Federal Student Aid Application An Easy Three-step Process

Federal Student Aid Application An Easy Three-step Process

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High school students heading for college will want to complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid as early as possible in their senior year of high school. The Federal government is still the nation's chief source of college funding, disbursing 80 billion dollars of student aid annually as grants, work-study wage or loans. If you want to get your share of the Federal education pie, you'll want to file your FAFSA application promptly.

Often described as being difficult to understand and hard to complete, the FAFSA application process by no means deserves this unfavorable rap. The less than stellar reputation may in part be attributable to fee-for-service providers that are in business to help college-bound high school juniors and seniors complete the application. The Federal government has made the application easy to complete online by offering extensive online help that guides applicants through the application process. Unlike third-party companies, the government never charges an application or processing fee. The FAFSA application is free for all, just as it should be.

You'll want to kick off Step One of the FAFSA application process by applying for and receiving your own personal identification number, or PIN. Your PIN makes it possible to apply for student aid online, a process the government has streamlined and made as easy as possible. You can also use your PIN to sign your FAFSA application online and access and correct information contained in your Student Aid Report, or SAR. The SAR is the report you'll receive once the government has processed your completed FAFSA application. It tells you the level of Federal student aid to which you may be entitled based on your financial need.

You'll need to get your PIN as soon as possible at pin.ed.gov before beginning Step Two of the application process. In this step, you'll actually complete and file your FAFSA application at FAFSA on the Web, the popular name for the website maintained at fafsa.ed.gov. Filling out your application online at FAFSA on the Web is a good idea because there are detailed instructions for answering each question in the application. The online process also catches any potential mistakes you make and prompts you to correct them. Finally, filing your FAFSA application online is fast. You'll receive confirmation of the receipt of your application immediately and the typical FAFSA application is usually processed in just a few days.

Once you've filed your FAFSA application, expect to start Step Three, the final phase in the application process, in about three to five days if you filed your FAFSA application online, or in seven to ten days if you filed by mail. That's when you'll receive your SAR, or Student Air Report. In addition to compiling the information contained in your FAFSA application, the report also determines your financial need, which is calculated by subtracting your Expected Family Contribution, the amount your family is estimated to be able to contribute to funding your college education, from the cost of attending a particular college or university. Review your SAR for any errors. Once it's complete, submit it to the financial aid office of the college or colleges you�re interested in attending. A financial aid officer will contact you about the type and amount of aid the college or university is able and prepared to provide.

The three-step FAFSA application process isn't difficult to understand or complete, but it is more involved than can be covered in a brief article like this. Fortunately, the government has prepared a comprehensive 60-page document that fully explains and guides you through the FAFSA process. Called "Funding Education Beyond High School", the document is available in PDF format from studentaid.ed.gov.

About the Author:
Matt Paolini works from home as a distance learner. Visit University of Pheonix online degrees or University of Phoneix for free distance learning info.



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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