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GET HELP PAYING FOR COLLEGE

CLASS OF 2023:
FAFSA Informational Night, Wednesday, 10/12 @ 6pm in the Auditorium 
FAFSA Filing Night, Wednesday, 10/26, @ 6pm in the Commons
What is FAFSA?

FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid and it is the second most important task for a high school senior to do after their college applications. The FAFSA is a government tool that helps students and/or families get help paying for college a.k.a financial aid. The FAFSA opens October 1 of every year and students should submit it ASAP because it works on a first come first serve basis. Priority deadline for students to submit the FAFSA in the state of Michigan is March 1!

Should I fill out the FAFSA?

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  1. 1) FAFSA is a FREE application for student aid, and it is a possibility of getting FREE money for you to go to a university, community college, or technical school. So you have NOTHING to lose if you fill it out.

  3. 2) Some financial aid programs require a FAFSA even though they award aid without regard to family income, to make sure students maximize their federal student aid first.
  4. ​3) Some colleges also use FAFSA information as a deciding factor for students who are on the borderline for merit scholarships.

  6. 4) The FAFSA automatically qualifies the student for low-interest and forgivable federal student loans–the most attractive kind of student loans available. 
  7. ​
  8. 5) In some cases, filing a FAFSA can actually help a student gain admission to a college. Admissions officers know that students hoping for aid who don’t submit FAFSAs to the college are less likely to enroll. So some schools may not want to waste an admissions letter on a student they think is unlikely to attend.
What types of financial aid are there?
There are 3 types:
​BORROWED                 FREE                 EARNED 
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Click here to review the types of Grants and Loans you could qualify for by filling out your FAFSA


     How do I fill out the FAFSA?
The FAFSA can be completed on-line at fafsa.gov ***Make sure it's .gov and not .com***
You will need to collect the following information beforehand:
  1. E-mail address: you will need one for yourself as the student and one from a parent/guardian
  2. Mobile number: you will need one for yourself, if you don't have one it's okay. You also need one from a parent/guardian.
  3. Social Security Number (SSN): you need your valid SSN and your parent(s).
  4. Federal Income Tax Returns: W-2's from yourself if you received income and from your parent(s). 
  5. Schools: list of colleges/universities you have applied to or will apply in the future. 
  6. FSA ID: in order to submit your FAFSA online they need you to sign electronically using an FSA ID that will be created before you get started on your FAFSA. 
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                                          Remember your FSA ID!!!

   Write it down, put it in your phone, tattoo it on your body. You will need to keep this information!
The FAFSA is an application that you need to fill out every year while you're in college to pay for school!!

Whenever you file the FAFSA, make sure to select the application for the year you will be in school. So for 2019 seniors you will fill out the 2020-2021 FAFSA application.
 
                                   Click here for tips and guidance on filling out your FAFSA
     Feel free to download and print this FAFSA checklist to stay organized!
2020-2021_fafsa_sheet.pdf
File Size: 46 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
​Click on the following to learn what NOT to do during FAFSA season:

COMMON MISTAKES WITH FINANCIAL AID
8 MYTHS ABOUT THE FAFSA

Should I be worried about putting my information on the FAFSA?
NO! Your information is 100% safe and protected!
Click below for more information
5 MYTHS ABOUT PARENT INFORMATION ON THE FAFSA