One of the most common concerns for high school students is finding a way to pay for college. Often, the price tag on a school can make a student feel discouraged to even apply. However, the government has an easy way to make this process a lot smoother with something called the FAFSA.

   FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Students can go online and fill out the FAFSA form to see if they qualify for federal student aid, including grants and loans. The FAFSA form is free to fill out online, and students may automatically upload all of their IRS tax information directly onto the FAFSA, making the application process quick and easy.

   So if filling out the FAFSA is simple and seems to offer many benefits, why are so many students hesitant to fill it out? Well, many students feel discouraged from filling out the FAFSA, because they don’t think they qualify for any financial aid. However, anyone could potentially qualify for financial aid, and there are several other benefits to filling out the FAFSA than a student may not realise.

   There is no minimum or maximum amount of family income a student must have to qualify for financial need. According to the FAFSA website, “There is no income cut-off to qualify for federal student aid. Many factors — such as the size of your family and your year in school — are taken into account” (studentaid.ed.gov). The government takes into account several factors that may influence how much financial need a student is eligible for, including number of siblings, if any siblings are in college, and tax return information. So, even if a student thinks that their family income is too large to receive aid, there are many other factors that might make them eligible.

   By filling out the FAFSA, a student is also making sure they are receiving the best financial aid they can get. According to CNBC, “When students do not apply for FAFSA, many revert to private student loans, which often have high interest rates and lack the consumer protections that federal student loans include… By completing the FAFSA form, students can make sure that they are taking advantage of the best student loan options” (cnbc.com). If a student chooses not to fill out the FAFSA, they could be missing out on offers that may allow that student to attend their dream school at an affordable price.

   Additionally, the FAFSA should be filled out every year so that students can continue to receive aid. This allows for the FAFSA to stay up to date with a student’s financial situation. So, if a student’s financial situation changes over the course of a year, they may be granted a different amount of financial aid based off of these changes.

   “Don’t try to do it by yourself; have your parents help you. It’s always good to learn how to do it,” said Senior Claire Mayew. Mayew is a huge advocate for filling out the FAFSA, and she recommends that students fill out the form with their parents, even if they don’t think that they will qualify for aid.

   Although finding the money to pay for college can seem daunting, the FAFSA is here to help. By taking just 30 minutes to fill it out, students are putting themselves in the best situation for receiving financial aid that might allow them to pursue their educational dreams at a price their families can afford.