5 STEPS FOR FILING THE FAFSA

One of the most important pieces that should go hand in hand with your college application is the FAFSA. FAFSA is the free application for federal student aid that works as a reference for universities during their decision process on future scholarships, grants, or loans that you might qualify for. So, let’s break down the process and get you on your way to being college-ready!

  1. Visit the official student aid government website  (https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/sign-in/landing) and create an account. Keep in mind that if your parent is going to provide information for your FAFSA, they will need an FSA ID as well.
  2. Start a new application, or continue an application that you have already started. You should file a FAFSA for each year you are in college or graduate school.   
  3. Have your documents ready. You will need your SSN, federal tax information or tax returns, records of untaxed income, cash savings and checking account balances, and any investments you might have. For more information on the documents that you will need to file your FAFSA, please visit StudentAid.gov
  4. Review all of the deadlines for the FAFSA. The application becomes available in October for each coming school year. For the 2022-2023 school year, the deadline is 11:59 p.m. CT on June 30, 2022. It’s important to note that each university is different and may require you to submit your forms earlier than the dates posted above. You should also keep in mind that each state has its own set of deadlines for priority consideration; Indiana’s deadline for state scholarships/grants is April 15, 2022, by midnight (CT). In most cases, the grants are limited and are only available for qualified early submissions.
  5. Submit your FAFSA. You can submit your FAFSA three different ways: electronically, through a mail-in application, or by contacting your school and asking if they can submit it on your behalf. At this point, you can look up the school codes for the universities that you would like to apply to and can include up to 10 on your form.

Your college experience should not have to be stressful, and submitting your FAFSA should not be either. If you have any other questions about your FAFSA form please visit https://www.valpo.edu/student-financial-services/.

WRITTEN BY
MARWA NOUR