Financial Aid Completion Day was an informal event organized for seniors to receive help filling out their FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) applications on Oct. 22. The day does not represent any sort of deadline for students, so they can still fill out and submit the application after the 22 of Oct. It was instead meant to make it easy and accessible for students to realize the resources available to them and how to access them. Everyone can register; the only thing necessary is a Social Security number, and with modern technologies, there is not much paperwork to be filled out. FAFSA collaborates with the IRS, so if a student or their guardians have filed taxes in the past, the only thing needed is permission for FAFSA to access their records, and all their financial information self-populates in the application, a new edition that makes the application quick and simple.
College and Career Coordinator Kara Mueller said the amount of aid that a student might qualify for when thinking in the context of the FAFSA depends on their family’s current financial situation, and that the details of the loan are important to its effectiveness.
“FAFSA is an acronym, and it stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid,” Mueller said. “What’s nice about FAFSA is that it is an application that is based on the finances of your family. You and your family will tell you if you qualify for federal grants or state grants, and college scholarships, and it’s all based on financial need. The other thing it offers you is: if you can qualify for the federally backed student loan programs, they offer subsidized loans, which simply means that when you have to pay the loan back, it begins when you’re totally done with your degree. It makes a big difference because if you’re done with your degree, then you’re in a better spot to be making money.”
Senior Jacob Natzel said he applied for the FAFSA because there is still a possibility of qualifying for some sort of aid, even if it’s a small amount, no matter your financial situation.
“I applied because most schools say that they require it, and also, that’s how you get government loans and government aid if your family qualifies for it,” Natzel said. “So, to my knowledge, almost everyone gets at least some small amount of government loans, then if your family makes under a certain threshold, you can get significantly more government loans, or if you make under another certain threshold, you get free financial aid from the government. So I think it’s really beneficial, no matter your financial status.”
Senior Gavin Jennings said the possible benefits of applying for the FAFSA greatly outweigh the little cost, and having your guardian be able to support you through the process makes it even easier.
“I just think (FAFSA is) a great resource to consider,” Jennings said. “College is expensive these days, and I think you should take advantage of as many resources as you can, no matter what you think you’ll qualify for. I would say it was most helpful to do it with my parents, knowing all the finances and all the steps. I’d say having someone there to have your back is important.
Mueller said there are roadblocks for some students, like parental cooperation to provide financial history information, or a lack of a social security number, depending on their legal status. She said there are workarounds for this as well.
“Some barriers are the willingness of the family to support and offer to help their children,” Mueller said. “ Some people are afraid that if they’re undocumented, and then if a student is undocumented, they can’t do the FAFSA because they don’t have a Social Security number. However, if a student is born in the United States, they have a social security number. If they’re afraid because their parents weren’t born and they’re not legal, that does not matter. If your parents don’t have them, it doesn’t matter. You can still do the FAFSA, and your parents can still supply their income and their reports.”
Natzel said the application process was very simple and quick for him, and having a guardian is a key step. He said the questions were mainly to determine any factors outside of work that could affect your financial situation.
“It’s a short process,” Natzel said. “It only took me about 10 minutes, but you have to have a parent or guardian do it with you. You just have to create a FAFSA account with your name and social security number, log in, and then fill out a short questionnaire. You give information about your filing taxes, your personal situation, and questions like, ‘have you ever filed taxes?’ or ‘are you married?’”
Jennings said he considered using the high school as a resource to assist him with the FAFSA, but decided not to. He said he recommends using the counselors as a resource for anyone feeling unsure.
“I did think about using the counselors as guidance, and I did ask them for help with my college applications,” Jennings said. “But I depended more on my parents for background info on the FAFSA. Going to them is a great way to get more background information on the topic and opens more doors to understanding what goes into it, besides just an application.”
According to Mueller, even if families believe they won’t qualify for any aid, it’s still worth their while to apply. She said you never know when your situation might take a drastic change, and once you pass it up, the opportunity is gone forever.
“College is expensive,” Mueller said “Some parents say I’m never going to get any money. ‘Why do it?’ You don’t know, but if you don’t do it, you’re definitely out. I highly recommend, and our goal is to try to get every single senior to do the FAFSA, regardless of whether they’re going to go to school or not, because if they change their mind it’s you can’t do it if it’s too late.”
