What Does the FAFSA Ask For?

I'm a bit stressed about the FAFSA application that's coming up. Anyone who's done it before, can you tell me what sort of information they ask for? Just trying to prepare myself.

Absolutely, it's understandable that you're trying to prepare ahead of time for the FAFSA. Here's a general breakdown of the information you'll need:

1. Student Demographics - This includes basic information about yourself: name, date of birth, address, social security number, and citizenship status.

2. School Selection - You'll be asked to list all the schools you're considering, even if you haven't applied yet. FAFSA will then send your financial information to these schools.

3. Dependency Status - They use a series of questions to determine if you're considered dependent or independent. If you're considered dependent, you'll need your parents' information too.

4. Parent Demographics - If you're dependent, you'll need similar demographic information for your parents as you provided for yourself.

5. Financial Information - This includes tax returns and W-2s for both you and your parents (if you're dependent), current bank statements, and records of untaxed income. This is used to calculate the Student Aid Index (SAI), which replaces the Expected Family Contribution (EFC).

6. Sign and Submit - Finally, you'll sign the FAFSA with your FSA ID (and your parents' FSA ID if you're dependent). Make sure all information is accurate before submitting.

Be prepared with this information and you'll be more than ready to tackle the FAFSA. Just remember to apply as early as possible as some aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.