Category Archives: FAFSA Errors

Deadlines, FAFSA Errors, Financial need, Students and Parents

What is Verification?

After you’ve submitted your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), it’s possible that your application could be flagged for verification. Verification is the process a financial aid office must complete to determine the accuracy of the information on your application. If your FAFSA is selected for verification, the financial aid office from the school(s) listed on your FAFSA may ask you to provide documentation about the addresses, names or financial data you provided. The aid officer will let you know which sections must be corrected and the documentation you’ll be required to provide to verify your information.

Being selected for verification doesn’t mean your FAFSA is incorrect. Annually about 30% of all FAFSA applications are chosen for this process and the financial aid office is required to verify your data. Monitor your email for requests for additional information and swiftly respond to those requests. Your eligibility for financial aid will not be reviewed until the verification process is complete. Follow up with the financial aid office to check on your application status because the more you cooperate with them, the faster the process will go. Verification is the last official step they’ll need to complete to provide you with a financial aid offer. The offer will list the amount and types of financial aid programs you may use to help cover your college expenses.

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What’s a Student Aid Report?

After you complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), be on the lookout for your Student Aid Report (SAR). The SAR is an electronic or paper document that summarizes the data you put on your FAFSA. It also provides some basic information about your eligibility for federal student financial aid. If you completed, signed and submitted your FAFSA electronically, this document will be sent to your email address within 3-5 days. If you did not include an email address, a paper version of the SAR will be mailed to your postal address in approximately 2-3 weeks. You can also access your SAR by logging in to your account at FAFSA.gov.

The SAR contains important information, like your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and your Data Release Number (DRN). The EFC is a measure of your family’s financial strength and is calculated according to a formula established by law. It’s based on the information provided on the FAFSA, but the EFC is NOT the amount of money your family will have to pay for college. It’s a number used by your school to calculate the amount of federal student aid you’re eligible to receive.

Your DRN is located below your EFC on the SAR and is necessary if you want your college or career school to change certain types of information on your FAFSA. Speak with someone at your college financial aid office if there has been a significant change in income for you or your parents or you have a special circumstance you need to discuss with the aid administrator.

Your SAR might indicate that you’ve been selected for verification. This is a process schools use to confirm the information on your FAFSA is correct. Your college financial aid office will notify you if additional paperwork is needed to fulfill this requirement.

Review the remainder of your SAR for any errors. If you find anything that should be corrected, log back in to FAFSA.gov, access your FAFSA, and make the necessary changes. Then enter the appropriate FSA IDs and submit your FAFSA again.

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How to make FAFSA Corrections

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is a form you submit to determine your eligibility to receive financial aid. This form asks various questions on information you probably haven’t thought about before. Since these questions may be uncommon to you and your family, it’s easy to make a mistake when completing the application. If you need to make corrections to the FAFSA after you’ve submitted it, there are a few ways you can fix the errors.

  • Log back in – If you need to correct some information on your FAFSA, such as change your high school’s name or add more colleges to the application, you can simply log back into the FAFSA form. To do this, you’ll need your FSA ID. When you log in, you’ll see a box that shows information about your application status, along with your next steps in the FAFSA process. Under this box is a section that says, “You can also”. In that section, find the link to “Make FAFSA Corrections”. Click on the link to access your application. After you’ve made the necessary changes, submit the application again with the correct information. Don’t forget to sign the FAFSA again with your FSA ID!

  • Update your SAR – When you first submit your FAFSA, it generates a Student Aid Report or SAR. This report shows all the information you entered on your application. If you need to change your name or Social Security number, you can make those adjustments by printing out your SAR and correcting the errors. Unfortunately, the application doesn’t allow you to update this information on the electronic version. You can find and print your SAR in the “You can also” section of FAFSA.gov, after you’ve logged in with your FSA ID. Once you’ve printed out the report and made your changes, mail the corrected SAR to the address stated on the form. Additionally, if you need to change your name due to marriage, divorce, etc., you must first make those changes with the Social Security Administration (SSA). When SSA has corrected your information, you can then update your FSA ID, as well as the FAFSA form, with the right data.

  • Speak with financial aid – For small changes such as updating your email or mailing address, you can use the previous two methods. However, if you need to correct financial information on the FAFSA, especially if you used the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, you may have to submit corrections through the financial aid office at your anticipated school. Students who manually entered their financial information on the FAFSA can log back into FAFSA.gov and make changes. Those who used the IRS Data Retrieval tool to complete the income portion must speak with their financial aid office to fix any errors. Talk to the office about the errors that were made and learn how you can correct the mistakes. The financial aid office may want extra documentation, so be sure to give them all the required information. You can make changes to your name or Social Security number through the financial aid office as well.

Submitting the FAFSA with the right information is important. If you need to make changes, don’t wait. Adjust your answers as soon as you learn a mistake was made. Using any of these methods will help you successfully make changes. For more information on how to submit FAFSA corrections, go to studentaid.ed.gov.

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What Happens After I Submit my FAFSA?

Once you hit the ‘Submit’ button after completing your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), you’ll receive a confirmation page. The confirmation means your FAFSA has been received by the Federal Student Aid (FSA) Processing Center and they’ll begin to review your application. A few days after that you’ll be notified that your FAFSA results have been sent to the colleges you entered on your application. You’ll also be able to review your Student Aid Report (SAR). The SAR lists the information you entered on your FAFSA and allows you to determine if any changes should be made. Follow the directions provided to retrieve your SAR and read the report carefully. The first page will contain valuable information about the next steps you should take.

If you find any errors on your SAR, go to FAFSA.gov, access your online FAFSA application and make the necessary corrections. If you’re changing one of your (student)answers, click ‘I am the student’ once you’ve logged in and enter your FSA ID and Save Key. If your parent(s) are updating one of their answers, they should click ‘I am a parent.’ They will log in using your personal identifying information along with the same Save Key. Don’t let anyone else log in with your FSA ID!

Please note: If any changes need to be made to the income figures provided on the FAFSA by you or your parent(s), it’s possible that your college financial aid office may have to make the changes for you. Students and parents who utilize the IRS DRT (Internal Revenue Service Data Retrieval Tool) can download their income figures from the IRS directly into their FAFSA, which can save you time and additional paperwork. To keep your information secure, however, once figures are downloaded you are unable to see them. Only your financial aid office will be able to view the results, and only they can make any necessary corrections. If changes do need to be made, you must provide your aid officer with the Data Release Number (DRN) which appears at the top of the SAR. Remember, never give your FSA ID to anyone in the financial aid office.

The colleges you included on your FAFSA will receive the results of your application from FSA directly. They will then begin working on a financial aid ‘package’ for you by determining your eligibility for funds from various federal, state and institutional resources. A financial aid offer will be sent to you through the mail or via email. You’ll be given a deadline to respond to the offer, letting the school know if you’ll accept or decline a part or all of the aid they’ve awarded. Remember, you don’t have to accept everything offered.

You may not receive an offer from every school listed on your FAFSA. Some universities may wait to provide a financial aid offer until you’ve been admitted to their school. If you don’t receive a response from one of your schools, contact their financial aid office to ensure they’ve received your FAFSA results.

From that point on, follow the directions given to you by the financial aid office at the school you plan to attend. They’ll be your best resource for any questions you may have about the financial aid process.

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What’s a Special Circumstance?

We all know life happens! From losing a job, to dissolving a marriage, to unexpectedly taking in an elderly parent or relative, life has a way of throwing a variety of situations at you. Sometimes these situations can have an impact on the financial aid you receive for college.

Whether you’re planning for college as a new freshman, or continuing your education as an upperclassman, you must complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) in order to qualify for federal and some state financial aid. You can access the new 2020-2021 FAFSA now at FAFSA.gov. The FAFSA measures your ability to qualify for grants, work-study and student loans. The FAFSA doesn’t, however indicate your job layoff last month or all the medical expenses your parent is paying for your younger brother.

These types of situations can be determined as special circumstances. Visit with the financial aid office at your college or career technology center to share any conditions you feel are not accurately reflected on your FAFSA. Your situation may be reviewed and if approved, could be deemed a special circumstance. Any revisions to your FAFSA data may also cause changes to your financial aid eligibility, offering a possible increase in your funding.

Examples of a special circumstance might be:
– A significant change in income after your FAFSA was originally filed.
– The death of a spouse, parent or other family member.
– A job change or layoff.
– Unexpected medical expenses.
– A marriage, divorce or separation after the FAFSA was submitted.
– An incarcerated parent or spouse.

If you fall into one of these categories, or experience something completely different, contact your institution’s financial aid office for further instruction.

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Should I Complete the FAFSA as a Nontraditional Student?

If you’ve decided to go to college as a nontraditional student or as an adult learner then congratulations! It’s never too late to learn and grow. Now that you’ve made this decision, it’s time to think about financial aid – monetary support that helps cover the costs of college such as grants, student loans and scholarships. You might assume that you won’t qualify for financial assistance because you’re a nontraditional student, but there are various financial resources to help you on your college journey. One resource that you should utilize first is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA. Regardless of your educational background or age, you should always submit a FAFSA every year that you’re in need of financial aid. The FAFSA allows you to apply for federal and some state financial assistance for college. Your school’s financial aid office will use the information you provide on the application to determine your aid eligibility. They will be able to see if you qualify for grants, work-study and/or student loans. In case you haven’t decided which school you’ll attend, the FAFSA can be sent to up to ten schools at one time. Once you’ve submitted your FAFSA, be sure to contact the financial aid offices if you have any questions.

Whether this is your first time submitting a FAFSA or it’s been a while since you’ve seen the application, here are a few tips to help you successfully complete the form:

Gather your materials – Before you start the application you’ll need to round up a few necessary items: your social security card, tax returns and other financial information. The FAFSA will ask you to provide your income figures as well as your personal identification information. Your W-2s and other bank statements will be helpful with this section of the FAFSA.

Create an FSA ID – An FSA ID (Federal Student Aid Identification) is your username and password for logging into FAFSA.gov. This login will also serve as your electronic signature for completing the FAFSA. It only takes about ten minutes to create an FSA ID. During the process you will be asked to provide your identification information and select a few challenge questions to answer in case you need to reset your ID at a later date. Use this FSA ID Worksheet to help you keep track of your FSA ID information. To create your FSA ID, go to fsaid.ed.gov.

Use the correct website – FAFSA.gov is the official website to access the FAFSA form. You can also find the application by using the myStudentAid mobile app. The first “f” in FAFSA stands for “free”, meaning you should never be charged a fee to submit your FAFSA. Using one of the above options guarantees that you’ll not have to pay to complete your application.

Remember Oct. 1 – The FAFSA opens each year on Oct. 1. You should complete your FAFSA as soon as possible after this date. Some financial aid that you’re eligible to receive may be on a first-come first-serve basis, concluding that funds will be given to those who apply first and will eventually run out after a certain point. Therefore, to ensure that you don’t miss out on any financial aid, complete your application in a timely manner.

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What is Verification?

After completing your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you will receive an email with a link to your Student Aid Report (SAR). The SAR is a document that recaps the data you provided on the FAFSA and offers some basic information about your eligibility for federal financial aid. On this SAR, you may read that you’ve been selected for verification. Typically an asterisk appears next to the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) number near the upper right corner on the SAR, which indicates your information must be verified.

Verification is a process in which the school’s financial aid office must confirm the information provided on your FAFSA is accurate. About one-third of all students are selected for verification because questions may have been left blank, the data provided is inconsistent, or they’re just randomly chosen. If this happens, don’t worry. The financial aid office at the schools you’ve applied to will contact you and request additional documentation they’ll need to complete the verification process. Be sure to respond promptly and meet all deadlines set by financial aid personnel.

After you submit the requested materials to your school’s aid office, follow up with them to ensure it’s been received. Remember, you must complete the verification process in order to receive any federal or state student aid. If you have questions about the process, contact your school’s financial aid office.

 

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Making Corrections to a FAFSA

How do I fix an error on my Student Aid Report?

Since most students file their FAFSAs electronically, it’s quick and easy to make your corrections online, as well. On the home page at FAFSA.gov, click ‘Log In’. If you’re making changes to your answers, click ‘I am the student’. If your parents are making a change to their answers, they should click ‘I am a parent’. Your parents can log in using your personally identifiable information, and they’ll also need your Save Key. Don’t let anyone else log in with your FSA ID!

Find the section where the correction(s) will be made. Make your changes, and don’t forget to click the ‘Submit’ button on the last page when you’re done. In a few days, another Student Aid Report (SAR) will be sent to your inbox. Review it once more to make sure your changes have been made.

If you aren’t able to make a change, notify the financial aid office at your college or university. A financial aid professional will need your Data Release Number (DRN)–a four-digit code found in the top half of your Student Air Report–to access your FAFSA. Don’t give anyone in the financial aid office your FSA ID.

If you encounter any problems while making corrections, call Federal Student Aid (FSA) at 1.800.433.3243.

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I’ve Submitted the FAFSA. Now What?

Completing the FAFSA is just the first step in applying for financial aid. After your application has been processed, you’ll receive a Student Aid Report (SAR). The SAR is a summary of all the information you entered on the FAFSA form. Included in the report will be your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), a number that helps determine your financial aid eligibility. When you receive the SAR, review it and make any necessary changes. You can make changes by logging into FAFSA.gov, accessing your original FAFSA application, and correcting your information. Don’t forget to resign and submit! Once you’ve updated your FAFSA, your SAR will be sent to the schools that were listed on your application. If you’re selected for verification, schools will ask you to provide more documentation to confirm that you reported the correct information. Be sure to submit documents as soon as possible to the financial aid office.

Colleges and universities will eventually send you award letters, notifying you of the amount of financial aid they’re able to offer you. Most award letters will be sent electronically, while a few others might come in the mail. Ask your campuses or choice how their notifications will be sent. The award letters will also tell you the cost of attendance. Carefully review those letters and only accept the aid you need. Always accept free money first: grants and scholarships. If you need to take out a student loan, only accept the amount you need to cover the cost of attendance. Be sure to compare different schools’ award letters as well. Consider the financial aid packages and the campus environment to decide which would be the best fit for you.

Follow up with every campus you received an award letter from and let them know how much of the financial aid package you would like to accept. Check for deadlines! Each award letter will ask you to respond by a certain date or you could lose the aid offered. Remain in constant contact with the financial aid office to make sure you take all necessary steps to secure your financial aid award.

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How to Finish the FAFSA, Final Step: Follow-up

FAFSA Step 5So you’ve completed, signed and submitted the FAFSA, now what? It’s time to follow up!

Keep an eye on your email for something called a Student Aid Report (SAR) as well as information from the schools to which you chose to send your FAFSA results.

Your SAR will provide you with some basic information about your eligibility for federal student aid. When you receive your SAR carefully review it and make sure your information is listed correctly. If you find a mistake, you will need to correct and resubmit your FAFSA.

Some schools may ask for more information, so be sure to provide any additional documentation they may require. Follow up with the school’s financial aid office if you have questions.