FAFSA Application | College Readiness
Hi, welcome back! Now that you have the documents needed and have created your FSA ID, you are ready to complete your FAFSA application! You can always complete the application on your own. Or, you can set up a virtual appointment with your advisor and complete the application online together. To begin, open your web browser and go to fafsa.gov You may also download the myStudentAid mobile app and complete the application on your smartphone. Now let’s take a look at how to complete the application on the website. In the home page, click on “Start Here” to begin your
new application. Click on “I am the student and want to access the FAFSA form” and then click on “Log In to Continue” and enter your FSA ID and Password. As you go through the FAFSA, remember you can always click on the circle with the question mark for help answering any questions. Click on “Log In” to continue. Take some time to read the disclaimer. When you are finished click on “Accept”. On the welcome page, you will select the school year you are applying for. Keep in mind that when you are applying for financial aid, you will
always apply for the following school year. In this case, click on “Start 2022-2023 FAFSA”. Next, you will be asked to create a “Save Key” so you or your parent can return and complete this
what each section contains and how you will complete it. In the first section, you will enter your personal information. Some of the information some of the information that you entered when you created your FSA ID will auto populate. Click on “Continue”. Your email address and phone number should also auto populate. If they do not, enter the information and click on “Continue”. The same goes with your mailing address. Verify everything is correct, or add your information, and click on “Continue”. Next, you will be asked about your residency and eligibility. Choose the answer that applies to you
and click on “Continue”. Under student education you will enter your high school completion status, what degree or certificate you will work towards, your college grade level when you begin the 2022-2023 school year, and if you’re interested in work study. Choose what best applies to you. Here are some helpful tips. If you’re a high school student planning to attend a four-year college, choose first bachelor’s degree. Also, if you are taking dual credit courses, you will still select “Never attended college, first year” for your college grade level. It will then ask if you would like to be
considered for Work Study. Work Study is another form of financial aid. We recommend clicking yes, so you are considered for the opportunity to receive a job on-campus. Click on “Continue”. Under Student information, select your gender. If you select male, a question will appear asking if you are registered for the Selective Service. Most males will have to prove they are registered in order to get financial aid. Please indicate that you are not registered, and would like to register. However, your selection will not determine if you receive financial aid or not. Click on “Continue”. If you have
a driver’s license, enter your driver’s license number here, and select the state using the dropdown menu. Click on “Continue”. You will now answer questions regarding foster care and your parent’s education. Make your selections. If you are a first-generation student, make sure to indicate both of your parents’ highest school completed as middle school or high school to qualify for certain scholarships. Click on “Continue”. We will start the second section by providing the name of your high school. Select the state where it is located, the city, and the name of your school. For example, Carnagie, and click
on search. Here you will find and select your high school. Your school’s information will auto-populate. Click on “Continue”. On this page, you will have the opportunity to select up to 10 schools that you wish to receive your FAFSA application upon submission. These should be schools that you plan to apply to and believe will be accepted to. Even if you do not plan to apply to all ten schools, it does not hurt to have options. First, select the state of the school you wish to attend. You may also enter the city and school name. Click on
Search. In the search results, scroll through the list, and select the colleges you wish to send your FAFSA information to. Click on “Continue”. If you wish to add schools from a different state or city, click on add more schools. For example, if you are interested in a school in California, select California from the drop-down menu. You may also enter the city and school name. If you decide to apply to more colleges, always remember to go back, and add them to your FAFSA, so they receive your application. Click on Search. Scroll through the search results and
select the school, or schools you wish to attend. Then Click on “Continue”. Once you have selected your colleges, you will be asked to select a housing plan. Click on the drop-down menu and select what best applies to you. If you would like more in-depth information about the colleges, click on “Compare All Schools”. Click on Continue. The third section will ask you a series of questions that will determine if you are a dependent or independent student. This information will be used for financial aid purposes only. If you are classified as an independent student, please reach out
to your College and Career Readiness Advisor. Your advisor will ensure that you complete the correct paperwork that will be needed to submit to the financial aid office. As an independent student, you will not be required to submit your parents’ information. To begin, select the marital status that best applies to you, and click on “Continue”. The following questions are in regards to dependency. Choose the answer that best applies to you, and click on “Continue”. Read each statement carefully, and check all that best apply to you. Click on “Continue”. You will next be asked about homelessness. Choose
the answer that best applies to you, and then click on continue. Your dependency status is based on the answers you provided. In this example, I am considered a dependent student, and will need to provide parental information. Remember that you can always contact your College and Career Advisor for any questions that you may have. Click on “Continue”. In this section, you will enter personal information about your parents. Here are some criteria to help you determine whose information you should report. Click on the arrow for a brief description. Click on “Continue”. Enter the information that best applies,
and click on “Continue”. You will only include both parents’ information if your parents are married or live together. Here, you will enter information for Parent 1. If you do not know this, ask your parents for help. Do the same for your other parent’s information, and click on “Continue”. Have your parents lived in Texas for at least 5 years? Choose your answer and click on “Continue”. You will now answer questions regarding household size. Remember to ask your parents or College and Career Advisor for help if you do not know how to answer these questions. Click on
“Continue”. We will now move on to your parents’ financial information. If they worked, and filed taxes last year, you will need your parents tax return. Let’s get started. From the dropdown menu, select the answer that best applies. Next, select the type of income tax return that was filed. Finally, select the filing status that best applies. Both student and parents are highly encouraged to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to electronically import and transfer tax information to their FAFSA from the IRS website. The tool not only lessens the likelihood of you being selected for verification, but
it also does all the work for you! Although using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool is a great feature to utilize when completing the FAFSA, there are some scenarios in which a student and parent are not eligible to use it. These situations include: The student or parent is married, and either the student, or parent, or his or her spouse, filed as Married Filing Separately. The student or parent is married, and either the student, or parent, or his or her spouse, filed as Head of Household. The parents’ marital status is Unmarried, and both legal parents living together.
The student or parent filed a Puerto Rican foreign tax return, or an IRS Form 1040-NR, or 1040-NREZ, or the parent is not a US Citizen or Permanent Resident. If you are ineligible to use the IRS Data Retrieval, you will be asked to input the information manually. Be sure to have your tax return handy, to provide the information needed. Once you have entered your parent’s financials, you will be asked to do the same with your financial information. Don’t forget that you can contact your College and Career Advisor if you have any questions. We are almost done!
Just a few more steps and you will have completed your FAFSA application. Before you sign, you will see a summary of your FAFSA application. Look over it carefully to make sure all the information is correct. Once you’ve verified this information, you can print this page to have a summary for your records. Then click on “Continue”. Please read the terms carefully before proceeding. Once you’re done, select the box to agree to the terms and then click on Sign FAFSA Form. You have now signed your FAFSA! It is time for your parent to sign as well. Click
on Provide Parent Signature. The process is similar to yours. If one of your parents created an FSA ID, choose that parent to sign the FAFSA. Your parent will also need to fully read the terms before proceeding. Click on “Continue”. Enter your parent’s FSA ID. If your parent could not create an FSA ID, they will need to print, sign, and mail the signature page. Click on “Sign this FAFSA”. After everyone has signed, click on “Submit my FAFSA”. Congratulations! You have successfully submitted your FAFSA application. Now that you have completed the FAFSA, there are two important documents
that you need to be familiar with: The First, is the Confirmation page with your confirmation number: This shows as proof that your application was submitted successfully. The Second, is the Student Aid Report: Also known as SAR. This report summarizes the information that you put on the FAFSA. You can locate the SAR by logging into your FAFSA. It is typically available 3-5 business days following the completion and submission of your FAFSA. The SAR will contain your Expected Family Contribution, or EFC for short. Expected Family Contribution is a measure of how much you can contribute to your
college education. This is an index number that colleges use to determine how much financial aid you are eligible to receive. Please Note that The EFC is not the amount of money your family will have to come out of pocket to pay for college, or the amount of federal aid you will receive. Thanks for watching! I hope this video helps you as you navigate the financial aid application. Always remember, if you run into any problems, contact your College and Career Advisor!
