Should you complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)?

Many people mistakenly believe they won’t qualify for financial aid because they make too much money or have too many assets. Almost every student qualifies for an unsubsidized Federal Direct Student Loan so it is important to complete the FAFSA.

Even if a student loan isn’t necessary, it is a smart move to complete the FAFSA to determine if the student qualifies for grants and other scholarships.

Start by getting your documents organized. To complete the FAFSA parents and students will need to collect:

-previous year’s tax return for both parents and student (if the student filed)

-previous year’s W-2 forms

-Driver’s license/number

-Social security numbers

-FSA ID for both the student and a parent: Create a FSA ID at https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account-launch