The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opened for business on January 1st. As such, many of you will be logging onto FAFSA.gov soon to complete this primary application for financial aid. Keep in mind these guidelines as you navigate the FAFSA...
- The Helps and Hints section, located on each FAFSA page, offers details and advice on answering each question.
- When answering questions, report a zero when appropriate rather than leaving a question blank.
- Don’t use nicknames. The name reported for the student and parent must match the name on each person’s Social Security card.
- Students will be asked for an email address. Be sure the email address is one checked frequently throughout the financial aid process.
- Parents without a Social Security Number will not be able to secure a PIN (PIN.ed.gov) to sign the FAFSA electronically, and will therefore need to print, sign, and mail the FAFSA signature page.
- The IRS Data Retrieval Tool, which allows applicants to pull IRS tax data electronically into the FAFSA, will be available Feb 2, 2014. Tax data should be ready for use three weeks (if filed electronically) or eleven weeks (if filed by mail) after taxes have been submitted to the IRS.
As you complete each step within the financial aid application process, don't hesitate to contact MEFA with any questions. You can reach us at 1-800-449-MEFA (6332) or info@mefa.org. You can also access a list of great FAQs with more FAFSA information on our website here.
