FAFSA Filing Season is Now Open – The Importance of Filing as Early as Possible

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA filing season for the 2020-2021 school year, opened last October 01, 2019. Those intending to apply for financial aid to pay for college education should complete and submit their
FAFSA as early as possible.

Although the FAFSA filing cycle goes on for a period of 18 months from the October 01 starting date, completing an application sooner than the June 30, 2019 deadline is the best way to increase one’s chances of securing financial assistance.

First off, it should be clear that financial aid is college education money that does not have to be repaid. Although nearly all FAFSA applicants qualify for some form of financial help, most need-based aid and grants are awarded by states on a first-come-first-serve basis.

According to a recent report from Sallie Mae (SML Corp.), the private lending company that handles loans availed by college students, around eight (8) in every ten (10) American families seek for financial aid through scholarships and grants. Yet more than half of those families were constrained to take out student loans. This suggests that most need-based applicants had missed out on free financial aid offered by the federal government, by the state and/ or by different private sectors.

It is also important to know every state reserves the right to set a deadline that may be earlier than the federally prescribed end of the 18-month FAFSA season.

FAFSA State Deadlines for School Year 2020 – 2021

In some states like Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico,Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming, seekers of college education financial aid must first check with their state’s Federal Student Aid Administrator, as the deadline may be dependent on some other documents required by the state government.

Other states give advice for applicants to submit as early as possible after October 01, because the available financial grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until depleted. The list includes Alaska, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont and Washington.

Some U.S. regions specifically set a FAFSA deadline for priority considerations. This denotes that those who submitted after the deadline and after the priority applicants have been served, can still apply until the end of the FAFSA season. States that maintain deadlines for priority listing include Connecticut, District of Columbia, Idaho, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Texas

States with Specific FAFSA Deadlines:

California — March 02, 2020 for most state financial aid programs:

Delaware — April 15, 2020, by midnight CT.

Florida — May 15, 2020 (date processed).

Iowa — July 1, 2020, by midnight CT.

Louisiana — July 1, 2021 (recommended).

Maine – May 1, 2020, by midnight CT.

Maryland – March 1, 2020, by midnight CT.

Michigan – March 1, 2020, by midnight CT.

Minnesota – 30 days after term starts, by midnight CT.

Mississippi – June 1, 2020, by midnight CT.

New Jersey – April 15, 2020, by midnight CT

New York – June 30, 2021, by midnight CT. Additional forms might be required.

Ohio – Oct. 1, 2020, by midnight CT.

Pennsylvania – Aug. 1, 2020, by midnight CT

Tennessee – Feb. 1, 2020.

West Virginia – March 1, 2020.

Know the Basic Eligibility Criteria When Applying for a US Dep Ed Financial Student Aid via FAFSA

When making plans to apply for federal student aid, the first thing to learn about is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or better known as FAFSA. This is a free form provided online by the U.S. Department of Education, which administers the different types of federal student aid offered by the government.

Create an FSA ID to Access the FAFSA

An applicant must first register with the Federal Student Aid (FSA) U.S DepEd website to create a password-protected user account. The FSA ID serves as a single signing-in identification when accessing the FAFSA document and other financial aid pages of the U.S. DepEd customer-facing website. Once an FSA ID account has been created, an applicant can now access and fill up the FAFSA form.

Basic Eligibility Requirements to Qualify for Financial Student Aid

In evaluating a FAFSA, the FSA US DepEd will look into the following information to determine if an applicant is eligible to receive Financial Student Aid.

Financial Need

A demonstration of financial need is necessary, when applying for a Direct Subsidized Loan that provides financial assistance to undergraduate students seeking to enroll in a college or career institution. Here, a student must specify the significant reason why his or her family cannot afford to pay for college or career education. Examples of reason include loss of a parent, or loss of employment either by the student or by the breadwinner of the family.

To further demonstrate one’s financial incapacity, statements must include descriptions of the student’s job or of a parent’s employment, about schooling of other siblings, and discussion of any unexpected expenses of the family. All of which will make clear the direct impact of the cost of higher learning on the family’s overall income. Take note not to make false statements because any that has been verified as falsehood is punishable.

U.S. Citizenship or Eligibility as Non-Citizen Residing in the U.S.

A birth certificate showing that the applicant is a natural born U.S. citizen suffices as proof of U.S. citizenship.

On the other, a non-citizen may be documented by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or USCIS, by way of a “green card” such as a Resident Card, Resident Alien Card or Alien Registration Receipt Card. Other non-citizen types like refugees, asylum seekers or other legally recognized entrants will have either an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94), or a T-Visa, and a certification letter issued to them by the USCIS as proof of approved entry.

Other Basic Requirements

* Valid Social Security Card/Number (not applicable to nationals of Marshall Islands, Micronesia, or Palau).

* High school diploma or a General Educational Development (GED) certificate;

* Male applicants aged 18 to 25 must be registered with Selective Service;

* Has enrolled or already accepted as enrollee for an eligible degree or certificate program and must be enrolled at least half-time as a regular student.

* Has maintained satisfactory academic performance in college or career institute.

* Must be able to certify the portion of the FAFSA stating that he or she (student) is not in default of any federal student loan or has no financial obligation under the federal student grant.

Needless to say, inability to satisfy or complete any of the basic eligibility requirements stalls the processing of an application for financial student aid at the very onset.