Gathering FAFSA Documents for College Funding
by Carol Braun
January 15, 2010
Gathering FAFSA documents
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) became available on January 1. It is important to complete the form and submit as soon as possible, as financial aid is provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Here are some of the items you will need:
- Your Social Security number and your parents’ Social Security numbers if you are a dependent.
- Your driver’s license number if you have one.
- Your Alien Registration Number if you are not a United States citizen.
- 2009 federal tax information for you (and your spouse, if married) and your parents if you are providing parent information. You will still be able to submit your FAFSA even if you have not filed your taxes at the time, but you must still provide income and tax information.
- Records of untaxed income, such as Social Security benefits, welfare benefits and veteran’s benefits for you and your parents.
- Information on savings, investments, and business and farm assets for you and your parents.
Federal Student Aid advises families with unusual circumstances, including job loss, to complete FAFSA on the Web whenever possible, submit it and then contact the financial aid office of the school you plan to attend.
Also, scholarship and financial aid scams are out there; do not pay a fee for FAFSA completion and filing. Help completing the FAFSA can generally be found at the school you are planning to attend, a school counselor or Federal Student Aid.
To get started, visit www.fafsa.ed.gov. Don’t miss out!
