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Top 10 Tips for Filing the FAFSA

1. You should submit your FAFSA as early as possible, but no earlier than January 1, 2010. Each college has its own individual deadline. Don't miss them!
2. If your 2009 tax forms will not be completed before the earliest college deadline, you should estimate. Consider using your 2008 tax returns and 2009 year-end pay stub to get estimated figures. It is much better to use estimated tax information than to miss a deadline. You can easily update your FAFSA information once your 2009 taxes have been filed and when you do so, all the colleges will automatically get the revised information.
3. When reporting investment net worth, FAFSA questions #42 and #43 (student) and #90 and #91 (parent), report the current value minus debt owed.
4. While you do not have to include the total value of your protected retirement savings on question #90 (investment net worth), you must provide your annual contribution, as well as any other untaxed income, on question #93a and/or #93b.
5. Do NOT leave any items blank on the FAFSA form. If the appropriate response is zero, then enter zero. Blanks could delay the processing of your financial aid information.
6. On the FAFSA, the blue section is to be completed by students and the purple section is to be completed by parents. It is especially important to make sure your social security number, date of birth, and e-mail addresses are accurate and in the appropriate sections.
7. The FAFSA allows for 10 school choices at a time. You will be asked to note if the student will be living on-campus, off-campus, or with a parent.
8. When reporting parent information (questions #59-93), it is important to include information from the parent that the student lived with 51% of the time. In question #60, parents must indicate the month and year they were married/remarried or divorced/separated. If the custodial parent is remarried, then all income and asset information from the new spouse must also be included. Remember: Filing the form does not obligate parents to pay.
9. To apply online, go to www.fafsa.ed.gov. Both student and one parent will need a personal identification number (PIN), at www.pin.ed.gov. You and your parent can sign-up for your PIN numbers today and you receive them immediately, or register for them while you are completing the FAFSA form. Be sure to keep your PIN number in a safe place as it serves as your electronic signature and is yours for life.
10. Applying for financial aid may require additional forms such as the CSS Profile or an institutional financial aid form (this form would be specific to the institution). You may also have to provide copies of your income tax returns or bank statements to the colleges. Make sure you submit all required documents by the colleges' deadlines and respond to correspondence from the financial aid offices immediately.

Please note: The FAFSA question numbers referred to above refer to the paper FAFSA form and are not presented in the same order should you complete your FAFSA electronically.