FAFSA Form & Financial Aid Form Blog

The Department of Education has announced a new service for the coming year – FAFSA on the Phone.

What exactly is FAFSA on the Phone?

FAFSA on the Phone is a non-Web, paperless alternative to completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). With the assistance of Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) customer service representatives (CSRs), students are given the flexibility to complete the FAFSA by relaying their information over the telephone.

Will I speak with a real person or an automated system?

With FAFSA on the Phone, you will speak with an actual person, a FSAIC CSR. This one-on-one interaction allows for seamless FAFSA completion.

Who is this service geared toward?

FAFSA on the Phone provides students who have limited or no access to the Internet with a convenient option to complete the FAFSA. This service is also aimed at students who face pressing state and federal deadlines and have no other option available to complete the application.

How does FAFSA on the Phone work?

Contact FSAIC: 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243)

Sun: Closed
Mon–Fri: 8:00 a.m.–12:00 midnight Eastern Time
Sat: 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Indicate to CSR that you would like to fill out your FAFSA over the phone. Have the necessary information ready.

CSR inputs data into online FAFSA and submits for processing. The process generally takes 25–30 minutes. CSR will supply you with a confirmation number for future use.

You will receive the Student Aid Report (SAR) in the mail 7–10 days after you apply. Review your information on the SAR for accuracy and make changes if necessary.

After reviewing your SAR, you (and your parent, if appropriate) must sign and mail your SAR as soon as possible to the address provided on the SAR.

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This questions asks about the highest level of education your parent(s) have achieved. If you are the first one in your family to go to college, you may be eligible for “first in the family” type scholarships.

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Question 23: Do not leave blank! This is a complicated question, so here’s the easy way to answer it. First, the question is specifically about a drug conviction while you are receiving federal student aid. If you’re attending college for the first time, this is automatically no, even if you’ve been convicted of a drug offense. Second, the question specifically applies to convictions at a federal or state level. If you’ve been convicted in a local court only while you were receiving federal student aid, you are still likely eligible for aid. Third, the question applies specifically to people who have not completed a rehab program. If you have completed a recognized drug rehabilitation program (one that receives government funding or recognition.

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For the 2009-2010 academic year…

- Your Social Security number and your parents’ numbers, if you’re a dependent student.

- 2008 W-2 forms and other records of money earned (by you and your spouse, if you’re married).

- Your 2008 Federal Income Tax Return (and that of your spouse if you’re married).

- Your parents’ 2008 Federal Income Tax Return (if you’re a dependent student).

- Any foreign tax return or tax return from Puerto Rico

- Your 2008 untaxed income records – examples include Social Security benefits, welfare benefits, and veteran benefits.

- Your current bank statements, business and investment mortgage information; business and farm records; and stock bond and other investment records.

- Your alien registration number (if you are not a U.S. citizen).

If possible have your 2008 income tax returns finished so you can complete the FAFSA more easilt and accurately.

If you apply before your tax return has been completed you’ll have to apply using an estimate and then file a correction later if your estimate was not accurate.

To file a FAFSA (click here).

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Yes, that’s the draft. It is a requirement that males 18 years old or older be registered for the draft. No Selective Service registration = no financial aid. Women are not required to register for the draft.

What is Selective Service?
Registration is the process by which the US government collects names and addresses of men age 18 through 25 to use in case a national emergency requires rapid expansion of the Armed Forces.

Will I Be Drafted?
Registering with Selective Service does not mean you are joining the military. And registering with Selective Service does not mean you are signing up for the all voluntary Armed Services.

The fact that a man is required to register does not mean that he will be drafted. No one has been drafted since 1973. No one can be drafted into the military unless ordered by Congress and the President. A draft would most likely occur only in the event of war or national emergency.

What Happens If I Don’t Register?
Young men convicted of failure to register may be fined up to $250,000, imprisoned for up to five years, or both. In addition to being subject to prosecution, failure to register may cause you to permanently forfeit eligibility for certain benefits. Not registering is a felony.

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I know the FAFSA form can be pretty intimidating at first glance. I mean, it’s as thick as War and Peace! Ok, that’s not entirely true but it is still long and makes my belly ache like a 4th helping of turkey and stuffing.

Personally I don’t like to read. In fact I don’t even like re-reading blogs I’ve written. That probably seems a bit odd given that I write for a living, but it’s true. That’s why I try to condense what I have to say as best I can for your benefit.

So to answer the question why all the questions, here is a short concise retort.

The questions on the FAFSA are required to calculate your Expected Family Contributions (EFC). The EFC measures your family’s financial strength and determines your eligibility for federal student aid. Your state and the colleges you list may also use some of your responses. They will determine if you may be eligible for school or state aid, in addition to federal aid.

Simply put, file your FAFSA! And due so as close to January 1 as possible for the 2009-2010 academic year. To file (click here).

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This is the state you live in, not the state where you were born or the state where you go to college. It also has nothing to do with immigration. The easiest way to answer this question is that it’s the state your driver’s license is issued by. This question is important because the Department of Education will release some FAFSA data to your state’s financial aid agencies, potentially qualifying you for extra aid.

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I’m proud to say that after an incredible amount of labor, research, and collaboration, the new FAFSA Guide eBook is published and ready for your enjoyment. It’s 47 pages, a line by line guide to the 2009-2010 FAFSA, and will help you pay for college. It’s also totally and completely free.

Download your copy here.

If you are a financial aid administrator, high school guidance counselor, or other representative of an institution of higher education, please link and share the eBook with your students. This guide will help them complete the FAFSA correctly and quickly!

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