Paying for College 101
This is an overview of the process of getting financial aid. I suggest working through each of these steps .
Estimate Student Loan Debt and Payments
from this site you can estimate how long it will take to pay off any student loans that you may incur
Find and Apply for Scholarships and Grants
There are many different ways to find scholarships and grants. Select any of the following:
Get a Federal Student Aid ID (FAS ID)
An FSA ID is comprised of a username and password and can be used to login to certain Federal Student Aid websites, such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®).
The security of your FSA ID is important. Your FSA ID can be used to:
Electronically sign Federal Student Aid documents,
Access your personal records, and
Make binding legal obligations.
You can get a FSA ID by accessing the web site studentaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm(Opens in a new window.) at any time.
Collect Information to Complete the FAFSA
A FAFSA is a long form that requests information that you’ll need to collect in advance. Here’s what you’ll need:
Your social security number AND your parents´ social security numbers
Your driver´s license number
Two-year old federal tax information or tax returns (including IRS W-2 information) for yourself and for your parents
Records of untaxed income (such as Social Security benefits, welfare benefits for yourself, and your parents)
Information on savings, investments, and business and farm assets for yourself, and your parents.
Complete the FAFSA Now
There are two ways to fill out the FAFSA – on paper or on the Internet. To get the paper form, contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center. I recommend you complete the form online for the following reasons:
The online FAFSA finds mistakes right away and lets you fix them.
You get instructions for each question, and you can "chat" live for free with someone in customer service if you have further questions.
The Department's Central Processing System will process your application quickly – in three to five days if you use an electronic signature.
Complete the FAFSA Now! (ASAP after 10/1 of senior year)
FAFSA opens each year ON OCTOBER 1st. Don't wait! Many schools require FAFSA before any scholarship will be awarded.
To complete an application online, please visit FAFSA on the Web
Learn About and Review Your Student Aid Report (SAR)
Your Student Aid Report (SAR) shows all the information you entered on your FAFSA. Also, your SAR usually states your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which is the amount you're expected to contribute toward your education each year. It's the number on which financial aid officers will base the amount of assistance they can put together for you. Your EFC will be in the upper-right part of a paper SAR and at or near the top of an electronic SAR. You might not get an EFC if more details are needed in your application.
Review your SAR carefully to make sure it's correct and complete. If it is, and if it contains your EFC, it's time to start contacting the schools you're interested in. The schools you listed on your FAFSA will appear on your SAR, and they'll receive your SAR information electronically. The financial aid office staff at your schools will review your SAR and use the information to determine if you're eligible for federal – and possibly nonfederal – student aid funds.
You can fix mistakes on your SAR online. You can also make changes to your SAR 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 your answer to FAFSA Question 31 (drug convictions). For all other changes, you must resubmit your SAR for reprocessing.
Follow Up With Your Colleges and Other Contributors
If you haven't heard from the schools to which you've applied for financial aid within four to six weeks of submitting your application, follow up with a phone call.