Obtaining a college degree can be one of the most rewarding and important decisions in your life. Unfortunately, college tuition and living expenses are on the rise every year which makes it harder than ever to afford the college degree you deserve. Fortunately, there are numerous federal, state, local and school wide programs designed to help you by pay for, or supplement your costs for college. Unfortunately, making sense out of the myriad of governmental regulations, forms and other red tape is a difficult task.

In fact, the process can be so difficult that even the U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings said:

“Sadly, many students, up to 8 million in fact, don't even apply for aid, in part because of all the red tape. We believe most would have been eligible for assistance.”

FAFSA stands for “Free Application for Student Financial Aid”. It is administered by the U.S. Department of Education and for years has given students a chance to go to college. FAFSA is completed annually by current and future first year college students (both undergraduate and graduate) and sometimes their parents to determine their eligibility for federal student financial aid (including Pell grants, Stafford loans, PLUS loans, and work-study programs). In addition, most states and schools use information from the FAFSA to award non-federal aid.


How Much Aid Can I Get

Federal, state and local financial aid is not just available to lower income families, in fact, everyone should apply. The amount of aid you can receive is based on a number of factors, but generally is determined by the Cost of Attendance (COA) and the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The Department of Education uses your FAFSA to determine your EFC, which is what each family is expected to contribute to the cost of your college education. Remember—available money is often allocated on a first come, first served basis, so it is important to file your FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1st. Each school you apply to will put together a financial aid award package based on the results of your FAFSA form.

Fortunately, almost $150 billion in financial aid is available to help pay for college. Filing your FAFSA is the first step in applying for most of this aid.


How Hard is the FAFSA to Fill Out?

“The main federal student aid form is longer and more complicated than
the federal tax form!”
— U.S. SECRETARY OF EDUCATION MARGARET SPELLINGS

The FAFSA form is exceedingly complex to fill out yourself without professional assistance. In fact, Lauren Asher, associate director of “The Institute for College Access & Success”, recited one FAFSA question in which students and parents are asked to consider not one, but three, different tax forms, as an example of the complexity they currently face. According to Rep. George Miller (D-California):

“It really takes a tax expert to figure it out. The FAFSA was designed as the gateway to financial aid. We now see a situation in which the form itself can deter people from applying for the aid that is necessary to go to college!”

ONE SINGLE MISTAKE ON YOUR FAFSA CAN BE VERY COSTLY! 

Incomplete or inaccurate FAFSA applications can result in delays or even complete rejections or delays that may cause students to miss out on all or part of the financial aid to which they might otherwise be entitled.


Don't Worry, FAFSA USA Makes It Easy

We are here to help you. One of our professional Student Aid Advisors can quickly and accurately assist in properly filling out and submitting your FAFSA form. Our team of Student Aid Advisors have been helping students on the FAFSA form for years. Our services make the filing process easy, accurate, and fast. And most importantly, our service provides you with a peace of mind that you have properly submitted your FAFSA for financial aid approval.