Importance of FAFSA

Following is the importance of FAFSA for an international student.

• It provides more than 150$ billion in grants to international students in form of college grants, work-study funds, and federal student loans. Therefore, you can apply it for serious money in line.
• You can fill it for free in just 21 minutes.
• It is essential for private scholarships as well. Therefore, one needs to fill it even to apply for school scholarships.
• It is first come first serve; therefore, there is no bias involved.

Suggested: Best Countries to Study Abroad

Now you know the importance of FAFSA. Next, let’s check out…

How does FAFSA Work?

Despite the fact that the FAFSA is submitted through the US Department of Education, financial aid scholarships are announced by the school to which the applicant has applied. International students are not eligible for government funding in the United States. International students will, however, need to print the form and mail it to the Federal Student Aid office, as these are used to determine student eligibility for various state and university scholarships.

Suggested: Guide on FAFSA Scholarship

FAFSA Eligibility Requirements

To apply for FAFSA application 2022, the student must meet the following FAFSA requirements:

• The candidate must be a US citizen or a US non-citizen who meets the eligibility requirements.
• Have a social security number.
• Satisfactory academic performance
• Have a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) certificate.
• Enrol as a regular student seeking a degree or certificate in an eligible program.
• The applicant cannot be in arrears on a federal student loan or owe a federal student grant refund.
• To be eligible for Direct Loan Program funds, you must be enrolled at least half-time.
• The candidate must not have a conviction for illegal drug possession or an offence that occurred while receiving federal student aid.
• Fill out the FAFSA certification statement and sign it.

Suggested: 6 steps to complete CSS Profile

Documents Required to Apply for FAFSA 2022

Before we move on to know more about how to fill out FAFSA applications, the applicants should keep the following documents in handy:

• Social Security number
• Alien Registration number for non- US citizens
• Bank statements
• FSA ID
• Federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned.
• Investment Records (if applicable)
• Records of untaxed income (if applicable)
• Parent/ Guardian information
• Resume
• Scholarships essays
• Contact details
• Statement of career goals
• Educational transcripts

Read: Guide to FAFSA

Who Should Submit FAFSA Application?

FAFSA is available in the USA. The eligible students who require financial assistance can apply for FAFSA scholarships. Since there is no income cut-off, any student who meets the FAFSA criteria can fill out the FAFSA application. The parents of dependent students can also fill out the application for the students.

Step-By-Step Guide to Apply for FAFSA

This section explains how to apply for FAFSA in detail. All the steps have to be completed with precision to avoid any mistakes.

1.  Fill out an online form by logging in to the official website.
2. If you are an existing user, you can fill out the FAFSA form for free by logging in or signing in if you are a new user.
3. Choose whether you are a parent, a student, or a preparer filling out the FAFSA form before moving on to how to fill it out FAFSA.

Suggested: Factors for University Selection in US

1.  Create an FSA ID

To know how to apply for FAFSA; you must first complete this step. The username and password for the applicant’s account are their FSA ID. It's required to sign the FAFSA application online. Based on the information asked, choose of the FIFSA form.

2.  Choose the FAFSA form

There are two forms available as per the date of joining the college. Ensure that you fill out the correct form.

3.  Fill in the Student Demographic Details

Add the basic details about the applicants, like the name, Date of Birth, qualifications etc, as per the information in the social security card.

4.  Fill out the Dependency Status Section

If the applicant needs to give parent information on the FAFSA form, a series of particular questions must be answered. The information must be provided by the dependent student; however, an independent student may skip this section.

5.  Fill in the Parent’s Details

The dependent applicant shall give the basic demographic details of their parents to complete the FAFSA form.

6.  Add the Financial details

Applicants can use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool or manually enter data from their W-2s to fill out their financial information. The dependent students shall fill in the parent's financial information to proceed further.

7.  Sign the Form

An applicant can sign the FAFSA form with their FSA ID. It is the most convenient method for signing FAFSA forms online. The second option is to mail the signature picture. The dependent students shall require their parent's signature in this step.

8.  Submit the Form

Once the FAFSA form has been signed, the application can submit the form online or take a printout.

Read: Scholarships and Financial Aid for MS

Important FAFSA Date 2022-2023

Following are the essential FAFSA dates:

Further, college and state deadlines can be checked from the official FAFSA website as per your country and college.

Read: Education Loan to Study Abroad

Next, let’s explore the…

Common Mistakes to Avoid During FAFSA Application

Now that you know how to fill out the FAFSA application, here are some frequent errors to avoid while filling out one.

• Incomplete Applications: Students frequently submit incomplete forms or overlook a critical question or section, which might result in the application being rejected. It's also critical that you don't miss the form's submission date.
• Wrong or Missing FSA ID: Obtaining an FSA ID is the first step in the application process. If the FSA ID is entered incorrectly or another student/parent ID is used, the application may be rejected.
• Listing Only One College: While filling out the FAFSA, students can add up to ten universities. Students frequently make the error of listing only one college and ignoring the possibility of applying to the others.
• Not Signing the FAFSA Application: The candidate tends to forget to sign the FAFSA application due to carelessness, unavailability of a parent or due to forgetting the password. A FAFSA application is considered incomplete if it is not signed.

Suggested: International Education Loan by Indian Government

Filling out the FAFSA application is always beneficial because there is no income cut-off, and the possibility of receiving federal aid is higher. So, go ahead and do it without fear of being disqualified. If you still have any doubts about how to apply for FAFSA, you can reach out to our expert counsellors for assistance by choosing Yocket premium. Happy learning!

Also Read: