Just released October 1, 2021 is the 2022-2023 Academic Year Free Application for Federal Student Aid form!
Are you even THINKING about going back to school in the Fall of 2022? The time is NOW to get your financial aid forms submitted. Can you believe it? That may seem like a long way out, but it is much easier to cancel aid than try to apply for and receive it next summer.
We recommend that ALL students fill out this form. It is the key to unlocking aid you my not have known existed, or that you may not have felt you qualify for. You don’t know unless you try!
We recommend that you fill out the form as soon as possible as some states run out of funding early. First come, First served.
Visit the Federal Student Aid home page to get started on this years FAFSA.
The IRS provides a “quick and convenient” way to access your tax info using their IRS Data Retrieval Tool, and while it can save you time and ensure accuracy, if you use the retrieval tool, you will not be able to see or edit the data entered on the website. I guess this is a security feature…? If you manually enter the info, you can see and change it.
Also note the FREE part — you do not need to pay anything to acquire or submit the form — unless, of course, you choose to pay someone to consult or help you prepare it.
Just as in years past, there is only a fixed amount of money to go around, so get your application in as soon as possible because the phrase “first come, first served” is very much in play.
But… also keep in mind that the first offer of student aid may not always be the full amount you end up qualifying for! At some institutions, money frees up later in the academic year as certain students (who were offered financial packages) choose to go to a different school. That money returns to the particular school and is made available to whomever comes asking for it. So, in effect, your student aid can be a year-round effort if you are constantly asking the financial aid office at your school “is there anything else