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FAFSA Tip Sheet
- Complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov rather than submitting a paper form. The online version is quicker to complete and easier to correct.
(Do not use fafsa.com. It is a commercial site that charges a fee to collect and forward your information.)
- Apply for a personal identification number (PIN) on the www.fafsa.ed.gov web site well before you want to complete your online FAFSA.
- Fill out the FAFSA on the Web Worksheet before you complete the FAFSA.
- If you have reliable email access, provide your email address on the FAFSA form. You'll get correspondence quicker by email.
- File the FAFSA early in the year as some aid is limited and awarded on a first come, first serve basis.
- To avoid being selected for verification, answer every question completely and accurately. Do not round numbers up or down, e.g., reporting $35,000 instead of $35,267.
- Keep a copy of your tax return and the last pay stub of last year in case you are selected at random for verification.
- Answer the income questions carefully: Some apply to the parent, and some apply to the student.
- When estimating your balance of cash, savings, and checking accounts, simply provide a reasonable ballpark figure of your holdings after all of your current bills are paid.
- Answer question 31 carefully. The yes/no answers are reversed from the rest of the yes/no questions.
- List all schools you are considering attending. Do not eliminate schools based on price until you've applied for financial aid. You can include six schools on the FAFSA form and add other ones by calling the Department of Education or by updating your FAFSA online.
 Download FAFSA Tip Sheet »
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