Although there are many differences between adults returning to college and a traditional college student, as far as financial aid is concerned, the steps are very much the same.

Whether it is your first time filing for federal financial aid and you need to know how to get the ball rolling, or it is just one more thing on your to do list, they are there to help you find your way with all the paperwork! Believe it or not, receiving money for college is not as confusing and/or complicated as one might think.

The financial aid process can be just a little bit different for each college student, but there are a few things that will hold true for just about everyone. First, apply even if you think you do not qualify. There can be many variables involved in determining eligibility and there can be no way to know for sure if you do not try.

Second, the free application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will determines your eligibility for Federal Student Aid programs as well as eligibility for many private student loans and grant or scholarship programs. Filing the FAFSA is essential and critical even if you do not think you will qualify for the federal financial aid program.

Filing the FAFSA will never be a waste of time for you. While many people will really dislike the paperwork involved, you should really file a FAFSA even if you do not think you will be eligible for federal financial aid assistance. Why? The FAFSA is used by many non-government financial aid programs in order to determine your eligibility for the scholarships, college student loans, and other programs they may offer. Of course, the FAFSA is also used to find out if you qualify for federal financial aid loans. Because of this, completing the FAFSA will give you two very big advantages. First, you may be eligible for lots of non-federal financial aid. And second, even if you do not want a college student loan now, the paperwork is done in case you do change your mind.

How do you filing the free application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The quickest and easiest way to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is online at FAFSA on the Web.

Complete the FAFSA as soon as you can after January 1st of the year in which you will need funding.

Here are some tips on making it easy to fill out the FAFSA if you have these items available:

• Your Social Security card and driver’s license number
• Your W-2 Forms or other tax records of earned-income (and your spouse’s, if you are married) federal income tax return.
• Your Federal income tax return
• Records of other untaxed income you received, including welfare benefits, social security benefits, TANF, veteran’s benefits, and military or clergy allowances
• Your current bank statements and records of stocks, bonds, and other investments
• Your business or farm records, if applicable
• Your alien registration card (if you are not a U.S. citizen)

If you or your spouses have not completed your federal income tax returns yet, use estimates from pay stubs and bank statements. Because you are using estimates, you may be asked to verify certain information during the approval process.

Whether you are a high school student apply for college the first time, a college student applying for continued educational funds or an adult apply for college or a trade school. It does not need to be scary or hard. Your financial aid office will have an adviser that will walk you through the steps as well.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 24th, 2008 at 2:01 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.