<p>OK -- first time filling out FAFSA form for D who will be entering college in the Fall of 2011. Here's what I know: FAFSA form is available Jan 1 2011; fill it out as soon as possible (enter an estimate 2010 income if you haven't done your returns yet); submit FAFSA but also go on to each school's website and comply with their financial aid requirements (i.e., send 2009 returns and/or CSS profile plus FAFSA). Am I missing anything? I requested a PIN for me, H and D so we can sign electronically. I printed the worksheet (seems much less involved than CSS profile). Any tips?</p>
<p>If I remember correctly from what others have said…once you have real numbers, plug those in as soon as you. I’m not sure, but I think some have said that their schools don’t really process aid until those final numbers are in. And, since some aid is first come, first serve, getting those final numbers in could be important.</p>
<p>Hopefully others can chime in to say whether this is so.</p>
<p>good luck!</p>
<p>I think you have the gist of it! One thing I would add is to see how schools want tax returns. Some do want you to mail your tax return directly to them. But some schools that use the CSS Profile also use something called IDOC - you will get an instruction after filing the CSS Profile to send your tax returns to IDOC rather than to the college directly. They have very specific guidelines on using a cover sheet and copying 1 W-2 per page, etc. - so read carefully. This can be a time saver if you have a lot of Profile schools. Just be sure you know if the college wants the tax return sent directly to them or if they use IDOC.</p>
<p>One other thing I learned when I completed particularly the Profile for ds is that it “spits out” a list of documents (tax returns, etc.) required by each school. None of my son’s schools used IDOC. Since he applied to several schools, I wasn’t excited to submit copies of all this stuff to so many separate places. </p>
<p>When I called each school to ask about this, they said that they would only require the copies of tax forms, etc. if he decided to enroll at that school and that I could send them after the enrollment decision deadline of May 1. So, if you are facing a pile of papers to mail, you might make a few phone calls first.</p>
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<p>Re: the PIN…only ONE parent needs a PIN. And the student needs a PIN.</p>
<p>You and your H don’t BOTH need a PIN. Just one of you for FAFSA.</p>
<p>^Oh – did not know that – thanks.
Also thanks to other moms – lots of good tips!
There aren’t too many people in my town I can ask…</p>
<p>do you have to make an account rite now and apply for a pin?</p>
<p>It is a good idea to apply for the PINs now. When the busiest FAFSA time hits the PINs can take a little longer to go through. And if you hit any snfus with the PINs it can be very frustrating when you are trying to meet deadlines. (my son’s PIN hit a snafu that took several days to sort out, and that was at a non busy time of year - he was up against a tight deadline as he was returning to school and needed to know if he would be eligible for FA in time to hand his notice in - it was *extremely *frustrating trying to sort it out).</p>
<p>Okay, I have through osmosis figured out that one needs a PIN in order to get info about FAFSA after filling it out (is that correct?). I do not think their website is very clear about this.</p>
<p>I will be filling out all apps for fin aid, so I am questioning whether or not it is necessary for D and me to each have a PIN. Can’t I just fill it out using her info with one PIN?</p>
<p>Also, even though schools have deadlines for submitting FAFSA and Profile, I’m getting the feeling that the sooner the better, like yesterday, to submit.</p>
<p>Thoughts anyone?</p>
<p>A parent needs a PIN and the student needs a PIN to sign the FAFSA electronically.
Don’t lose the PIN! Write it down on a manila folder with FA paperwork in it, that is what I have always done! One of my kids who graduated in 2007 recently asked me for her PIN so she could go back to school! ( you think they are all set & they aren’t) </p>
<p>I always mail the tax returns to the Financial Aid Offices via Certified Mail, return receipt requested! (the little green postcard you get back) I don’t want any screw ups when it comes to receiving financial aid! LOL…</p>
<p>Hi Upstatemom – if you google “fafsa” and select the government site (not one of those “we’ll help you fill out the fafsa for a fee” sites) it shows you how to apply for the PIN. I remember it said you each need a PIN and you have to click something saying you will not share a PIN. So they take it very seriously (that each person should have their own).</p>
<p>Definitely I get the feeling the sooner the better – but it’s not like I’m going to watch the ball drop, take a sip of bubbly, then go on line to fill it out in the wee hours of Jan 1 2011. It’ll get done before the weekend’s over. My issue is filing 2010 returns. I’m self-employed so our numbers won’t be finalized for a while…I have to see if I can speed that process up because one poster said they don’t finalize your aid until your 2010 income numbers are in.</p>
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<p>Classes, I also am partially self-employed and have a somewhat complex tax situation. We’ve found that schools have different policies…they can’t award aid until your FAFSA is complete, but they can, and most will, package the aid for award letter purposes. Obviously, if your final figures are different, that package can change so having close estimates is best. Some schools accept the early, estimated filing as the filing date for FA…some use the date that it’s finalized. I think it’s important to have the FAFSA finalized by the school’s priority filing day, but have found that my kids’ schools (which are publics) all use the early January estimated FAFSA filing as the date for awarding the limited campus-based aid. YMMV</p>
<p>^Aaahh…good to know. So if I submit using estimated numbers over this weekend, then submit final #s by Feb 1 (the deadline for many of my schools) I should be ok, right?</p>
<p>My daughter’s school never shows all FA documents as having been received until the final corrected FAFSA (if we put will file) has been filed and verification documents have been received (if requested). So I have never been quite sure whether we are “in line” earlier as far as the limited aid such as WS and SEOG or whether the date they show as full documentation as having been received sets where we are in line. I may go back to doing the early estimate this year. Last year she did not get SEOG or WS despite having a 0 EFC. We met the priority deadline but were perhaps a couple of weeks later filing than we had been in the past (a week or so).</p>
<p>The frustrating thing I find is the document I am always waiting for to finish taxes is the 1098Ts from the schools.</p>
<p>Swimcats…last year we got the 1098T online WEEKS before we received it in the mail. I don’t remember exactly what we did…but we did it.</p>
<p>RE: deadlines…don’t miss them and apply as early as possible. There are some awards that are first come/first served and once the money is gone…it’s gone for that school. This includes Perkings Loans, Seog, and work study monies.</p>