the form
Keep in mind that money in a student's account is rated at a higher percentage than money in a contributor's account; students will not want to have more than $7,600 in their name, as that may lessen the aid you can receive
This website is also helpful to prepare you ahead of time: https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/fafsa-support