Completing the FAFSA

MASSACHUSETTS EDUCATIONAL FINANCING AUTHORITY

COMPLETING THE

FAFSA®

Fast FAFSA

Facts

•Always free

•Required by all colleges

•Opens Oct 1st each year

•Must complete annually

Information

Needed

Student & parents’:

•SSNs

•2016 federal tax forms

•2016 untaxed income info

•Current asset statements

FAFSA

Customer

Service

•Phone: 800-4-Fed-Aid

•Chat: on StudentAidHelp.ed.gov

•Email: on StudentAidHelp.ed.gov

•Hours: M-F, 8 a.m.-11 p.m. ET

S&S, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. ET

FSA ID

•Needed for the FAFSA

•Username & password

•Student and one parent need one

•Get one at fsaid.ed.gov

To file the FAFSA go to: fafsa.gov

Two choices to begin

If already have the FSA ID

If don’t yet have the FSA ID

Review & accept the disclaimer

Select the 2018-2019 FAFSA

For

high

school

seniors

Save Key lets you save & return later

Further help & instructions

Further

instructions

Tips for

each

question

Search

Introduction Page

Section

tabs

Student demographic information

Save as

you go

View your

answers

anytime

Use an email

address that

you check

often

Student eligibility

Eligibility details: •U.S. citizens & eligible non-citizens get aid

•Males 18+ must register for Selective Service

•Current HS student should select:

–Never before attended college

•Answering “yes” to “interested in work-study?”

–Does not obligate student to work

–Does not guarantee a job

Find your high school

List up to 10 colleges

Wait 3-5 days to delete and add other schools

Compare

schools side

by side

Select the housing plan for each school

Dependent students must provide parent data

Questions to determine student’s dependency

Application saves automatically throughout

Parent demographic information

Household

size

worksheet

Color and

label change

Who is a parent? •Biological, adoptive, and certain step-parents

•Include both parents if married

•Include both parents if unmarried & live together

•Married parents include same-sex couples

•If separated & live together, select “married”

•If divorced/separated, select custodial parent:

–Custodial: parent that student lives with the most

–Custodial parent & current spouse provide info

–Noncustodial parent does not appear on FAFSA

Household size includes •Student

•Appropriate parents

•Other children

–If financially supported now and into 2018-19

–Don’t have to live with family

•Other people

–If financially supported now and into 2018-19

–Must live with family

Parent tax information

Use IRS Data Retrieval Tool if offered

IRS Data Retrieval Tool

•Uploads 2016 tax info into FAFSA

•Will not show actual numbers on screen

•Not usable by certain categories of individuals

Transferring to IRS website

Reporting assets

Assets include current balance of

•Cash

•Checking/savings accounts

•Real estate except primary home

•Money market account

•Stocks & bonds

•529s for all children

•Value of larger businesses/farms

Assets do not include

•Primary residence

•Life insurance policy

•Value of retirement

•Value of small family businesses

•Value of family farms

Student

Finances

•Student answers same income

and asset questions as parents

•Student should report income even

if didn’t file taxes

Sign with FSA ID and submit

Confirmation Page

Expected

Family

Contribution

(EFC)

Transfer parent

information to a

sibling’s FAFSA

College

information

After You

Apply

•Colleges & state receive your data

•Students receive a Student Aid Report (SAR)

•Colleges may request additional info

•Colleges send aid letters (typically in Mar-April)

FAFSA Day

•Free, in-person help with the FAFSA

•Oct 2017 through Feb 2018

•FAFSADay.org for dates & times

Questions? Contact us:

(800) 449-MEFA (6332)

info@mefa.org

mefa.org