ATLANTA - It might feel like the fall 2020-21 school year is pretty far out, but if you're looking for financial aid now is the time to apply. Open enrollment for federal student aid began Oct. 1, and it's first-come, first-served.
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FAFSA is a short way of saying free money
Too many students don't apply for federal aid thinking they're not eligible. Well, not true.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is $150 billion worth of cash for students. Whether you're a returning student in fall 2020 or a new one, it's time to get your name in the hat for cash. FAFSA gives students access to federal student loans, work-study opportunities, and free cash through grants and scholarships.
FOX 5's Dana Fowle talked with Ashley Boucher of Sallie Mae. They give step-by-step instructions on how to apply and why you should.
"We did a study, actually, called "Americans Pay for College," and in the most recent year of the study we found that 40 percent think that they are not going to qualify for aid; therefore, they don't apply and that's painful to hear because we know that nearly every student qualifies for some amount of aid," the spokeswoman said via Skype.
It's easy to apply and will take 45 minutes tops if you have all of your paperwork ready to go. This is a list of what you'll need.
FASFA PAPERWORK
- Driver's License Number
- Social Security Number
- W-2
- Tax Returns
And when you apply there are many ways to do it including an app called "My Student Aid."
For easy access to your tax information, try the IRS data retrieval tool: IRS DRT