If you are going to qualify for federal student loans, you are going to fill out the FAFSA, which stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
This is going to be one of the most important things you do, but many people misunderstand this form and fill it out wrong.
Here are some tips to remember as you fill it out.
Start out with your IRS forms.
You are going to have to use some of the figures from IRS 1040s on the FAFSA.
So, before you even start filling it out, make sure that your tax data is already done.
You also need to keep the date in mind when you are filing your FAFSA.
The faster you get it in, the more likely you'll get some of the money that is available through the government.
So you definitely don't want to wait too long to get your application in.
It is so important that everything is correct on your FAFSA before you send it in.
Make sure that all the questions are completed and insure that everything is filled in correctly with no errors.
A simple mistake could end up killing your chances of getting the student loans you need.
Don't leave anything blank that asks for money amounts.
If it does not apply to you, make sure you put in a 0.
If you leave it blank, they won't assume it's 0, which means it can affect the aid you get from the government.
Even if you don't think you will qualify for any of the federal programs and loans, go ahead and file the FAFSA anyway.
You may be surprised what you qualify for.
It is totally free to submit, so don't miss out by failing to submit it.