Tips for Completing Your FAFSA

Forward by Michelle Robbins
Default Prevention and Compliance Specialist

The time has been upon us to complete the 2013-2014 FAFSA; the ’13-14 FAFSA will take effect on July 1, 2013. If you have not yet done so and you intend on taking classes using the PELL Grant and/or student loans, now is the time to get to it!

The Department of Education recommends to have the following documentation handy when you are completing the FAFSA:

• Your Social Security number (it’s important that you enter it correctly on the FAFSA!)
• Your parents’ Social Security numbers if you are a dependent student
• Your driver’s license number if you have one
• Your Alien Registration Number if you are not a U.S. citizen
• Records of your untaxed income, such as child support received, interest income, and veterans non-education benefits, for you, and for your parents if you are a dependent student
• Information on cash; savings and checking account balances; investments, including stocks and bonds and real estate but not including the home in which you live; and business and farm assets for you, and for your parents if you are a dependent student
• Federal tax information or tax returns including
  • IRS W-2 information, for you (and your spouse, if you are married), and for your parents if you are a dependent student: IRS 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ
  • Foreign tax return and/or
  • Tax return for Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Marshall Islands, the Federal States of Micronesia, or Palau

If you need any assistance with completing a FAFSA, there are a few places you can go to for help.

• The Department of Education’s website: www.studentaid.ed.gov ; this website has a wealth of information about completing the FAFSA as well as other areas regarding financial aid you may want to look into
• You may also contact the FAFSA Customer Service Department via phone for help at 1-800-433-3243
• Finally, you can contact the Financial Aid Customer Service Department at APUS at 1-866-468-6268 ext.3630

Information retrieved from www.studentaid.ed.gov.