To Anyone Paying For College: Start Your Year Off By Filling Out Your FAFSA

FAFSA deadlines vary wildly from state to state and from school to school, so it just makes sense to get yours filled out right away.

Among all the resolutions you should make for the new year — saving money, losing weight, quitting black tar heroin — there’s an easy one that gets left off that list by parents of college students or anyone else paying for a higher education: Filling out that Free Application for Federal Student Aid Form as soon as possible.

The form, which hooks up students and potential students with various outlets for federal and state grants and loans, has different deadlines depending on your state and which college the money will be used to pay for (see this PDF for a state-by-state breakdown of deadlines), but it’s always a good idea to get the FAFSA completed as soon after the new year as possible.

Many of the programs that can be used to help pay for an education are made available on a first-come basis, meaning the longer you apply, the fewer options you might have. Additionally, a number of states, including Illinois and Kentucky, will stop awarding state-level grants after their respective limits are reached.

Getting the FAFSA done early also means you’ll have longer to plan your savings and expenses for the coming school year. It also gives you time to make corrections or updates if needed.

You can fill in the FAFSA online via the Dept. of Education’s dedicated website. The site also has links to PDF versions of the form to fill out and mail in. Finally, you can request a printed version of the form by calling 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) or 319-337-5665. Hearing impaired applicants can use the TTY line at 1-800-730-8913.

by Chris Morran via Consumerist