FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid
It is always free, please check with the counseling department.
Find out if you qualify for grants and loans based on parent's income.
Many scholarships require completion of the FAFSA.
Gather important information and documents required for completing the FAFSA.
Use this document to help guide you. Tax information for the year prior will be required.
Create an FSA ID for yourself.
Your parent must create an FSA ID as well. The may have already created one, possibly for themselves or an older sibling. If this is the case they will use their FSA ID create previously and will not need to create a new one.
If a parent is undocumented, a parent will not create an FSA ID. The parent will sign the FAFSA another way. The counseling office is happy to guide you through this process.
SAVE THESE USERNAMES AND PASSWORDS. Create a note in your phone or write it down and keep it some where you will remember to get it as you will need it every year you are in college.
FAQ Frequently Asked Questions as you complete the FAFSA.
What's a SAVE KEY? It's a temporary password for just this years FAFSA - write it down wherever you keep your FSA ID
For which year should I complete the FAFSA? You are going to choose the school years for your first year of college. Example: If you are a senior graduating the 2020-2021 school year, you will complete the 2021-2022 FAFSA.
Should I connect to the IRS Data Retrieval System? When possible, this is definitely recommended. It saves time and trouble entering your tax information into the FAFSA. It also can prevent you from being selected for a verification process later in the year.
How do I enter tax information? This can be tricky. If you're unsure, schedule a time with the counseling office or with ICAN representative Lupe Hernandez to ensure you're completing it correctly.
My parent's are divorced or were never married to each other, whose information should I use? You use the information of the parent you lived with the most. If it's an even split, than you choose which parent you spent one more day with in the last year. If your parent is remarried, you will include the step-parent as parent 2.
Contact counseling department (kthrasher@wl.k12.ia.us) to set up an appointment for help from a school counselor
Contact Lupe Hernandez, a Student Success Advisor from the Iowa College Access Network
ghernandez@ICANsucceed.org
Helpful resource: FAFSA Worksheet
If you can fill this out prior to an appointment with a school counselor or with Lupe, it will greatly help the process!