The FAFSA

FAFSA: The Free Application for Federal Student Aid

--aka Your New Best Friend

The FAFSA is the federal government's way to determine financial need and give away federal money and special subsidized loans for college. It is used almost universally by colleges and universities to determine what resources you need to attend their school and to give their own grants and scholarships to students they would like to attend. (Some schools require supplemental materials. Check their websites for this info.)

Is it fun to fill out the FAFSA? ( Well, no, but it is actually pretty easy!)

Do you want to earn, say $30,000 in, say, two hours?

The FAFSA is keyed to your and your parents previous year's tax returns. All the data you need is already on those returns.

And you can fill it in on-line, which makes it even easier. AND Kauai Community College, KCC, runs hands on workshops where they help you fill in the on-line form both on their campus and at the public high schools. Whether you are one of their students or not, they will help!

Note!

The FAFSA DOES NOT consider family assets such as the family's primary residence or parental retirement savings. DO NOT LIST THESE!

The FAFSA DOES NOT commit you to anything. Not to any school, not to any payment.

The FAFSA DOES consider stepparent income as well as any other savings or investments of the parents, stepparents, and student. They

expect percentages of these to be used first before grant money will be given: for parents, 5.64%--for students, 20%.

The FAFSA is not too hard to fill in because it is keyed to the income tax forms your parents submit. You CAN use last year's income tax form, later submitting the most recent form when you get that done. AND, you can (and should) do it on-line.

The FAFSA can now be completed beginning OCTOBER 1! Fill it in early before all the federal money is gone! The early bird gets the worm!

(Now, that is a real saying!)

The Bridge: Kaua'i to College 8/2016