2022-2023 FAFSA FAQs
The Application Process
- What is FAFSA?
FAFSA is federal financial aid for college and trade school students. The amount of aid you receive depends on which school you are going to and yearly family income.
- Where do I apply for FAFSA?
Go to their website at fafsa.gov. Go to where it says “Apply For Aid” and click on “Complete the FAFSA Form”. Then click on “Start Here” to fill out the form.
- What is the deadline to apply?
March 2nd, 2023. If you are applying for community college grants as well, the deadline for that is September 2nd, 2023
- What information do I need for FAFSA?
- Your Social Security Number
- Your parent/guardian’s Social Security Number
- Driver’s License number (if you have one)
- Alien Registration Number (for non-US citizens)
- Tax information such as:
- W-2s from parents and yourself if you have a job
- IRS Form1040
- Foreign tax return if your parents have any taxable income from overseas
- Records of parents’ untaxed income (child support, interest income, veterans noneducation benefits)
- Bank account balances for you and your parents as well as any investments or business assets
- Which colleges you would like to apply for
- I don’t have a Social Security Number. Can I still apply for financial aid?
Yes! Go to https://dream.csac.ca.gov/landing and apply there.
- Do I need to be accepted to a college before applying then?
No, you can apply for FAFSA any time before the deadline.
- How do I know how much my financial aid will be?
The amount of financial aid you’re offered as well as what kind of aid you’re offered is decided by the college you wind up attending.
Different Types of Aid
- What is a grant?
Grants are funds for students that demonstrate financial need that usually do not have to be repaid! However, there are exceptions. For example, if you withdraw from college before getting your degree or your enrollment status changes so that you are no longer a full-time student. You may also have to repay grants if you get outside grants or scholarships that affect your eligibility.
- What are scholarships?
Scholarships are like grants in that they don’t need to be repaid. However, the process for getting them is different. Scholarships are provided by organizations that each have different requirements. Some may be looking for student athletes, others might be provided by employers for their employees, and some may be for members of a specific religion or ethnic group. Most organizations providing scholarships will require an essay and some may include other requirements such as community service.
- Where can I find scholarships?
Scholarships.com, bold.org, Going Merry, and ScholarshipOwl are great databases that let you search scholarships based on your interests, demographics, and amount of money offered. There are links to these websites on Ivy Academia’s website’s Counseling page as well.
- What is the work-study program?
The work-study program is a program for students with financial need that allows you to work and earn money to help pay for college. Each college has certain jobs that are only allowed for students in the work-study program. Most of these jobs will be on-campus and will be related to your major.
- What does financial need mean?
Financial need is determined by the cost of attendance for your school minus how much money you expect your family to contribute. As each college has different tuition costs, whether or not you are determined to have financial need is different for each school.
- What are loans?
Loans are a form of financial aid that you will have to repay with interest after finishing college. The maximum amount you can borrow for federal student loans ranges from $5,500 to $12,500 per year but the amount offered depends on your school. If you have financial need, you may be eligible for a subsidized loan (meaning you don’t have to pay all the interest on your own). Be careful about the amount you decide to borrow! You can always borrow less than what your school offers you!
- Does anyone else offer student loans?
Yes, banks and other private organizations offer student loans as well. However, they may have a higher interest rate and some may require you to pay interest while you’re still in college. In addition, most private loans aren’t subsidized, meaning you will have to pay interest completely out of pocket. Be extra careful with private loans!
- I’ve heard horror stories about student loans, how can I find out how much I’ll need to repay after college?
This site has a calculator you can use to find out how much you will need to repay each month. Just put in your loan amount, interest rate, and loan term (how long it will take to repay the entire loan) and it will show you how much you’ll probably need to pay each month.
- This whole process is super overwhelming! Can I meet with the counselor to talk about it?
Of course! If you need help filling out the FAFSA form, planning for how to pay for college, or need help looking for scholarships just fill out this form and Mr. Wong will reach out to you to schedule an appointment! 😊