FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. FAFSA is a form to apply for federal grants, work-study, and loans for students planning on attending college.
FAFSA is open now, and even if you don’t believe you need to fill it out, there are plenty of other things FAFSA is useful for. Jennifer Miller, a college and career counselor for Prairie High School, stated in an interview her opinion on FAFSA. ”Some Students believe that they shouldn’t fill out the FAFSA, because they are not going to qualify for anything, But there are multiple reasons. Most scholarships, especially those through universities, are also going to ask you to fill out the FAFSA. It is the only way to get access to all of the money… It is also the only way you can get work study.” FAFSA is not only important for federal loans and grants, it is also important for scholarships and work-study.
I also talked to Ms. Miller about the requirements for FAFSA. She told me that every student just needs basic information, like their social security number, all their regular information, and their parent’s information. If the Student does not have a social security number, they can fill out the WASFA. The WASFA is just Washington State aid rather than federal aid, which means that they will not be eligible for any of the federal loans and grants.
I also interviewed Will Foster, a senior at Prairie High School. Foster is a shot put state champion, and plans on attending college. I talked to him about his opinions on FAFSA as well, and he responded with “If you have a lot of household income… you are really not going to get much money. So I believe it depends on the circumstance.” It all just depends on your own situation, and if you feel like you should fill out FAFSA.
