One of the most common errors you can easily avoid is the entry of incorrect personal information. Fill out your legal name as it appears on your Social Security Card. Take care while entering your date of birth and Social Security Number. Verify that you enter your SSN and that of your parent correctly in the right slots, without mistakenly substituting one for the other. Errors in SSN data can cause a processing delay due to a database mismatch. In the event that your parent does not have a SSN, write 000-00-0000; do not use a Taxpayer Identification Number or fill in any random number.
When reporting tax information, it is important to accurately enter the total income tax as per your latest income tax documents. Take care you don't report tax due or taxes withheld instead of total income tax. Find out if you qualify for the "head of household" status by visiting the Internal Revenue Service website; if you wrongly choose this status on your FAFSA documentation, you will have to file a corrected income tax return to clarify the confusion, and the school cannot disburse financial aid until you make this correction.
The question that asks if you are married necessitates a positive reply if you are married, irrespective of whether you are living with your spouse or separated. If you are presently unmarried, remember that the FAFSA considers your marital status as what you indicate on the day you complete the form, not the date when you sign it. If you have set a marriage date in the immediate future, decide if you should complete the FAFSA before or after marriage because you cannot update your marital status mid-year.
Do not leave any field blank on the FAFSA form. If a question does not apply to you, write "0." Ensure you have filled in the correct college code; even if the name is inaccurate, the college will receive your information if the code is correct. If this code is wrong, the college will not disburse any aid to you. Make sure the form bears signatures of everyone who is supposed to sign; this will generally include you, your parent and the person who helps you fill out the form.
The website of Federal Student Aid provides valuable guidelines, and it is advisable you understand them thoroughly before beginning to fill the FAFSA. It is also advisable to complete the online FAFSA, which runs a few automatic error checks, a facility you don't have with the paper form.