Students wishing to apply for need based grants and financial aid must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as the FAFSA. This is a very important document because all financial aid and most need-based grants are awarded to students based on the information provided in the application form.
When applying for need-based grants offered by education institutions that support the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and state government grants, the two most common ways that you can complete your FAFSA application are:
- Online at the FAFSA website – This is the most common way to apply for federal financial aid. It takes less than one hour to complete and is the fastest way to receive your results.
- Submit a manual FAFSA Application – This is a paper-based application that you complete by hand before sending through the mail. This way is time consuming and you will have to wait longer for your information to be processed.
Most school and college financial aid administrators can help you complete your FAFSA application. It is vital to know the all the deadlines for applying for financial aid. The federal deadline is different to that of your state or school deadline, therefore you MUST file your FAFSA by the first of these deadlines in order to qualify.
The Process after you file your FAFSA
If you file your FAFSA electronically online and provide your email address, you will receive an email within 5 days with instructions on how to access you Student Application Report (SAR) online. If you did not supply a valid email address, you will receive your SAR through regular mail within 7-10 days.
The Student Application Report (SAR) is a document that advises you about how much money you and your family are expected to contribute towards your tuition fees. This is called Expected Family Contributions or EFC. In addition, it outlines the different federal aid programs you actually qualify for. The schools and colleges you included on your FAFSA will receive a copy of your SAR and use this to prepare an award letter. The award letter includes a financial aid package that they are willing to offer you if you choose to enroll as a student with them.
Applying for Grants from Other Sources
If you have identified additional need-based grant opportunities besides those offered by the government and educational institutions, you may be required to complete additional application forms.
Need-based grants offered by organizations and private sources may require your FAFSA information in addition to their own applications, or simply require students applying to submit an application specifically designed for their particular grant programs. You should contact individual organizations that offer grants to confirm their application requirements and instructions to submit your application correctly.