5 FAFSA Tips to Get the Most Financial Aid

Filling out the FAFSA is a great way to get financial aid for college. Here are five ways to maximize the aid you can get when you fill out the application.

As college gets more expensive each year, students rely more frequently on financial aid to help offset the costs of higher education. However, many students are making simple mistakes that can cost them thousands of dollars in grants or scholarships each year. Here are five tips to help you get the most financial aid possible.

1. Fill out the FAFSA

One of the easiest ways to get financial aid for college is filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). While some students mistakenly believe that the FAFSA and CSS Profile are only for students with extreme financial need, this is false. All students, regardless of their economic background, should fill out the FAFSA. These applications not only take into account income level but also the number of children in a family and how many are enrolled in college simultaneously. Each year, more than $24 billion in state, federal, and institutional aid goes unclaimed because people don’t fill out the FAFSA. While the FAFSA can be a bit tedious, it’s well worth the few hours it takes to complete.

Related: Top 10 Things to Remember Before Filing the FAFSA

2. Submit the FAFSA now

The FAFSA application opens on October 1 each year, and it’s beneficial for you to fill it out as soon as it opens. Many organizations that give out larger financial packages will have early deadlines, often before the new year. Many of these organizations operate on a first come, first served system, and you give yourself the best chance to earn more financial aid by applying early. You can find a full list of FAFSA deadlines on the US Department of Education's website.

3. Complete the right form

Unfortunately, some people have created look-alike websites to trick people into putting in their financial data or credit card information. Before filling out the FAFSA, check to ensure you are on studentaid.gov, which is the only official FAFSA website. Also make sure you’re filing for the correct year. For example, if you’re planning on enrolling in college for the 2023–2024 academic year, make sure you’re selecting the form for that year. Filling out the right form ensures you get all the financial aid you’re entitled to for that school year.

Related: 5 Common Tricks Fraudsters Are Using to Target Students 

4. Add all your schools

One of the biggest mistakes students make is not adding all their schools to the FAFSA form. Initially, you can only add 10, but after you receive your Student Aid Report (SAR), you can send your FAFSA information to all the schools on your list. Even if you replace one school’s code with another one, it will never delete your financial information from that university's system.

5. Finish it

The FAFSA takes time to do, but it’s well worth the struggle. In fact, a study by the National College Access Network (NCAN) found that seniors who finish the FAFSA are 63% more likely to enroll in a university than students who don’t complete the form. Spend a few days completing the FAFSA! While it can be a complicated process, it can make school more affordable and is one of the necessary steps you should take when preparing for college.

Related: 5 Little-Known Secrets to Getting More Gift Aid for College

The FAFSA can be majorly helpful in your ability to pay for college, but if you do it carefully, you can maximize your aid package to get the most possible help. No one wants to spend their four years of college stressing about their financial situation. So put yourself in a good spot by using these tips to complete the financial aid process in the most beneficial way.

Another way to reduce the cost of college is with scholarships. Find free money now with our Scholarship Search tool!

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Tags:
applying for financial aid fafsa financial aid paying for college scholarships

About Lindsey Conger

Lindsey Conger

Lindsey Conger is a college counselor and tutor at Moon Prep.

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress
Lexie Knutson

Lexie Knutson

High School Class of 2021

This whole website has helped me overcome the attitude I had before. I was scared to even approach the thought of college because it was so much. I knew it wasn’t just a few easy steps, and I panicked mostly, instead of actually trying. Without realizing it, CollegeXpress did exactly what I usually do when I panic, which is take it one step at a time. With college I forget that because it’s more than just a small to-do list, but this website was really helpful and overall amazing. So thank you!

Maurice Whan

Maurice Whan

$2,000 Spring Scholarship Contest Winner, 2021

This year has been tough for my family and myself, so receiving this scholarship has been a blessing in disguise! CollegeXpress has been an excellent resource in helping me prepare financially for college. Thank you again for this amazing opportunity!

Hailey Riddile

Hailey Riddile

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress has helped me find scholarships to apply for and look into more colleges. While there are many websites similar to CollegeXpress, every website is different, and I've found a lot of good insight on this website. Receiving emails from CollegeXpress about scholarships is extremely useful, and getting insight about colleges near, far, and anywhere in between helps me narrow down my choices to what I want, which is also super helpful. The articles are always really good reads, and I can't stress enough how helpful this website has been to me. Anything related to college is beneficial to me as a senior, and I have learned lots of useful things to help me on my college journey this year.

Nikole Dixon

Nikole Dixon

$500 Refer-A-Friend Scholarship Winner

Towards the beginning of last year, I was searching for scholarships to apply to through my school, town, websites online, and anything else I could find. I asked tons of questions [online] about scholarships and the best places to find them because I was desperate and I needed as many as I could find. I came across a ton of bogus websites but as soon as I found CollegeXpress, I knew I had to tell other people about it. It was definitely the most helpful site I came across, so I told my friends about it. . . . CollegeXpress is definitely a website worth giving as a source.

Jenna

Jenna

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress has helped me greatly during my college search. I used their college search feature often and it helped in comparing schools I was looking at. Now that I’ve found a college the scholarship search feature is helping me find a way to find my college experience. CollegeXpress has many helpful features and resources for anyones college search, it truly is a wonderful tool for anyone entering college level!

College Matches
X

Colleges You May Be Interested In

Eckerd College

St. Petersburg, FL

Seton Hall University

South Orange, NJ

Saint John's University

Collegeville, MN