FAFSA REMINDERS & completion tips
- Make sure you’re on FAFSA Website when completing the FAFSA.
- You will complete the 2024-2025 Application.
- You sign into the FAFSA using your FSA ID.
- If completing the FAFSA, and your parents have a social security number, they need a FSA ID, too.
- If your parent/guardian does not have a social security number, you will use 0’s where it asks for their number. It will give you a few error messages but then it will let you proceed.
- If you are a foreign student or non-citizen, you will complete the TASFA (Texas Application for State Financial Aid). The application will be available on October 1st.
- If you are not sure who to list as your parent, please review this: Who Is My Parent According to FAFSA
- You can list up to 10 colleges.
- You can list colleges even if you have not submitted your applications.
- THE SOONER YOU SUBMIT THE BETTER! The wait time, after you submit your app, is 3 + months. You do not want this to be the thing that you are waiting on to determine what college or trade school you decide to attend!
- If you get stuck on a question, you can click the blue question mark icon to the right of the question for more info.
- If you need help, the CHAT feature is a great resource and way faster than calling the helpline!
- Have general questions about the FAFSA? Start HERE!
- Gather the required documents before you start! This will save you time.
- If you get stuck, HERE is a document that will walk you through each question.
- Not sure which parent to use in your FAFSA application? Read through the guidelines HERE.
ORDER IN WHICH YOU SHOULD ACCEPT AID
- Scholarships and Grants – Make sure you understand the conditions you must meet (for instance, you might have to maintain a certain grade-point average in order to continue receiving a scholarship).
- Work-Study – You don’t have to pay the money back, but you do have to work for it, so take into account that that’ll mean less time for studying. However, research has shown that students who work part-time jobs manage their time better than those who don’t!
- Federal Student Loans – You’ll have to repay the money with interest. Subsidized loans don’t start accruing (accumulating) interest until you leave school, so accept a subsidized loan before an unsubsidized loan.
- Loans from your state government or your college – You’ll have to repay the money with interest, and the terms of the loan might not be as good as those of a federal student loan. Be sure to read all the fine print before you borrow.
- Private Loans – You’ll have to repay the money with interest, and the terms and conditions of the loan almost certainly will not be as good as those of a federal student loan.
HOW DO I GET MY MONEY?
The financial aid staff at your college or career school will explain exactly how and when your aid will be paid out. They also will tell you whether you need to fill out any more paperwork or meet other requirements. For instance, if you’re receiving a federal student loan for the first time, you should expect to be required to sign a promissory note and go through entrance counseling. Be sure to keep in touch with your school’s financial aid office so that you understand the whole process of receiving your aid.