Most students have submitted their college applications by now, so it’s time to focus on completing the FAFSA. This document is to help. Don’t worry—the FAFSA isn’t as bad as it seems! With recent updates, most families finish it in just 30 minutes to an hour. Reading this guide might even take longer than filling out the form!

I've taken the time to pull together resources for you. Don't let this overwhelm you as the "New FAFSA" is not that complicated. I've even included links to virtual workshops to get help. We will be offering an in-person workshop in February to help those who could benefit from in-person help. Most of you will find the FAFSA to be pretty easy to navigate.

As always, please reach out to your counselor or to me if you have questions.

Noelle Essig, College and Career Counselor

noelle.essig@wbsd.org

The FAFSA is now open for all! You can feel comfortable going ahead and completing the form!

To apply for federal student aid, such as federal grants, work-study, and loans, you need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). Completing and submitting the FAFSA is free and easier than ever, and it gives you access to the largest source of financial aid to pay for college or career school.

In addition, many states and colleges use your FAFSA information to determine your eligibility for state and school aid, and some private financial aid providers may use your FAFSA information to determine whether you qualify for their aid.

💰✔️MRS.ESSIG TIP: I often get asked if parents should fill it out if they "know" they won't receive government aid. My response is that you won't get any aid if you don't try, especially the first year. And in my own experience, my college sons received merit scholarships to their college. In order to receive their merit scholarship, it is a requirement that we fill out the FAFSA each year. It doesn't hurt to fill it out!

We have just found out that the FAFSA is now open. Families can start to fill it out now. It will officially open on December 1st for the 2025-2026 school year.

💰✔️MRS. ESSIG TIP: Please note that you do NOT have to complete the FAFSA on the day it opens. I have found that sometimes the system can overload, and parents get frustrated because they get booted out. I suggest you work on gathering your materials and start filling it out a few days after it opens. It is not as awful as many of us remember from our college days. I find that if you prepare and have materials ready, you can fill the form out in less than 30 minutes.

During the stress of college applications, this is something the parents/guardians can help check off the list. With a little bit a prep, the FAFSA honestly isn't that bad! Just do it!

Click on the link below to be taken to the FAFSA form. Keep in mind that you will be filling out the 2025-2026 form.

https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

The FAFSA can be found by going to https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. The FAFSA does NOT cost money to fill out. Never pay money to fill out the FAFSA so be sure you are at the correct website. Watch this helpful video to explain the FAFSA process.

Four types of financial aid:

1. Scholarships - merit based aid

2. Grants - need based aid

3. Student employment (federal work-study) - need based aid

4. Loans - need based aid and non-need based aid

Four sources of financial aid:

1. Federal government

2. State government

3. College or university

4. Private sources - organizations and companies

Watch this video to learn more.

Prior to filling out your FAFSA, the student and the parent will each need to create a studentaid.gov account (FSA ID). Students and parents will create a separate account, usernames and passwords are not shared. Record the studentaid.gov account information on Step One of the FSA ID and FAFSA Worksheet.

PREP IS KEY! If you take the time to gather the materials listed below, filling out the FAFSA will be a breeze! Do NOT MISS THIS IMPORTANT STEP! I promise you that you will get frustrated if you aren't prepared.

• Your studentaid.gov account login information (FSA ID)

• Your A-number if you are not a US Citizen

• Federal income tax returns, records of child support received, and your current balance of cash, savings, and checking accounts. Please note: You must provide consent and approval to disclose your federal tax information to be eligible for federal student aid.

• Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable), net worth of investments, businesses, and farms

• Records of untaxed income (if applicable)

This list provided by Oakland University's Financial Aid Office. Click below for a printable version.

FAFSA Checklist

This video is AMAZING! It will walk you through the entire process and answer 99% of your questions.

FAFSA Small Group Workshops are available year-round through Oakland University to allow multiple students and their parents (when applicable) to get help completing the FAFSA; private breakout rooms are utilized if you have a personal question or need to share your screen privately. You do not have to attend OU in order to use this free help.

Virtual 2025-2026 FAFSA Workshop
12/02/2024 12:00 PM
Online Event

Virtual 2025-2026 FAFSA Workshop
12/02/2024 08:00 PM
Online Event

Virtual 2025-2026 FAFSA Workshop
12/03/2024 12:00 PM
Online Event

Virtual 2025-2026 FAFSA Workshop
12/03/2024 06:00 PM
Online Event

Virtual 2025-2026 FAFSA Workshop
12/03/2024 08:00 PM
Online Event

Virtual 2025-2026 FAFSA Workshop
12/04/2024 08:00 PM
Online Event

Virtual 2025-2026 FAFSA Workshop
12/09/2024 06:00 PM
Online Event

Virtual 2025-2026 FAFSA Workshop
12/09/2024 08:00 PM
Online Event

Virtual 2025-2026 FAFSA Workshop
12/11/2024 12:00 PM
Online Event

Virtual 2025-2026 FAFSA Workshop
12/11/2024 08:00 PM
Online Event

Virtual 2025-2026 FAFSA Workshop
01/06/2025 05:00 PM
Online Event

Virtual 2025-2026 FAFSA Workshop
01/07/2025 06:00 PM
Online Event

Virtual 2025-2026 FAFSA Workshop
01/08/2025 06:00 PM
Online Event

Virtual 2025-2026 FAFSA Workshop
01/08/2025 08:00 PM
Online Event

Virtual 2025-2026 FAFSA Workshop
01/13/2025 06:00 PM
Online Event

Virtual 2025-2026 FAFSA Workshop
01/13/2025 08:00 PM
Online Event

Virtual 2025-2026 FAFSA Workshop
01/14/2025 06:00 PM
Online Event

Virtual 2025-2026 FAFSA Workshop
01/15/2025 05:00 PM
Online Event

Virtual 2025-2026 FAFSA Workshop
01/15/2025 08:00 PM
Online Event

Virtual 2025-2026 FAFSA Workshop
01/28/2025 06:00 PM
Online Event

Virtual 2025-2026 FAFSA Workshop
01/29/2025 06:00 PM
Online Event

Virtual 2025-2026 FAFSA Workshop
02/05/2025 06:00 PM
Online Event

Virtual 2025-2026 FAFSA Workshop
02/18/2025 08:00 PM
Online Event

Financial Aid Events

uAspire hosts free virtual events to walk students and families through the financial aid process and applications, provide resources and guidance, and answer questions.

Sign up today! Each session is one hour.

FAFSA Walkthrough

Get an overview of the new FAFSA, the application required by all colleges nationwide in order to receive federal financial aid.

Note: The information and images in this walkthrough reflect the most updated information available now, but are subject to change as the Department of Education finalizes the application.

Thursday, December 5, 4 pm ET
Wednesday, December 11, 7 pm ET

To register for the presentation in Spanish:
Jueves, 30 de Enero, 6 pm ET / 3 pm PT

Next Steps Post-FAFSA

Know the steps to take after the FAFSA, like reviewing your Student Aid Report and verification.

Tuesday, December 17, 6 pm ET / 3 pm PT
Wednesday, January 15, 4 pm ET / 1 pm PT

Register here!

CSS Profile Walkthrough

Learn about each step of the CSS Profile, an additional application required by some colleges to receive institutional financial aid. The University of Michigan is a school that requires this form.

Tuesday, January 7, 5 pm ET / 2 pm PT

Register here!

Follow @uAspire for event updates. Email studentsupport@uaspire.org if you have questions.

Never hesitate to reach out to the FAFSA Help Center! They are here to help!

https://studentaid.gov/help-center/contact

Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC)

Live Chat

1-800-433-3243

Email

Hours of Operation

Monday–Friday: 8 a.m.–11 p.m. Eastern time (ET)

Saturday–Sunday: 11 a.m.–5 p.m. ET

Closed on federal holidays; June 19 and 20, in observance of Juneteenth; the day after Thanksgiving; and Dec. 24 and 26.

Open on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and President’s Day.

If you submitted your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form, you can expect the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to process your form based on the method of submission:

• Forms submitted electronically are processed within one to three days.

• Paper forms are processed within 7–10 days.

Once ED processes your FAFSA form, you’ll be able to log in to StudentAid.gov to review your FAFSA Submission Summary to make sure all the information is complete and accurate. If there’s any missing or incorrect information, complete or correct your FAFSA form as soon as possible.

Your FAFSA Submission Summary will include your Student Aid Index (SAI). Colleges and career/trade schools use the SAI to assess your eligibility for federal and nonfederal student aid.

Note: You may receive a printed FAFSA Submission Summary if you submitted a paper form and didn’t provide a valid email address.

When ED processes your FAFSA form, we also send the information to the colleges and career schools you listed.

Listing a college or career school on your FAFSA form doesn’t mean you’ll get an offer for financial aid. Most colleges and career schools will only create and send aid offers to students who meet their eligibility requirements and have completed necessary steps with their school’s financial aid office.

Contact the financial aid office at the college or career school you plan to attend to find out if there are additional requirements for receiving student aid and to learn more about the process of applying for aid at that college or career school.

After the FAFSA is Complete

Most times you will need to check your student portal with each college to find your Financial Aid Report. If you have questions, never hesitate to call the Financial Aid office at the college in which you are applying. They are the experts and are there to help you!

After you submit your FAFSA, it's important to make sure you continue tending to your financial aid process by engaging in the following:

• Review the Student Aid Report once the FAFSA has been processed (link delivered via student's email)
• Create a MISSG Student Portal account with the State of Michigan to access additional opportunities

💰✔️MRS ESSIG TIP: Most colleges will start sending out their financial aid packages in January or February. You should check your student portal from the college as most times this is where you will find it. Reach out the college financial aid office if you want to know more about their timeline.

Financial Aid Offer Evaluation Workshops
Mrs. Essig will host a workshop in March to help students understand how to compare their offers. Students can also make appointments to meet with her to discuss this.

Download the Financial Aid Offer Evaluation worksheet and use the Net Price Calculator or Estimated Cost of Attendance provided by each school you're considering attending. Visit the Net Price Calculator Center to find the link to every school's NPC.

💰✔️MRS.ESSIG TIP: We plan to offer a workshop during advisory teaching students how to understand their award letters and how to compare offers. More information to follow.

A school aid offer (sometimes called an award letter) tells you what financial aid you can receive at a particular college or career school.

If you’ve applied to several schools, be sure to compare aid offers to see which school will be the most affordable.

If you listed a school on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form and have been offered admission by that school, the financial aid office at the school will send you an aid offer (often electronically). The offer includes the types and amounts of financial aid you may receive from federal, state, private, and school sources. This combination of aid is your financial aid package.

You might get a tentative aid offer from a school and then find that it changes later. This could happen for a variety of reasons, such as if you indicated that you plan to live on campus when you submitted your FAFSA form but then later decided to live off campus or if you are selected for verification.

Because your financial aid package is created for you and is based on the cost of attending a particular school, your aid amounts will vary from school to school.

Figuring Out Net Price

Follow these easy steps to figure out your net price, or net cost, for each school, and find out which school will be most affordable for you.

• First, find the cost of attendance for your program on the aid offer. If the school doesn’t list the cost of attendance on the aid offer, ask the financial aid office for this figure. Make sure it includes amounts you will pay to the school directly (such as tuition and fees) as well as other costs (such as living expenses, books and supplies, and transportation).

• Next, subtract the grant and scholarship amounts on your aid offer from the cost of attendance amount. Also subtract any savings you have available to put toward your school costs for the school year. The remaining amount is your net or out-of-pocket cost.

• Compare the net costs for the schools you are considering. The net cost is the amount you will have to pay out of your pocket, using earnings from work or loan funds that you borrow.

If you have any questions or don’t understand what’s in your aid offer, contact the financial aid office at the school. It's there to help!

For instance, it’s important to understand what you’re being offered (e.g., which items in the offer are grants and which are loans). You also need to think about which aid to accept.

Also, because your aid offer might include student loans, it’s important for you to compare the amount of debt you would be taking on at the schools you are considering.

If you find that you’ll need to take out a larger amount in private loans at one school than at another, you should pay special attention to the terms and conditions of the private loans so you understand what your obligations would be. Read about federal versus private loans.

Information from https://studentaid.gov/complete-aid-process/comparing-aid-offers

There are a few colleges that require another document be filled out called the CSS profile. This is available now and should be filled out ASAP. In Michigan, the University of Michigan is the only public college to require the form. It is not common for a college to require this form. You can see the list of colleges here: https://profile.collegeboard.org/profile/ppi/participatinginstitutions.aspx

WHAT is the CSS Profile?

The CSS Profile is an online application used by colleges and scholarship programs to award Institutional (their own) aid.

WHEN do I complete the CSS Profile?

Most students complete the application in their senior year of high school. Schools may have different deadlines - be sure to check with each school you are applying to. This form is open and available now.

WHO must complete the CSS Profile?

Check your colleges’ information to determine whether they require the CSS Profile. A list of participating colleges is also found on the CSS Profile Homepage. Some schools may also require divorced or separated parents to complete separate applications.

HOW do I complete the CSS Profile?

You submit the CSS Profile at cssprofile.org. Once you sign in, you will find a list of useful documents, such as your federal tax returns and other financial information that you’ll need to have on hand to complete the application. Help is provided within the application and additional help is available in English and Spanish by chat, phone, or email by clicking “Contact Us” in the application.

WHAT does the CSS Profile Cost?

The CSS Profile is free for domestic undergraduate students whose family income is up to $100,000. The fee for the initial application is $25. Additional reports are $16. Payment may be made via credit or debit card.

Take a minute to project what student loan debt really means for your future. This is Mrs. Essig's favorite tool to allow you to really understand what student loans mean for monthly payments, years of the loan and total interest paid. Take a look!

In a nutshell, once it opens, do it as soon as possible. I do suggest you avoid the first few days that it opens because the system will be busy and families can get booted out and it's frustrating. Every college has different deadlines for consideration of aid. Technically the State of Michigan's deadline is March 1st. We encourage students to have it completed ASAP.

• What is FAFSA®?

• Who Is a Contributor on the FAFSA® Form?

• Create and Access Your StudentAid.gov Account

• Why Do My Contributors and I Need Our Own StudentAid.gov Accounts for the FAFSA® Form?

• How Do I Create a StudentAid.gov Account If I Don’t Have a Social Security Number?

• Understand and Prepare FAFSA® Form Contributors

• Applying for Financial Aid With the FAFSA® Form

• Start Your 2024–25 FAFSA® Form

• Gather Information Required To Complete the FAFSA® Form

• Complete the Personal Circumstances and Demographics Sections of the FAFSA® Form

• How Do I Complete the 2024–25 FAFSA® Form If My Parent Is a Noncitizen?

• How Do I Complete the 2024–25 FAFSA® Form If My Parents Are Divorced or Separated?

• What Does It Mean To Provide Consent and Approval on the 2024–25 FAFSA® Form?

• Complete the Financials Section of the 2024–25 FAFSA® Form

• Select Schools To Include on Your 2024–25 FAFSA® Form

• Review, Sign, and Submit Your 2024–25 FAFSA® Form

• What Happens After Submitting Your FAFSA® Form?

• What Happens After Your FAFSA® Form Is Processed?

• Where’s My Financial Aid?

• What's Changed for the 2024–25 FAFSA® Form?

This resource is always a work in progress. If you find other useful tools, please share them with Noelle Essig, College and Career Counselor, at noelle.essig@wbsd.org. We hope you enjoyed this resource!

Special thanks to Oakland University, uAspire, and FSA Student for useful information!