FAFSA ins and outs Great article in the New York Times

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Great information about when and how to file the FAFSA...


From New York Times writer, Ann Carrns

"Time to fill out student financial aid forms
Families who submit FAFSA forms early often get more aid

Students who plan to attend or continue college next fall should get ready to start the application for financial aid.
The new Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA, will become available online on Thursday, Jan. 1. The form is the starting point for students and families seeking federal aid, and it is used by most states and colleges as part of the student aid process. The form collects financial and personal information about students, and their parents if they are dependents, to determine eligibility for scholarships, grants, work-study awards and loans. It must be completed every school year for students seeking aid.
Filing the FAFSA as soon as possible after Jan. 1 increases applicants’ chances of getting the best financial aid packages for which they are eligible. Those who file the form from January through March receive, on average, twice the amount of grant money as those who file later, said Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of the financial aid website Edvisors.com  .
That probably is because many states and colleges have early deadlines.
Plus, some state grant programs distribute awards on a first-come, first-served basis. So waiting means that students may miss out on aid even if they qualify. (Edvisors offers a guide to filling out the FAFSA, available as a free download.)
Although print versions of the FAFSA are accepted, most applicants submit it online. That allows many to use the Internal Revenue Service’s Data Retrieval Tool, which can transfer important financial information directly from tax records into the FAFSA. But there’s a catch: The tool typically doesn’t become available until early February and can only be used by those who have already filed tax returns. Many people don’t have the necessary information available to file their taxes until later in January, so the tool’s usefulness is limited.
The timing problem could easily be addressed, said Lauren Asher, president of the Institute for College Access and Success. The nonprofit group supports letting FAFSA applicants use financial information from the previous year’s tax returns. That, the group says, would simplify the process, and better align the FAFSA cycle with the college application cycle."