Do I actually have to fill out FAFSA when applying to college

Question

I will be a freshman this year in college. I plan on transferring from that college that I will attend in fall to a top tier school. Do I have to fill out FAFSA?

I am asking this because I applied to some schools this year and I think that one thing that didn't let me make it was the financial part. I graduated 3rd in my class. My family cannot afford to pay for my school.

Answer 1

Whoa, whoa.

The FAFSA is your friend, not some evil to be afraid of.

The largest financial assistance program for college students in the United States is managed by the US Department of Education, a cabinet-level division of the federal government. This program is designed to help every US family afford the high cost of a college education.

The Department offers two types of financial assistance - one type is "need-based", the other is not. Need-based financial assistance is only available to families whose financial circumstances require that they will need a great deal of assistance. However, even if you and your family are not "exceptionally needy", the Department of Education offers another form of assistance, a government-backed student loan program.

Schools do not discriminate against applicants who apply to the government (or anyone else) for financial assistance. First of all, the vast majority of students DO receive financial assistance, no matter what school you are talking about. Second of all, financial assistance does not "cost" the schools anything - the money comes directly from the federal government or from banks and other lenders.

Nothing about applying for financial assistance will negatively affect your chances of being accepted to school.

The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is the form that is used to determine the sources of financial assistance that are available to you. Remember what I said - this isn't like food stamps or welfare or something that you might be embarrassed to accept - MOST college students receive one or more forms of financial assistance from the federal government - even students from "wealthy" families.

You should DEFINITELY complete the FAFSA and submit it to the Department of Education for processing. Depending on your family's financial circumstances, you may be eligible for a government grant (which is free money that you will never be asked to repay), you may be eligible for a part-time college job that will help you afford school, and you are guaranteed to be eligible for the government-backed student loan program. The Stafford loan program is THE BEST educational loan that you can find anywhere.

As a participant in the Stafford program, you will be able to money for your college expenses without a credit history and without a cosigner. The interest rates are low and fixed, you have many years to repay the loan, you don't begin repayment until you have finished college, and you have the right to temporarily postpone payment if you experience financial difficulties after you get out of school.

Take some time to look through the booklet that I've attached below. It explains the entire federal financial aid program - it's published by the Department of Education. Have your mom and dad read it, too, because they'll find out a lot about how they can help you achieve your dream of a college education.

Good luck to you!

Answer 2

FAFSA is for Financial Aid.  If you don't need or qualify for it, don't bother.  My daughter went through the entire process of filling it out, submitting it, etc. to be told her parents made $100 more per year than the maximum allowable limit.  So, if you or your parents are not going to qualify, don't waste their time or yours!

Answer 3

No, you don't have to fill out the FAFSA, to attend college, but to get any type of assistance you will need to.  To be eligilbe for Stafford , Ford or Plus loans you have to complete the FAFSA, unless you go to a private lender which you don't really want to do.

I just went through the process for my son, and we couldn't afford school either.  But with loans, we will manage.

If you have a high GPA and SAT, most schools will give you a grant, but you must apply early before all their grant money has been used for the school year.

Talk to the school's financial counselor that you want to go to, and they will help you.

Answer 4

You only fill out the FAFSA once a year (they come out right on Jan 1, ready for the new year)

It's better to fill it out as soon as you get it, and send it in ASAP, but the only problem is that means your parents have to get their tax returns done ASAP (something my mother dosent like to do, so I usually don't get my FAFSA filed until mid-February)

But it dosen't matter which school you are going to, you only fill it out once.  If you're transferring to different schools, they will offer you their own financial aid package.  And don't freak out if you're family can't afford it- theres an abundane of loans avaliable for people just like you, and it may sound scary- but think about it... college is an INVESTMENT, you'll be making 10x what you're borrowing now (especially if you're going to a "top-tier" school)

i know it seems overwhelming now, but you'll get through it, i'm going by unscathed so far!  

Answer 5

You don't need it, but its stupid not to

At a lot of schools though, you need a fafsa for merit based aid and need based aid

And you have to verify your parents income with your schools forms

Its a big pain in the butt, but its the only way you can get federal assistance, federal loans, or work study.

Be careful with transferring. Most top tier schools are extremely difficult to transfer into and some don't allow tranferring from non partner schools, and some don't allow any transfers. Decide now which school you want to transfer to and find out all of the requirements for you intended major and to transfer to the school. NYU is the only school Im aware of that judges transfer students on their high school success. Most want to see you success in college and dont care what your high school class rank was.

Answer 6

Yes, everyone has to do FAFSA. If your family can't afford to pay for school, why the heck wouldn't you? I get sooo much help in federal grants and loans, plus an academic scholarship from my school. I graduated top ten, but not as high as you, and my family is dirt poor. Good luck!