What you need to know about the FAFSA
If you want to tap into financial aid to attend college, the FAFSA is the place to start.
FAFSA stands for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It can be filled out either online or on paper. It is completed annually by current and anticipating college students (both undergraduate and graduate) and sometimes their parents to determine eligibility for federal student financial aid (including grants, loans, and work-study programs).
You should fill out a FAFSA if you would like to receive financial aid and/or student loans at a Title IV school–basically any school that accepts U.S. funding, including many overseas schools. Usually, you fill out the FAFSA early in the calendar year if you plan to attend school in the upcoming school year. Check with the school's financial aid office for its priority deadline. Filling out the FAFSA before the deadline could help you get the best possible aid package.
If there is just one message you take away from this tutorial about the FAFSA, it's this: don't forget to add your AmeriCorps-related earnings to the "additional financial information" section!
