FAFSA Help Guide
The FAFSA financial aid form is probably the single most important financial aid form you will ever complete in your career as a college student or parent of a college student. As such, it's vital to complete it quickly and accurately, to ensure that you get the maximum amount of aid. This tutorial will walk you through the completion of the FAFSA, step by step, giving you hints and tips along the way.
This tutorial will be focusing on the 2008-2009 FAFSA.
Before You Begin
Take a deep breath. Relax. The FAFSA form may be time-consuming, but it's not impossible, and you can do it.
You will need to gather all your documentation and download a copy of the FAFSA financial aid form, as well as the appropriate IRS tax forms, available here.
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The 2008-2009 FAFSA form (PDF, 1024 KB)
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You may also find it helpful to have the IRS 1040 form handy. (PDF, 352 KB)
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Hablamos Espanol? Llene su FAFSA en Espanol (PDF)!
We will be using the 2008-2009 FAFSA form as a reference during this tutorial. We recommend printing it out and following along, filling in everything as we go for practice. Disregard the preparation worksheets; we'll be working directly on the FAFSA form itself, which is colored yellow and purple.
If you want the most in-depth understanding of the FAFSA, be sure to read the EFC Computation guide (PDF).
Ready to begin? Let's get started...
Quick Tips
- When the FAFSA refers to "I", "You", "Your", etc. it is referring to the student! (not the parent, family, or FAFSA preparer)
- Always double check even basic things like your address and ZIP code.
- Nothing will kill a FAFSA faster than errors or omissions! Check everything!
- Colors matter and each year's FAFSA is different.
- Student-related items are in orange, while items for the parent(s) are in purple.
- The FAFSA is free. You don't need to pay for it.
- A tip for filing online: The form itself has a "Save" button - but not on every page. Make sure you save your FAFSA when you're filing online on every page you can, so that if something goes wrong, you can retrieve your saved application.
- It's also helpful to print out the paper version and do a "practice" run on it before going online. This way, if you encounter technical difficulties, you won't lose the information itself.
Step Zero: Got Paper?
What documentation and paperwork do you need for the FAFSA? Here's a list! Remember - all financial paperwork needs to be for the previous financial year. If you're planning to file for the 2008-2009 FAFSA, you'll need documentation from tax year 2007 (January 1, 2007 - December 31, 2007).
- Your Social Security Number (can be found on the Social Security card)
- Your driver's license or state ID (if any)
- Your W-2 Forms and other records of money earned
- Your (and your spouse's, if you're married) 2006/2007 Federal Income Tax Return - IRS Form 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ, 1040TeleFile, foreign tax return, or tax return for Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Marshall Islands, or the Federated States of Micronesia
- Your parents' Federal Income Tax Return (if you are a dependent student)
- Your untaxed income records - Social Security, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, welfare, or veterans benefits records
- Your current bank statements
- Your current business and investment mortgage information, business and farm records, stock, bond, and other investment records
- Your alien registration or permanent residence card (if you are not a U.S. citizen)
While it's not required, having a completed IRS 1040/1040A/1040EZ tax return, even if it hasn't been filed, is going to save you a LOT of time completing the FAFSA form. Before you proceed, we strongly encourage you to complete your 1040 tax return, as a number of items on the FAFSA refer to specific lines on your IRS tax return.
