College Student Loan News and Info

Proofread, Proofread, Proofread Your FAFSA

Sometimes students will diligently fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and send it off only to be disappointed by its rejection. Usually the reason for the rejection is that there are errors on the FAFSA. Most of these errors can be avoided by taking the time to meticulously proofread your FAFSA.

If you really want to have your FAFSA go through, (and you do after all the work that goes into it) you need to be very thorough and meticulous as you fill out the form and then again as you proofread it. Better yet, you might want to be meticulous and thorough as you fill it out, then proofread it, and then find another person to proofread it a couple of times.

In order to make sure that everything is correct the first time, you might want to print out a practice copy of the FAFSA. You will need to have all of your paperwork on hand, as well. If you take the time to do the practice copy, by the time you get to the real copy, you will have everything you need to fill out the form properly.

There are several documents you will need. You will need your Social Security Number and your driver’s license number. Then you will need your own W-2 forms and Income Tax Return as well as the same information from your parents if you are their dependent. If you have other untaxed income, you will need those records as well as current bank statements and investment information. If you are not a U.S. citizen, you will need your permanent residency card or alien registration form.

After you have gathered all this information, you need to start at the top of the form and fill in every blank on the form. If you get to a blank and you don’t know what to put in the blank, don’t leave it blank. You should at least put a zero in the blank. There is formula used when your FAFSA is calculated and a blank line will mess up the formula while a zero will give the proper result according to the formula. Those students who are planning to major in math may be able understand that better than those who are majoring in English or history. However, you don’t have to be a math major to remember to simply put in zero on a blank line when you don’t know an answer to a question on the FAFSA.

Once you have filled out your practice sheet, transfer everything to the one you’ll be submitting and then proofread your FAFSA. Not just once but several times and be sure to give someone else that privilege as well. Federal financial aid is important in the light of college expenses. Don’t miss out on this help because of errors on your part when filling out the FAFSA.