Upon application to a college, most colleges require students to complete the
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The information you provide in this application is used by the financial aid office at your college to determine the
types and amounts of financial aid you are eligible to receive. On the FAFSA you may list up to six colleges to whom you wish your information to be sent.
To complete and file the FAFSA you must be a US citizen or eligible non-citizen.
FAFSA offers three methods to file your FAFSA, but be sure to check out the FAFSA transfer module. Using the transfer module allows information in your CollegeInColorado.org account to pre-populate the FAFSA. You can then simply do a double-check of your information, add any missing data and send it off.
You can complete the FAFSA directly on the U.S. Department of Education’s Website or you can fill out a paper form instead, but it takes longer for the information to get to your college and you may have to answer questions on the paper application that would be automatically skipped on the electronic form based on your responses. Filing electronically will also help you avoid common errors.
The earliest you can complete the FAFSA is January 1st of the year in which you intend to begin fall classes. For example, if you anticipate starting college in fall 2008, the first day you can complete the application is January 1, 2008. If you are going to start college during a summer semester, check with the college's financial aid office to determine what year FAFSA you must complete.
A worksheet is available to download at the U.S. Department of Education’s Website. You may wish to complete this worksheet before completing the actual application. The worksheet will help you know what types of questions you must answer about yourself, about your parent(s) (if you are a dependent student), as well which documents you should have available while completing the online application.
Here is a step-by-step process to simplify your FAFSA application.
- Click here to download the Pre-Application Worksheet at FAFSA on the Web.
- If you have a Federal Student Aid Personal Identification Number (PIN), you will be able to sign the FAFSA electronically. If you are a dependent student your parent should also have a PIN. Apply for the FAFSA PIN at the
U.S. Department of Education’s PIN Website. You and your parent should each apply for a PIN when you begin your senior year in high school.
- Once you are ready to complete the FAFSA on line, you can log onto the
CollegeInColorado.org transfer module to have information from your CollegeInColorado account entered automatically on the FAFSA, or go directly to the FAFSA Website.
Important Things to Remember about Completing the FAFSA
- Complete the FAFSA as early in the year as possible. The first day you can file is January 1st for the year you are attending college
- Know your college’s priority date to receive your FAFSA information. Most federal, state and institutional funding is limited. Meeting the priority date provides the best opportunity for maximum funding
- You must complete a FAFSA every year that you want to receive financial aid
Almost every student is eligible for some form of financial assistance for college —
grants,
scholarships,
loans, or some combination of these types. Use the
Financial Aid Award Estimator (FAAE) to research COA and types of financial aid you may be eligible to receive at colleges in Colorado. Also, be sure to check our list of
scholarships and scholarship searches for funding you may be eligible to receive.
If you are offered and decide to accept a loan, be a wise borrower and only borrow what you need to pay for your educational expenses each year. The
SLOPE Calculator and the
Loan Repayment Guide can help you determine this amount.
Once you receive the Student Aid Report (SAR) resulting from the FAFSA and a financial award letter from your college, be sure to pay close attention to the package offered and
interpret the results carefully!