FAFSA 101

Filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, better known as FAFSA, can be a quagmire of confusing instructions and contradictory advice. These articles can help demistify the process:

To start, make sure you are using the official FAFSA website, located here. Filing for the 2017-2018 school year begins October 1, 2016.

Here are the changes to the 2017-2018 application. 

Fill Out the FAFSA Early by Ryan Lane of U.S. News and World Report 

FAFSA: Everything You Need to Know for the 2017-18 Application by Teddy Nykiel of NerdWallet

How to Complete the FAFSA by BigFuture

FAFSA FAQs: Answers to the 10 Most Common College Aid Questions by Marie Groark

How to Pay for College by The Princeton Review

The Lisle Library also has several books available to help you in the process of financial aid:

• Fast Tracking the FAFSA (Free Application For Federal Student Aid) : the missing how-to book for financial aid by R. J. Baumel | Call #: 378.3 BAU
• Financial Aid Smarts : getting money for school by Lisa Wade McCormick | Call #: 378.3 MCC
• Paying for college : practical, creative strategies by Barbara Hollander | Call #: Jh378.38 HOL