7 Mistakes That Could Cost Students Federal Aid

Millions of parents and students fill out the Free Application for Federal Aid (FAFSA) every year, but making one mistake can cost families thousands of dollars.  To begin with, filing as close to the October 1^st annual debut as possible is vital for families to get maximum financial aid.  Here is how to help your family get the most financial aid and to avoid these seven common mistakes:

1.     Not Filling Out the FAFSA:  Families often think they make too much money to qualify for federal student aid.  If you do not fill out the FAFSA, you’re telling the school you don’t want their financial help.  FAFSA is the first step in applying for most scholarships and university grants, which can have much higher income limits than Pell Grants.

2.     Being Afraid of the IRS Data Retrieval Tool:  Because of the Equifax data breach, families are scared to use electronic tools with financial information.  The IRS Data Retrieval Tool that will import 2016 tax data into the form is easy to use and is highly secure.

3.     Waiting Too Long to File:  Financial aid such as university and state grants can be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis.  With the relatively new October 1^st debut date for the 2018-2019 academic year, schools have the option to award financial aid packages months earlier than in past years. 

4.     Not Naming Enough Schools:  You can choose up to 10 schools to receive your financial aid information.  Pick 10.  Why is this important?  If a school is not on your list and you do end up choosing the school, you will get financial aid behind other students who named their school on the FAFSA form when first filing.  If you don’t have 10 schools you’re considering among your final choices, add schools from your maybe list or a school that’s a bit of a reach academically or financially.

5.     Not Listing State Schools First:  Some state schools will give more aid to the students who listed their college at the top of the list. 

6.     Not Being Prepared:  When you sit down to fill out the FAFSA form, you may experience delays if you don’t have all your information ready.  Parents and students should create a user ID and password for the student and each parent beforehand.  Parents should also gather financial records from brokerage accounts, bank accounts, 529 plan accounts and information on their real estate.

7.     Paying to File the FAFSA:  The first “F” in FAFSA stands for free.  There is no fee for completing the FAFSA.  If you are asked to pay to complete the FAFSA, you are on the wrong website.  The correct site is www.fafsa.ed.gov.

If you have any questions, please contact your school counselor.  Good luck! 

Dear Seniors and Parents/Guardians:

On Monday, November 20^th representatives from Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) will be available in our media center to help you complete your student’s FAFSA.  This assistance is available to all students regardless of the school they plan to attend.  There will be two counselors (one Spanish speaking) available from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm.  If you are interested in receiving help with the FAFSA, please call your school counselor to make an appointment with a WCSU representative on November 20^th.

Students and families should come prepared with their 2016 income tax information, 2016 tax returns, W-2s and social security numbers.  We encourage each student and one parent/guardian to set up their FSA ID at https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm in advance of November 20^th.  If you are unable to do this, the representatives from Western Connecticut State University can assist you with this also.

If you have any questions, please contact your student’s school counselor.

Kind regards,

Vikki Carlson

Department Head, School Counseling

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