SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a yearly ritual for many college students and their parents. It can be a daunting process for first timers, so the Dollars and Sense team spoke with Kaitlyn Goslinga, Assistant Director of Financial Aid at University of the Pacific, to get the basics.
“If you are looking to go to college, trade school, junior college, four-year,” she says, “it is your application to start the financial aid process. It is what schools use to determine your financial aid eligibility.”
With that in mind, don’t put it off for too long.
“We encourage families to file as soon as possible. The most important reason being is it gives you the best chance at receiving the most amount of financial aid that you are eligible for because, believe it or not, some aid opportunities can and do run out,” Goslinga told ABC10.
The deadline varies from state to state, but it’s important for many California students to get their FAFSA filed by March 2, 2022.
“The March 2nd deadline is specifically for a program here in California called the Cal Grant. This is a grant available to California students who are going to attend California colleges. If a student has at least one California school on their list, they need to follow this date,” Goslinga said.
The application process can cause anxiety, but Goslinga says help could be available from the schools students are applying to.
“Don't hesitate to reach out to the financial aid offices at the schools that you are considering. Maybe start with your top school and move forward from there,” she said.
The process of filling out the FAFSA usually takes at least an hour, but can take as little as 20 minutes, according to Goslinga, and she has some advice for completing it.
“Make sure when you are filling out the questions (that you) don't leave anything blank. If there is a question that doesn't apply to you, go ahead and put in zero and move on. Sometimes too many blanks can create some errors,” she says.
Before filling out the application, it helps to gather necessary documents like tax forms, W-2s, and banking info.
“If you don't know the answer to a question, make sure you find that out before you officially submit your FAFSA. You can save along the way and come back. You don't have to do everything all in one sitting. So especially if you are kind of intimidated, maybe you do a section a day. You can always save and come back,” Goslinga said.
After you’ve submitted the form, it’ll be sent to the schools you’ve listed, and then it’s a matter of when and where you get accepted.
“So that's another reason to get your FAFSA done as soon as possible because then once you're admitted that school can start working on your offer letter,” Goslinga said.
That offer will help you decide whether a school is a financial fit, as well as an academic one.
Finally, Goslinga said it’s important to remember that this isn’t a one-time thing.
“You'll need to do the FAFSA each and every year that you are going to be in college, and that is even if you're going to graduate or professional school. So maybe you want to go to med school one day, you might be doing your FAFSA for eight years in a row, so get really familiar with it,” she said.
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