My mom is a bit of a nerd. Don’t tell her I said that.
Specifically, she’s been a nerd about taxes and finances my entire life – necessitated by her status as a single mother working more than one job for most of my childhood. She’s the type of person who looks at the tax rates each year to adjust accordingly. My friends have even asked her questions about taxes and finances before they ask their own parents.
Still, when I asked her what she remembered about filling out my financial aid applications for college, she didn’t exactly call it a day at the amusement park. She mostly sighed loudly – even for someone used to navigating taxing (ha!) financial forms and information, she recalls it being cumbersome and repetitive. Whack-a-mole, but with financial forms. I also recall that I forgot my password to my FAFSA account at one point, which only added to the frustration.
However, she did share one piece that made it easier – she was able to transfer data directly from her tax return filed with the IRS into the FAFSA. The good news for you when you fill out the FAFSA moving forward? With the FAFSA overhaul that took place last year, this has only gotten easier for the majority of people. The form itself has fewer questions than it did when my mom and I filled it out for the first time in 2018.
Think You Won’t Qualify? Apply Anyway!
We weren’t sure if I would qualify for anything, but my mom knew we still needed to fill out all the financial aid forms available just in case. This included institution-specific forms (for Georgia Tech, this is the GT App), and, as an incoming first-year student, the CSS Profile and the GSFAPP to get my Zell Miller/HOPE scholarship as a Georgia student.
Ultimately, I’m glad we filled out all the forms, because I did qualify for more scholarship money from some of the universities I was considering. Similarly, my college roommate ended up getting a federal Pell grant for a couple of years of college, something she never would have guessed she qualified for. Beyond scholarships and grants, it’s the gateway to loans that may also be necessary in funding your education.
Finally, another thing to consider that I hope never becomes relevant again, but was very relevant during my time in college:
You might recall that some college students got emergency grant funding during the Covid-19 pandemic. Do you want to guess how the government figured out who needed that grant funding?
FAFSA! I recognize the pandemic was a unique situation, but also trust me when I say that you don’t want to be the guy who couldn’t get an emergency grant funding because you didn’t fill out the FAFSA (I was that guy, since I skipped the FAFSA that particular year. Lesson learned. I will only think about this major flub that would have covered two months of my rent for at least once a week for the rest of my life.)
Use the Tools You’re Given
Funding a college education is no easy task, and using every tool at your disposal is key. Financial aid is the low-hanging fruit that opens the door for the rest of it. As a recent college grad myself, I know the financial aid process has a number of negative associations in pop culture.
But I cannot stress enough that applying for financial aid is the only way you get a complete view of your financial options for college.
We all recognize this is a stressful process and an investment of time. That’s why starting early is key! You can start now, as a matter of fact. Many universities set their priority deadlines to receive financial aid forms in later winter or early spring (Georgia Tech’s is January 31) to give you the time to make a plan to get through it.
The FAFSA will be available in December, but every other form I’ve mentioned in this post is available now! Once you’ve submitted those admission applications, turn your focus to financial aid. And start the process to create an account for yourself and your parent(s) to fill out the FAFSA, since this process can take a couple of weeks.
When you fill out the FAFSA this year (or any other forms), there are a wealth of resources online. For the FAFSA, start here. High school counselors and institutional financial aid offices can also address questions.
To wrap it up in a neat bow, filling out financial aid forms and submitting them early can:
- Get you money.
- Get you money you didn’t know you qualified for.
- Get you money in emergency situations.
We’ll talk more in a month or two about the other pieces of paying for college. Get excited! And to my mom if she sees this, sorry that I called you a nerd.
Amanda Budd is a communications officer in Enrollment Management at Georgia Tech. She joined the division in Summer 2023 and writes a variety of content for Undergraduate Admission, Financial Aid, and beyond. She cares deeply about access to education and sharing the ongoing work to expand access at Tech.