Ken asks…
Is it illegal to file more than one FAFSA student aid on different websites?
I thought there was only one website to file finacial aid for college. Then I came across like 3 other websites. They look legit. SO before actually trying it. is it possible to file more than one FAFSA other than the .gov website?
Michelle answers:
File as many as you’d like, Night, but the Department of Education, which processes the FAFSA, will only calculate one EFC score for you, and that’s the only EFC score that your school’s financial aid office will work with.
Since it’s your school’s financial aid office that puts together your aid offer (and not the people that you are submitting all these FAFSAs to), there is no possible benefit to completing multiple FAFSA applications.
That’s like asking if it makes any sense to apply for the same job at IBM by filling out an application on three different online job sites.
Remember – no matter how many FAFSAs you fill out, they’ll all have your Social Security Number on it (and they must, or they won’t be processed), and the Department of Education will pretty quickly figure out that you’ve applied multiple times. If the information on the forms is different, you’ll have some explaining to do – intentionally misleading the Department of Education on a FAFSA application is a federal crime, punishable by a fine of up to $20,000 and a sentence not to exceed one year. (you can find that statement on the bottom of the FAFSA form).
By the way – those “other” sites? Pay sites. They want you to pay them to “help” you complete the FAFSA. It’s up to you if you need their help, but it still makes no sense to complete multiple FAFSAs – they all wind up in the same place, and you’ll only get ONE aid offer from your financial aid office at the school.
Lisa asks…
Can I apply for FAFSA even if I might not start college that semester?
I am currently a senior in hs and am going away to BCT and AIT for the army reserve this summer which will take a total of 26 weeks. I wont be back home until around the new year time (late dec./early jan.) so i will definitely miss the fall 2013 semester. If i get back in time i may try to start college spring 2014, but if i dont get back in time i will have to start fall 2014. But you cant apply for fall 2014 FAFSA yet so my question is, is it possible to file the FAFSA for spring 2014 or even fall 2013 even though i might not start college til fall 2014 just so i can see how much aid i would get?
Michelle answers:
Yes, you can and SHOULD complete the FAFSA if you think there’s a chance you’ll be going to school during the 2013-2014 school year.
Just make sure that you file again next year since you seem pretty definite that you’ll be going in the fall of 2014. You need to apply as soon as possible after 1/1/2014 for the 2014-2015 school year.
You’ll need to choose the school you’ll be attending. You can put more than one right now. Once you know for certain where you’re going, the school will send you an award letter letting you know exactly what your financial aid options are. You have to either accept or reject them. You can accept some and reject others, also. For example, if you’re eligible for a Pell Grant, you might accept that, yet reject a student loan or work study.
Sandra asks…
Can someone let me know what it said when you completed ur fafsa?
i have completed my fafsa application, and at the end it said i would a receive a pell grant but said nothing about a cal grant. Does this mean i wont receive one? Or does it just not say for everyone? Did it say for any of yours? thanks in advance.
Michelle answers:
The FAFSA is a federal application. It automatically knows whether or not you qualify for a pell grant based on your EFC alone. It doesn’t automatically know about Cal grants. You will get notification about your cal grant and other potential grants later.
Daniel asks…
How do I know if the university received my FAFSA info?
I’ve made a correction to my FAFSA application, and I don’t know if the university I sent it to received my FAFSA information. How do I know if they got that? How can I check?
I sent it to the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, if that is of any help at all.
Michelle answers:
It takes 3 to 5 days for corrections to process. If the university was listed on your FAFSA they should get it as long as you resubmitted the FAFSA (this is the big step most students forget to do). Wait a week and then call and ask if it has been received, although an e-mail may be the best route to take on this one.
Powered by Yahoo! Answers