Filling out the FAFSA

Submitting a completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the first step for any student seeking financial aid through a federal program. The Department of Education processes these applications and determines your eligibility for federal funds then notifies you of your status with the Student Aid Report (SAR).

The following information will help you complete the FAFSA (please note that financial documents should be for the year prior to the academic year you're applying, so if you are applying for aid for the 2009-2010 school year, you will need the tax information for 2008):

• Student's Social Security Number (can be found on Social Security card)
• Student's driver's license (if any)
• Student's W-2 Forms and other records of money earned (plus parent's/parents' W-2 forms if student is a dependent)
• Student's (and spouse's, if the student is married) Federal Income Tax Return for the previous year - 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, the Federated States of Micronesia
• Parent's/Parents' Federal Income Tax Return for the previous year (if student is a dependent)
• Student's untaxed income records for the previous year - Social Security, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, welfare, or veterans benefits records
• Student's bank statements for the previous year
• Student's previous year's business and investment mortgage information, business and farm records, stock, bond, and other investment records
• Student's alien registration card (if not a U.S. citizen)

Other things to note:

• Using FAFSA on the Web, you can submit the form completely online (if you have the Department of Education-issued Personal Identification Number). The PIN is used as a valid electronic signature.
• If you do not have a PIN, do not worry. The form can be filled out online then printed, signed, and mailed to the Department of Education. You can apply online to receive a Department of Education PIN. Once you have the Department of Education PIN, you should be able to sign future FAFSA or loan forms electronically and expedite this process.
• FAFSA on the Web also provides a series of step-by-step worksheets to assist students and parents filling out the FAFSA forms. These worksheets are available in both English and Spanish.

The Department of Education requires one to four weeks to process the FAFSA and to send the SAR that details all of the aid for which you are eligible. The process time depends on factors such as whether the FAFSA was submitted with both the student and parent's/parents' PINs as electronic signatures, whether the form includes a valid email address, etc.