{"id":497,"date":"2017-11-29T13:39:48","date_gmt":"2017-11-29T13:39:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/uncategorized\/an-overview-of-the-fafsa-and-the-application-process\/"},"modified":"2019-04-18T15:48:17","modified_gmt":"2019-04-18T21:48:17","slug":"an-overview-of-the-fafsa-and-the-application-process","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.petersons.com\/blog\/an-overview-of-the-fafsa-and-the-application-process\/","title":{"rendered":"An Overview of the FAFSA and the Application Process"},"content":{"rendered":"

You should be able to fill the FAFSA out on the Web or pick one up at your high school guidance office, public library, local college, or the U.S. Department of Education. The FAFSA<\/a> is a first step in determining what financial aid award you might receive.<\/p>\n

The online FAFSA is a great option<\/h2>\n

The fastest way to apply for federal student aid is over the Internet using the interactive FAFSA application on the Web at www.fafsa.ed.gov<\/a>. This site hosts the online financial aid application, as well as an abundance of information about filling it out. You can look up the codes of the schools you’re interested in, find out what information you need to gather, and sign up for a PIN number that serves as your electronic signature on the application. (If you’re not applying as an independent student, you and one of your parents must apply for the PIN.)<\/p>\n

This financial aid application is not too complicated<\/h2>\n

As long as none of the schools on your list require the CSS PROFILE, the application process is pretty simple. All you need to do is complete the FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1 of the year you plan to enroll and before any school-imposed deadlines, which are often in February or March. Keep in mind that you can\u2019t submit your application for the year you plan to attend prior to January of that same year. The process is easier if you have all your financial records from the previous year available, but if you don\u2019t, it\u2019s entirely OK to use estimated figures.<\/p>\n

There are a number of items you should gather before filling out the FAFSA. If you don\u2019t have all of these things available, use estimates. You\u2019ll need to submit changes later when the documents become available, but making changes is an easy process, so don\u2019t let that deter you.<\/p>\n

Depending on your circumstances, you will need:<\/p>\n