FAFSA Available Now: Fill it out ASAP!

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now available at https://fafsa.ed.gov.

This application may be used for students attending college in the 2017-18 school year. In order to be eligible for federal financial aid, students and parents must complete the FAFSA.

How to complete the FAFSA & get an FSA ID

If the student has never completed a FAFSA before, you must visit FSAID.ed.gov to create a Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) before going to fafsa.gov to complete your FAFSA.

To be eligible for financial aid, it’s imperative to fill out the FAFSA as soon as possible. You do not need to worry about having your taxes completed before filling out this part of the form–you may use your tax information from the previous year.

Financial aid deadlines vary by college and state, but most recommend filling out the FAFSA as soon as possible in order to maximize your chances of receiving financial aid.

Once it’s all been handed out, it’s gone, so you should submit your FAFSA to any colleges you’re considering right away–even if you haven’t applied to them yet.

Fill out the FAFSA ASAP to get financial aid

According to CBS News, a recent analysis found that as much as $2.7 billion in free federal grant money went unclaimed last year, in the most cases because students didn’t fill out the FAFSA.

Unlike in past years when it was not available until the January before a student entered college, this year’s FAFSA became available on October 1. The reason for the change was to help ensure more students and parents completed the form on time and were able to receive financial aid for college.

Don’t be left behind. Even if you don’t think you’ll qualify for financial aid, you should still fill out the FAFSA. Income is not the only factor–many circumstances help determine if you will receive financial aid.

In addition, some colleges will only give financial aid, including merit-based aid, to students who fill out the FAFSA. Filling out the FAFSA by your state’s deadline also makes you eligible for certain state scholarships.

Watch this video for help filling out the FAFSA, and learn how to create an FSA ID here.