Select the colleges you wish attend. It is important create a relationship with all college financial offices where you have an interest in attending. The FAFSA application provides spaces to send the final FAFSA qualification report to a number of college financial offices. This gives students the ability to compare and access to the various government grants, loans and scholarship opportunities offered by each college.
Establish your FAFSA application deadline date. Contact the financial aid office of the college you plan to attend to determine the qualification and loan application deadlines required for state and federal aid.
Predetermine your student aid qualifications. Not all students qualify for student loans. Students must be legal citizens of the U.S. with a social security card or provide documentation for legal alien status. A demonstrated financial need and a high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) certification are also qualification requirements. Male students must also show proof of required military Selective Service Registration.
Apply for a student aid pin number. Before electronically filing your application for federal student aid, you must apply for a Federal Student Aid Pin Number. Visit pin.ed.gov to apply online for a pin number. The pin number will allow students full access to their FAFSA application to make changes, return to finish the application and request application status information.
Collect the financial and personal documentation needed to fill out a FAFSA application. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form requires the student and parent's address, date of birth and financial information. Required federal aid application information includes everyone's income tax returns, most recent W-2 forms and social security numbers or their Alien Registration Numbers if not U.S. citizens. Information on investments, savings and business income is also required.
Use the electron application process for federal student aid. Visit www.fafsa.ed.gov to begin the process of applying for federal student aid. Applicants will see a bright orange button that says "Start Here". Once pressed, the secure process of applying for federal student aid begins with a request of the student's name, date of birth and social security number. An online representative will answer student FAFSA application questions by clicking the "Contact Us" prompt at the top of each FAFSA form web page.