Fafsa Tips:  Top 5 ways to GET College Financial Aid from the FAFSA

1. Fill it out!: “We make too much money to qualify for any financial aid, why should I even fill it out” This is the most common MYTH around college financial aid. Most families think they won’t qualify for any financial aid so they don’t even fill it out,which is the WORST thing to do.  Millions of dollars in aid is left on the table because the FAFSA is not even filled out. 
2. Fill it out Early.  DON’T PROCASTINATE!!  You need to have the Fafsa turned in early.  But not too early.  We have had a bunch of applications sent back to us because they were sent in on the 2^nd of January.  Come to find out they train all the newbie’s on the first financial aid forms that come in.  So ours got sent back in error.  A rule of thumb is to have them in around the third week in January.  Financial aid is given out on a first come first serve basis, so don’t wait.  This will also benefit you if there are mistakes.  If you mess up, it will allow you time to make revisions to your form and resubmit.  If your form is rejected and sent back, it does not count as being submitted, so you have to resubmit before the deadline or you will not get any aid.  And the cut off date is the cut off date!  The financial aid office doesn’t care what your excuse is or allow any extensions!
3. Read the DIRECTIONS:  I know men do NOT like to read directions, I don’t like to either.  But filling the form out correctly can be the difference between getting aid and not getting any aid.  I cannot tell you how many forms I have seen that are filled out incorrectly! 
4. Do a Rough Draft:  Just like in school, you are taught to do a rough draft and then a final draft.  Print a copy off the FAFSA website, or pick up a copy at the local library and fill it out in pencil.  Then go over it and make sure you have not included your income in two different places or any other silly mistake.  I suggest you submit the FAFSA over the internet.  It is submitted right away and you don’t have to rely on the postal service.
5. Don’t wait for your taxes to be filed:  Most people don’t know that your taxes do NOT have to be filed before you can fill it out!  There is a spot on the FAFSA that you can mark “will file” when it asks about your tax returns.  You are allowed to make estimates to what you made.  And if you have your last paystub from the previous year, you should be able to get close.  This allows you to go back in and make revisions to the FAFSA if you do not have them filed.  Most families that do not have crazy income tax returns should be able to get pretty close on the forms.

If you like this information, stick around we have a great report coming out called “How to pay for College without going BROKE!”  If you want a sneak peek at it email me at info@thecollegeexpert.com and I will shoot you a copy!