For many people, a college education is needed to thrive in this world. This is especially true for minorities whose parents have poked and prodded them to go to college ever since they were little, but being a minority is already a disadvantage. Disadvantaged parents make much too little money to pay for their child’s cost of college so much of their hope is put on financial aid. That is where the FAFSA comes in. FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and its sole purpose is to assign students to various programs included in federal aid, by looking at eligibility based off the application itself. Once processed, the application itself is sent to the school of the student’s choosing, and depending on what they put and applied for, the school will look at the student’s needs and provide a financial aid package based off that.
The award time frame should be something carved into any student looking for higher education’s head. The award is opened on the 1st of July every year, and it closes June 30th the following year. Though this means that the window is essentially open year round, it is important to not that it is only open for that specific school year. Although it has a long timeline, many schools have a much earlier deadline for financial aid, more often than not as a matter of fact. The financial aid package is required before the school year, so it’d be impractical to turn it in anytime after the start.
Before filling out the FAFSA, it is important to note what needs to be on it. For the most part, a student needs to show proof of income, whether it be a parent’s or a legal guardian’s. This includes the most recent federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned. Besides income proof, there needs to be documentation of a student in the country. This can be provided with a Social Security Number (SSN) or Alien Registration Number if they are not a U.S. citizen. Another important thing that is needed is a