The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form is open, and you are able to start completing your application. FAFSA is a form that helps students pay for college by determining their eligibility for grants, scholarships, work study, and loans. If you're going to college in the fall (or even if you think you might), you need to complete the FAFSA (regardless of your parents'/guardians' income).
Before you can complete the FAFSA, both you and your parent will need to create an FSA ID. Use a non-school email when you sign up, as you will complete the FAFSA each year you are in college.
To complete your FAFSA, you will need the following:
Your social security number
Federal 2023 income tax returns, records of child support payments, and your current balance of cash, savings, and checking accounts
Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable)
Records of net worth of investments, businesses, and farms
Records of untaxed income (if applicable)
Your FSA ID
Here is a link to the Federal Student Aid's page that will help answer questions and tell you what to do. It has video links as well. Here is a link to the "Help" page, on which you can search by topic or read through the FAQs.
We know that this seems really overwhelming, but once you have your FSA ID set up and create an account, it typically takes about 30 minutes to complete. You'll want to get your FAFSA completed as soon as you're able.
If you need help, any college's financial aid office will be able to answer questions, and some colleges even host "FAFSA Workshops," at which you can go to the campus and an employee will help you complete the paperwork. Our partner school, Sinclair, offers virtual and in-person FAFSA help to families even if you're not a Sinclair student and do not plan to attend there.
Our CMHS Guidance Team (Beres & Sercu) can answer general questions about FAFSA, but they are not college employees/financial aid experts, we will typically direct you to the financial aid office at the college you plan to attend.
