Attending college without a giant price tag is possible. Every year students and families have the opportunity to earn grant money for college tuition from the government. That time is here for 2018. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opens October 1. The federal government is offering over $120 billion worth of federal college aid that all United States citizens and eligible non-citizens can apply to receive.
SUNY focuses on providing the best education at an affordable cost. In order to help minimize tuition expenses SUNY encourages all eligible students to apply. Additionally, all 64 SUNY campuses have a financial aid office that is more than happy to assist with tuition related questions, like how to fill out the FAFSA.
Do not be scared to apply. FAFSA offers a federal aid calculator called FAFSA4caster that estimates a student’s eligibility for federal student aid before they even apply. Apply early! Some financial aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Over 13 million students use this resource, so start filing now to get your hands on money for college.
TLDR: Everyone who’s getting ready to go to college or career school should fill out the FAFSA form! ? pic.twitter.com/rFsL8n2KHK
— Federal Student Aid (@FAFSA) September 23, 2018
To help students unfamiliar with the process, FAFSA has been using their twitter account to dispel some common myths.
The Truth About the FAFSA
- Even students who didn’t qualify for financial aid last year are encouraged to reapply this year.
- A credit check is not needed for most federal student loans.
- A cosigner is not needed in most federal student loan cases.
- Even though parent’s income is taken into account, their income doesn’t automatically prevent their child from receiving aid.
Some may not know, but FAFSA is also your gateway to other college financing options. Many colleges use a student’s FAFSA information to determine their eligibility for state and school aid.In New York, the easiest way to apply for the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) is through FAFSA. Students are able to link directly to the TAP application after they complete the FAFSA application online. Once complete, students can be awarded aid in the form of grants, work-study programs, and loans.
Finally, if you’re worried about applying correctly, FAFSA offers plenty of help to ensure that applying is fast and easy. Their website, studentaid.ed.gov/, is a great resource to use while filling out the application. For additional help, FAFSA offers chat, e-mail, and phone support.
If your state of residence is New York, the deadline to for apply for FAFSA is June 30, 2019. Log on today and get started on getting your college financing in order.
Visit https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/ to fill out your FAFSA application today.
