FAFSA Switches to Online-Only Application
Posted 01 Oct, 2007
The U.S. Department of Education is changing how students can submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Though about 90% of FAFSA applicants use the online submission option, up to now, the FAFSA has also been distributed in paper form to U.S. high schools. That is all about to change.
A few days ago, the Education Department posted an announcement on their website, stating that the 2008-09 applications, the FAFSA will be almost entirely online.
Don’t panic!
It’s actually a lot more efficient for everyone involved to have the FAFSA online. While the government can now save a lot of money (and trees!) by discontinuing mass printing of the FAFSA form, your family benefits, too. My past experience has been that the FAFSAs filed online tend to get processed faster than the paper ones (in days versus weeks!)—and that’s a big deal. No matter what you may hear, even federal aid is sometimes awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. That means that if you want to ensure the best chance of getting financial aid, you’ll want to apply early (as soon after the opening date as you can) and apply online.
That said, if for some reason you really want a paper copy, individual students will be able to order them from the Department of Education by calling the FAFSA info center. You can get their contact info here.
All the best,
Deborah Fox
Deborah Fox is the founder of Fox College Funding, a nationwide company that helps families find creative ways to reduce their college costs.
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The U.S. Department of Education is changing how students can submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Though about 90% of FAFSA applicants use the online submission option, up to now, the FAFSA has also been distributed in paper form to U.S. high schools. That is all about to change.
A few days ago, the Education Department posted an announcement on their website, stating that the 2008-09 applications, the FAFSA will be almost entirely online.
Don’t panic!
It’s actually a lot more efficient for everyone involved to have the FAFSA online. While the government can now save a lot of money (and trees!) by discontinuing mass printing of the FAFSA form, your family benefits, too. My past experience has been that the FAFSAs filed online tend to get processed faster than the paper ones (in days versus weeks!)—and that’s a big deal. No matter what you may hear, even federal aid is sometimes awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. That means that if you want to ensure the best chance of getting financial aid, you’ll want to apply early (as soon after the opening date as you can) and apply online.
That said, if for some reason you really want a paper copy, individual students will be able to order them from the Department of Education by calling the FAFSA info center. You can get their contact info here.
All the best,
Deborah Fox
Deborah Fox is the founder of Fox College Funding, a nationwide company that helps families find creative ways to reduce their college costs.
Subscribe in a reader
Subscribe by Email
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