August 22, 2023

FAFSA 12 Best kept secrets

20 minutes

FAFSA – 12 Best Kept Secrets Application Tips with Jean Burk

UPDATED December 2, 2024

Episode 62

Here are the FAFSA 12 Best Kept Secrets. Did you know that 80-90% of families make mistakes on the FAFSA that cost them tens of thousands of dollars in scholarship money? This information is timely before October 1 – so please listen and share this show with your friends with college-bound students.

Visit our sponsor – College Prep Genius, and Jean Burk- author of the award-winning curriculum for SAT prep.

Show Notes: FAFSA 12 Best Kept Secrets

Did you know that many times students do not complete the FAFSA application completely? You must complete the FAFSA all the way through. It is an application for low-interest student loans and grants. If you don’t complete it, you can lose out on thousands of dollars. But, regardless of income, everyone should fill it out.

You can do this beforehand to be prepared to fill out the FAFSA application. Pre-work – download the PDF from the website. https://studentaid.gov/

FAFSA 12 Best Kept Secrets:

Scams: Be aware of scam copies – Companies have purchased websites with a dot com; (not dot gov) they will charge you for the FAFSA – it is a FREE application.

ID: Get your FAFSA ID ahead of time. You get a username and a password. If you are considered a dependent student, you need your separate ID. It can take a few weeks to get your ID. There can be a backlog at the last minute. Do not share your ID with others. This information you are putting on your FAFSA is sensitive information. Store it in Lastpass.com (you can get a free account) or a paid account is $20 per year, and it keeps your ID safe.

Date October 1 in your senior year. In 2024, the date was pushed back and is now open. Many states will run out of money early. You can put in twenty colleges when you are filling out your FAFSA. You use your prior-prior taxes or two years before you apply for the loan. You need to pull that out and bring out the information. If you have had a decrease in income from 2015 to now – that can also be adjusted – an addendum must be filled out with each college.

Deadlines: To maximize your scholarship opportunities, fill it out by the usual date of October 1 – Each school and state will set their deadlines. October 1 is the FIRST day you can apply – deadlines are months later, but why wait?

Which ID? Do not use your ID (parents) when you start your FAFSA – they will give you the option to enter the student information. USE the student ID – it will automatically add your personal information.

Knowing the lingo on the FAFSA helps – certain questions that you automatically know, but you may make mistakes –

Legal guardianship – Students will answer yes here. You are not considered a legal guardian of yourself! So, the answer is NO.

NUMBER: The number of family household members – specific definition. Many students put the wrong number down. It has no bearing on who claims the parents in a divorce situation. How many are in your household – that is in your entire family. Siblings. Read instructions carefully.

The number of family members who are in college and private school. If you are thinking about just your siblings. Don’t forget to include yourself. You are also going to college.

Common Mistakes:

If it says You or YOUR – it means the student.

Put in the student’s full name as it appears on your social security card – no nicknames. It will bring you delays if you are not accurate.

Double-check the social security number.

Income Information:

How much income tax – not your AGI (adjusted gross income) – IRS data retrieval tool that will tell you how to fill it out.

Be sure to see if they ask for student income vs. parent’s income. Do not get them confused.

The parent section is color coded – students can fill out the parent information. (Even if they live on your own. It still can help you.) (Even if they live on your own. It still can help you.) A parent CAN fill out the entire form on a student’s behalf. (indicate it from the very beginning that they are filling it out as a parent.)

Add More Colleges: Students may only consider one or two colleges. You have up to twenty schools you can list. Take advantage of this tool; the other colleges cannot see the schools you are sending this to. You can always remove and add more schools.

Sign It! Don’t forget to sign your FAFSA; if not, this will cause an incomplete FAFSA. Student and one parent will sign it with their ID number. You can mail a signature page if you want. It is not necessary. You can check the status of your application at any time.

Check out the “FAFSA—Two Big Snafoos/13 Changes” podcast

Special Thanks to our Network Sponsor!

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By Jean Burke

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