Click below to sign up for a "Virtual FAFSA Walkthrough" from uAspire
|
You can also follow this step-by-step guide from Nitro. Click below to view a copy of the 2022-2023 FAFSA Questions |
Federal Student Aid provides a "FAFSA Worksheet". It offers more detailed information on FAFSA questions |
What is FAFSA? |
Why should I care about FAFSA? |
FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and it is the first step to getting financial aid. It is an application so that a student may receive grants (aka free money) to attend a higher education institution. Your information is weighted for if you will qualify for grants or federal student loans (the best kind) and also will be sent to schools you have applied to for your Financial Aid package from that institution. Most public universities require that you have filled out the FAFSA to be considered for scholarships and other financial aid, and you need it filled out to apply for federal and state financial aid.
|
"During the 2013-2014 academic year, eligible college students missed out on over $2.9 billion in grants simply because they did not fill out the FAFSA." - AffordableColleges.com
|
|
|
REMEMBER YOUR FSA IDYou will need to file FAFSA every year you are in college. Since your FSA ID is tied to your SSN, you can't just create a another account if you forget it
|
Why do students need financial aid? How much does college actually cost? This game is a great way to get an idea!
It won't give you an exact dollar amount, but it provides you with different scenarios to help understand how large of an investment college is. It also highlights how important it is to apply for financial aid through FAFSA and scholarships! |
There are countless confusing elements to financial aid. So much information is required, and it is difficult to know what's what.
This goofy little game seeks to help you gain a better understanding of these concepts in a fun way. It's pretty straightforward, but be on the lookout for questions with multiple answers! |
|
FreeFree money is money that you do not have to pay back. This would include scholarships and grants.
|
BorrowedBorrowed money is money that you have to pay back to whatever institution or agency you get it from.
|
EarnedEarned money is money that you get from working while attending school that can go towards college and living expenses
|
Check out this article from Annuity.org that goes into more detail about:
|
Undocumented Students |
Undocumented Parents |
Undocumented students aren’t eligible for federal aid, but they can get aid from colleges or private scholarships, and some students have access to in-state tuition.
Private Institutions are a good option because they are privately funded and give out in-state tuition. Before you fill out the FAFSA, speak to the financial aid office at your college of choice to learn how they prefer you to handle the paperwork. There are plenty of resources available! Below are some answers to Frequently Asked Questions, Scholarships for DACA students from GRCC, and information on the Michigan Echo Scholarship |
If the student is a US Citizen but one or more parents are undocumented, the student is still eligible for federal student aid.
When prompted on the FAFSA form, use 000-00-0000 in place of a social security number. Parents will then have to print the signature page and mail it in instead of creating an FSA ID However, if a parent supplies a fake or stolen social security number (SSN) on the form, the student's FAFSA will be rejected when the parent's social security number fails to match. The FAFSA may also be rejected when the parents submit a SSN or Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) that is valid for work purposes only. |
|
|
Congratulations! You've submitted your FAFSA, these are the first steps to deciding what you want to do next!
|
|
|
What is TIP?Tuition assistance for eligible Medicaid recipients.
Eligible students are those who have or have had Michigan Medicaid coverage for 24 months within a 36-consecutive month period as identified by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). |
Eligibility
|
Fostering FuturesThe Fostering Futures Scholarship (FFS) provides eligible foster youth with scholarship funds for tuition, fees, room/board, books, and supplies/equipment required for enrollment.
The FFS is available to students on a first-come, first-serve basis. Students must complete one application per academic year and return it to Student Scholarships and Grants, listed at the bottom of the application. |
Western Michigan UniversityWMU strives to "improve college graduation and career achievement rates among youth and young adults (12 to 25 years old) aging out of the foster care system". They created the Center for Fostering Success to help achieve this.
Two major programs were created to accomplish these goals:
|
Aging Out of Foster CareAre you or someone you know aging out of the foster care system soon? Are you interested in attaining higher education but concerned about cost? Click the button below to learn more! |