Q: I filed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) last year; do I have to file again this year?
A: Yes. You must file a FAFSA each year to qualify for aid. The FAFSA uses the prior year’s income to determine your annual award. For the 2014–15-aid year, 2013 income was used. Now, for the 2015–16 year, 2014 income will need submitted.
Q: My parents have not filed their taxes, yet. Can I still file the FAFSA without that information?
A: Yes, you may still file the FAFSA without having completed taxes. You may estimate your and your parent’s income using W-2’s or 2013 taxes (if similar to 2014).
Q: My parent lost their job, so 2015 income will be less than 2014. What should we do?
A: This is what is called a “special circumstance” and we can review such changes in the Financial Aid Office. The parent would need to write a letter to our office explaining what has changed and why. We look to review income changes in late June, early July.
Q: My parents are divorced and I live with my mother, but my father is going to file the FAFSA. Is this allowed?
A: No. The FAFSA requires you file with the parent with whom you lived the most in the past 12 months. If you live with your mother, your father should not be filing the FAFSA.
Q: I had listed on my FAFSA that will be commuting from home, but have decided to live on campus instead. Does this matter?
A: Yes. If you are an undergraduate student, your housing option — living with parents (commuting), living on campus or living off campus — determines your budget for the year. If you are living on campus, but listed on the FAFSA that you are living with parents (commuting), you may receive less aid. It is very important that you always list the proper housing selection on the FAFSA and update it if something changes. If you are a graduate student, your housing options can only be living on campus or off campus. As an independent student, living with parents (commuting) is always listed as “off campus.”
File your FAFSA no later than May 1 for the best possible funding.
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