Filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is an extremely important part the college application process. FAFSA stands for “Free Application for Federal Student Aid.” This paperwork helps the U.S. Department of Education connect about 15 million upcoming college students with over $150 billion in education funding. This money is given to students in the form of grants, loans and federal work-study opportunities. If you are planning to attend college, you should file the FAFSA application because it is free. Students can begin filling out the paperwork on January 1st of the same year they plan to start college, and the official federal deadline for the FAFSA is June 30th of that same year you wish to attend school. However, you’ll also want to check your school and state requirements as they may recommend or require earlier submission. It’s also a good idea to file as soon as possible, since some funding is provided on a first come, first served basis. You can find the application form by visiting www.fafsa.ed.gov. Don’t forget to file the FAFSA every year you are in college, so you can be considered for funding throughout your academic career.

URLhttp://www.bestcolleges.com/financial-aid/fafsa/

Type of Opportunity: Resource