I think that one of the hardest things for parents when sending their first child to college is to know what to do. Many parents want to show that they can pay for their child themselves to go to college. Some are on the opposite end of the spectrum and want their child to pay for it all themselves. No matter where you may fall in this spectrum, everyone can have the chance for some sort of financial aid. This is why it is so important for students and parents to fill out the FAFSA!

For many people this form can be very intimidating to fill out. What most don’t know, is that it is really a very simple document to fill out and be now be done online or in paper form and mailed in. The online version of the FAFSA is very simple and has detailed instructions for every question, and walks you through the form step by step for all of the questions that pertain to you and your personal financial situation. It only took me about 20-30 minutes to fill out the first time. If you need help when filling out, they have real time online chat available with a customer service representative. And for those doing the paper FAFSA, you can call for assistance from FAFSA or from the school you plan to attend.

Many students’ think that their parents make to much money, and that they will not qualify for any financial aid. Where in reality there is no income cut off to qualify for federal financial aid. There are many different factors that can figure into you qualifying for financial aid other than just your parent’s income. Some of these other factors can be, the size of your family, the number of people in your family attending college, even the age of your older parent is taken into account. There is a mathematical formula that determines your eligibility, not just your parent’s income.

Two other common myths’ are that only good students get federal financial aid or that only minority students get financial aid for college. Neither of these is true, there is no academic nor race information taken when you fill out your FAFSA. Only your parent’s and your financial information is taken.