Nearly every student is eligible to receive some sort of financial aid for a college education. You must be a U.S. citizen, an eligible non-citizen or a U.S. National. You must have a Social Security number, a high school diploma or a GED and if you are a male between the ages of 18 to 25, you must be registered with the U.S. Selective Service. You must complete the FAFSA application stating that you will use the financial aid for educational purposes. You cannot have been convicted in the past of illegal possession or selling of drugs while using any form of financial aid. If the conviction occurred before the age of 18, was not a federal or state offense or was removed from your record, you are still eligible. You also may still be eligible as long as the conviction did not occur while enrolled and using financial aid. You must not owe refunds on federal student grants or be in default of any student loans.
The FAFSA accounts for approximately 90 percent of the student aid available to college students, but you should not end your search there. Ask any colleges that you are considering attending about institutional aid. This is the aid that the college itself may award you depending on your grades, type of activities during your high school and earlier education and what you intend to major in during college. Other places to apply for scholarships are employers, religious groups, professional organizations, private companies and non-profits.
Fill out the FAFSA form online at the official website FAFSA.gov or get a printed application from any one of the college institutions you are thinking of attending. If you fill the form out online you can expect to get a SAR (Student Aid Report) back within three to five days. Check it to verify that all the information is correct and keep a copy for your records. You will see a section that has the EFC (Expected Family Contribution). This will tell how much money your family is expected to contribute toward your education. Contact the colleges you are interested in attending to make sure they have received a copy of your EFC if you do not hear from them within a couple of weeks or a month of receiving the SAR. This is what they will use to award you any financial aid.
If you have any trouble completing or understanding the FAFSA form you can contact them at 1-800-433-3243. You can also receive assistance in filling it out with your high school guidance counselor if you are still in high school or from the financial aid administrator at one of the colleges you are considering attending.
Financial aid is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. You can send in the form as early as Jan. 1 before you will be attending the next fall. Although the FAFSA form does have a space for income tax information, you can estimate this number and send in a revised report once you have your taxes filled out.