Help with FAFSA process

Paying for College
1

<p>Hi everyone,</p>

<p>my son has applied to UF and FSU for fall 2011. I am a single mom with two other sons, collect no child support and have a good paying job (70K per year). I was a college drop out and my parents paid out of pocket for me to go to school so I have no idea how to do the whole financial aid thing.</p>

<p>I am trying to get a head start on the FAFSA process and most of what I have read says that you can begin to apply for FAFSA on January 1st. Do I just use my last paycheck as an estimate for my AIG, etc? Is there any cost to apply? How does the FAFSA application get to the universities? Do I need to complete the FAFSA if all my son qualifies for is loans? Should I use one of those professional FAFSA organizations to do it? I have a million questions! Is there any place that has all of the info in one place?</p>

<p>Thanks much!</p>

2

<p>There are more informed people here than me but I’ll give it a shot

  1. You can estimate from available sources or you can do your taxes early and give the actual numbers. There is a questions where you say whether you are using estimate or actual 2010 data. Make sure that you check the deadlines at the schools. </p>

<p>2) I believe that the entire process is free? - </p>

<p>3) You select the colleges that you want the information sent to.</p>

<p>4) Most colleges want you to fill it out even if just getting loans</p>

<p>5) Don’t use one of the paid services</p>

<p>6) you need to get a pin for you and your son in order to “sign” the document. You can apply for the pin now from this site <a href=“http://www.pin.ed.gov/PINWebApp/pinindex.jsp[/url]”>http://www.pin.ed.gov/PINWebApp/pinindex.jsp&lt;/a&gt;
You can also get to the site from the FAFSA.ed.goc site. Remember you fill it out as the student.</p>

<p>This is the FAFSA help page [FAFSA</a> - Free Application for Federal Student Aid](<a href=“http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/faq001.htm]FAFSA”>http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/faq001.htm)
good luck</p>

3

<p>FAFSA is free. If you find yourself on a site that asks for payment (such as the one ending in .com) then leave it immediately.</p>

<p>You must complete FAFSA to be eligible for federal loans. No college can award you federal loans without FAFSA.</p>

<p>Estimate your income as accurately as possible. If you know your income is close to last years then you can use last years tax data. If you know there are some major differences then adjust accordingly. Remember it is all your income, including any from interest etc.</p>

<p>If you estimate then you must go back in and correct it once you file your taxes. Do them as early as you can .</p>

4

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<p>The detailed FAFSA instructions will be issued by 1/1 as well…here’s the link to the 10/11 instructions and the 10/11 EFC Formula guide (should you want to do your own estimate now or gain understanding of how the FAFSA actually calculates EFC).</p>

<p>[Completing</a> the FAFSA: Financial Aid from the U.S. Department of Education](<a href=“http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/completing_fafsa/index.html]Completing”>http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/completing_fafsa/index.html)
<a href=“http://ifap.ed.gov/efcformulaguide/attachments/111609EFCFormulaGuide20102011.pdf[/url]”>http://ifap.ed.gov/efcformulaguide/attachments/111609EFCFormulaGuide20102011.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>I also find the finaid.org site to be particularly useful for all things related to student aid.</p>

5

<p>Thanks everyone!</p>