The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
What is the FAFSA?
The FAFSA is an online application that every student should complete, each year that they will be attending college. Financial aid from the federal government can help you pay for education expenses at an eligible college or career school. Grants, loans and work-study are types of federal student aid. You must complete the FAFSA to apply for this aid.
What is the FAFSA website?
The FAFSA website is www.fafsa.gov. Do not use any other "FAFSA" websites (such as the one ending in ".com"), and never pay to submit the FAFSA-- the first "F" stands for Free.
What information do I need to complete the FAFSA?
To complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you will need:
When do I fill out the FAFSA?
Starting in your senior year of high school, the FAFSA will go live on October 1. Fill it out as early as possible. If you have not filed your taxes at the time that you fill it out, you can estimate your financial information based on the previous year's tax forms, and then go back to update your FAFSA once you have filed the current year's taxes. Check with your colleges for their individual FAFSA deadlines.
How do I get help with the FAFSA?
College Goal South Carolina is an initiative by SC Can Go that gives families the opportunity to get free assistance with submitting the FAFSA. You can register for a local College Goal event on the SC Can Go website: http://sccango.org/college-goal-sc-students-sign-up/.
You can also use the FAFSA online help site or call the helpline to find answers to your questions.
Who is my parent when I fill out the FAFSA?
See the infographic below for the answer to that question:
The FAFSA is an online application that every student should complete, each year that they will be attending college. Financial aid from the federal government can help you pay for education expenses at an eligible college or career school. Grants, loans and work-study are types of federal student aid. You must complete the FAFSA to apply for this aid.
What is the FAFSA website?
The FAFSA website is www.fafsa.gov. Do not use any other "FAFSA" websites (such as the one ending in ".com"), and never pay to submit the FAFSA-- the first "F" stands for Free.
What information do I need to complete the FAFSA?
To complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you will need:
- Your Social Security Number
- Your Alien Registration Number (if you are not a U.S. citizen)
- Your most recent federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned. (Note: You may be able to transfer your federal tax return information into your FAFSA using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.)
- Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable)
- Records of untaxed income (if applicable)
- A Federal Student Aid PIN to sign electronically. (If you do not already have one, visit www.pin.ed.gov to obtain one.)
When do I fill out the FAFSA?
Starting in your senior year of high school, the FAFSA will go live on October 1. Fill it out as early as possible. If you have not filed your taxes at the time that you fill it out, you can estimate your financial information based on the previous year's tax forms, and then go back to update your FAFSA once you have filed the current year's taxes. Check with your colleges for their individual FAFSA deadlines.
How do I get help with the FAFSA?
College Goal South Carolina is an initiative by SC Can Go that gives families the opportunity to get free assistance with submitting the FAFSA. You can register for a local College Goal event on the SC Can Go website: http://sccango.org/college-goal-sc-students-sign-up/.
You can also use the FAFSA online help site or call the helpline to find answers to your questions.
Who is my parent when I fill out the FAFSA?
See the infographic below for the answer to that question:
