FAFSA Form Guide: 2009-2010 FAFSA Application Step 1
Step #1: Basic Contact Information (Green section)
Questions 1-3: It sounds stupid, but make sure your name on your FAFSA is in the correct order: Last, First, MI.
Whenever you're filling out basic information, use the same information as on your IRS tax return, which should be identical to the information on your Social Security paperwork/card.
Questions 4-7: Your permanent address is the same as the address you use on your tax returns and the same address where you're registered to vote. It's almost certainly NOT your school address.
Question 8: Be absolutely, positively sure you've got the Social Security Number (SSN) right. Nothing will kill a FAFSA faster than a mistake on the SSN.
Question 10: This can be your mobile/cell phone number as long as it's permanent enough that someone from a college financial aid office can call you and get you. Don't use forwarded numbers.
Questions 11-12: No driver's license? State ID will do. No ID at all? You can leave Question 11-12 blank, but it's not encouraged.
Question 13: Double-check your email address. The Department of Education will send FAFSA reminders, status updates, and results to that email address.
Eligibility for Financial Aid
Questions 14-15: US citizens and eligible noncitizens (permanent resident, asylum, etc.) are eligible to receive federal financial aid. International students typically are not eligible. Students who are legal citizens/eligible noncitizens but whose parents are illegal immigrants may qualify for financial aid, but will likely need the assistance of a financial aid officer.
Questions 16-17: Reminder - this is the student, not the parents! Marital status is one of the determining factors of who is considered an independent student. More on this later, but married student = independent student.
Question 18: 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.
Questions 21-22: 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 equals no financial aid. Women are not required to register for the draft.
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 from a court) and you have the paperwork to prove it, you are still eligible for aid.
Questions 24-25: Highest level of education is important for First in the Family To College type scholarships.
Question 26: To qualify for federal student aid, you must have completed high school or an equivalent educational course.
Question 27: Most non-loan federal financial aid for undergraduates is restricted to students pursuing their first degree. If you've already got one undergraduate degree and you're going for a second, you'll only be eligible for federal student loans. This does NOT apply to graduate students; that's handled differently.
Questions 28-29: These questions affect eligibility for different kinds of federal student aid, like graduate or undergraduate Stafford loans.
Question 30: Federal financial aid is not available for students who are enrolled less than half time. Your school ultimately makes that determination, but typically half time is 6 credit hours or more.
Question 31: If you want to qualify for Federal Student Loans, Perkins Loans, and other federal student loans such as the Parent PLUS loan as well as Federal Work Study, you must enter Both. This does not obligate you to apply for a loan (that's done separately at sites like StaffordLoan.com). We strongly encourage you to say Both for this question, even if you have no intention of taking out a loan.
Question 32: This is a question about qualifying for the TEACH Grant. If you are planning on pursuing a teaching career, say yes. Again, as with the previous question, this does not obligate you to take out anything.
