fafsa

Paying for College
1

<p>I went omline to apply for 2014-15 FAFSA, and logged onto the FAFSA.com web site. I filled out the form, and then they requested a fee of $80.00. It was my understanding that the application was supposed to be FREE !!! I discovered that there are several sites that provide a “service” to “help” you make this application and submit it on the 1st of January, as funds are awarded on a fist come first served basis. These sites must generate thousands of applications and submit them all at once at the click of a button. My question is: how is it possible for me to get in line, when the “line” is instantly to long without having to pay their “fee”???</p>

2

<p>NO NO NO! Wrong website. You want FAFSA.gov, not org.</p>

<p>Do NOT use that .org site. It is a for profit site. </p>

<p>Your 2014-2015 FAFSA will be on the FAFSA.gov website on January 1. It is FREE.</p>

3

<p>I don’t understand the need to be ‘in line.’ Is a school really going to run out of aid money on Jan 2? If so, I think that may not be the school for me.</p>

<p>I know schools want you to file in January so they can send out the award letters, but the only thing we will get is loans, and I don’t believe there is a limit on them.</p>

4

<p>Two…there are some need based awards that have limited funding for each college. These include Perkins Loans, Federal Work Study, SEOG (if the school has it). These are awarded on a first come first serve basis. For students who really need these awards, it is important to file the FAFSA as soon as possible to get in the queue so to speak. The initial FAFSA filing date is the one used when determining who is “first”. </p>

<p>While it is not critical for you, it IS for some students. The reality is that these funds are limited and do run out.</p>

5

<p>See <a href=“https://fafsa.ed.gov/[/url]”>https://fafsa.ed.gov/&lt;/a&gt; for “FAFSA on the Web”. It should be available after 1:30am ET on 1/1/14</p>

6

<p>You can file it yourself for free and still be in plenty of time. Funds will not run out in January. Funds run out for late filers --filers who wait months. Save your money and use the normal .gov site like everyone else with any sense. Those sites are bottom feeders and should be disallowed imo.</p>

7

<p>Free help on FAFSA:</p>

<p>Visit your school’s financial aid website or contact the Financial Aid Office.</p>

<p>Call the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC): 1-800-4-FED-AID</p>

8

<p>Not to mention the fact that you have to submit very personal information, social security numbers, date of birth, etc. These sites will have information that can be used for identity theft, and who knows if they are secure or not, or run by crooks in the first place. PLEASE don’t use any site other than the official government run FAFSA site, <a href=“https://fafsa.ed.gov/[/url]”>https://fafsa.ed.gov/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

9

<p>Two…To get in line for FEDERAL aid is an issue at probably every school. FEDERAL aid, like SEOG, Work-study and Perkins loans are limited at every school.</p>

10

<p>Brown Parent…the limited fund forms of aid DO run out. I know of at least one kiddo who had received SEOG and didn’t get it in a subsequent year even though filed in January. Others filed earlier and the money ran out.</p>

11

<p>2014-2015 FAFSA is available now. See <a href=“https://fafsa.ed.gov/[/url]”>https://fafsa.ed.gov/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

12

<p>I hope it isn’t necessary to apply on January 1 - I can’t file until I get tax documentation from work. I was disabled for several months and I don’t think I can estimate earnings either.</p>

13

<p>It is not “necessary” to apply by January 1. But why can’t you estimate?</p>

14

<p>Yes, you can estimate, take your best guesstimate at work earnings plus disability pay. Then you can get an estimated award and the actual award is pending you filing a tax return. I’ve done this for myself MANY times.</p>

15

<p>We’re estimating using our last pay stubs of the year. This will give us a very close estimate. Is anyone having trouble entering the info? For example, it will search the schools and show a number found in the search but then won’t list the actual schools to select or add to your list. I’m also having trouble with entering numerical data on some of the income pages. I’m hoping this glitch corrects itself soon. I’ve even tried entering data from 2 separate computers to make sure it wasn’t on my end.</p>

16

<p>UGGGHH I used the wrong site…I wondered with there was a fee. Any advice on what I do now?? I read this site constantly why I didn’t come here and read about FAFSA before I did anything is beyond me…so mad right now.</p>

17

<p>Did you pay with a credit card? Call your company and see if they will cancel the charge. In many places, you have a certain amount of hours to change your mind about “purchases”.</p>

<p>Then go to FAFSA.gov for,the FREE FAFSA.</p>

18

<p>Right on the forst page of the fafsa.com website it says:

That warning wasn’t always there, but it’s perfectly clear now. No one should be making this mistake.</p>