Applying for Financial Aid

College and post-secondary education can be expensive! Thankfully, there are many types of financial aid available for students and families.

Paying for Post-Secondary Advisory Lesson

Also see:

Students MUST file either the FAFSA or WASFA to receive financial aid!

What is WASFA?

WASFA is a Washington State financial aid program for students who aren’t eligible for federal financial aid because of immigration status

Undocumented individuals and select non-citizens can qualify

How do I know if I'm eligible?

Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) provides an eligibility questionnaire

WASFA Eligibility

What aid does this qualify me for?

WASFA qualifies students for the Washington College Grant

The amount awarded depends on

Family size
Income
Cost of attendance
Institution/Program Type

Maximum amount ranges from approximately $3,700 to $12,400.

Learn More

What is FAFSA?

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It is the application colleges use to determine eligibility for federal, state, and college-sponsored financial aid

Do I need to fill it out even if I don't think I will qualify?

Yes! It is required to receive any financial aid, even merit-based aid.

When do I fill it out?

The FAFSA opens on October 1st every year and must be submitted again every year with updated tax information

Confirmation Email

Contains first estimate for Federal Pell Grants and estimated Student Aid Index (SAI)

SAI is a number schools use to determine how much need-based financial aid should be offered.

Processing FAFSA

The US Department of Education processes the FAFSA

This usually takes between 1-3 days

Once complete, the information is sent to all the schools listed on the FAFSA

Submission Summary

Look for an email or log into StudentAid.gov account to view

Submission Summary includes:

Estimated federal aid and SAI

Next Steps - if corrections or additional documents are needed

Financial Aid Package

Colleges, Career Schools, or Trade schools listed on the FAFSA will use the FAFSA information to build their Financial Aid Package offer including grants, scholarships, work study, and loans.

Remember - just like cost varies by school - aid offered will also vary by school

Compare your aid offers and formally accept the aid offer by the listed deadline.

For more information - see Understanding Financial Aid Award Packages Advisory Lesson

The FAFSA consists of five sections. You will complete each one in order.

Section 1: Onboarding

Log into StudentAid.gov Account

View Onboarding Videos

Complete Student Identify Information

Name, Birthday, Social Security Number, email, and phone number, and state of residence

Provide consent and approval for FAFSA

FAFSA Application

Consent & Approval

Section 2 : Circumstances & Demographics

Determine dependency status

Determine who your required contributors are

Provide each required contributor's:

Name, birthday, social security number, and email

Demographic information is for research purposes and does NOT impact your federal student aid

Section 3 : Financials

IRS Tool will automatically add the tax information for you

Provide additional information:

Grants, scholarships, & other income excluded from tax return

Total amount of cash, savings, and checking accounts

Net worth of businesses and investments

Independent students will have additional questions

Section 4 : Select Schools

Add all schools you are considering!

Select up to 20 schools

You can add/remove schools later

Section 5 : Review, Sign & Submit

Review all your responses

Make any edits/changes

Sign and submit

Watch for confirmation email

Before you can start the FAFSA, there are documents you need to gather, people who need to help, and an account you need to sign up for.

Step 1: Gather Documents

Your social security number or alien registration number
Your parent or guardian's social security number
Federal income tax return, W-2s, and any other record of money earned
- Bank statements and investment records
- Records of untaxed income, if applicable

Step 2: Know who has to help

All Contributers - anyone who is required to provide information on the FAFSA Form

Can include: you, your spouse, biological or adoptive parent, and/or or step parent

Step 3: Create your StudentAid.gov Account

What is this?

Consists of your username and password

Is your electronic signature to sign the FAFSA

Who needs an account?

BOTH the student and guardian must apply for their own separate accounts

Do NOT use the same email or you will get an error

Allow 24-48 hours for review and approval

StudentAid.gov Account

Do I file both the FAFSA & the WASFA?

No - you will file one or the other

How do I know which one to file?

It all depends on citizenship status

FAFSA - US Citizens only

WASFA - Non citizens* eligible

Which one is "better"?

The FAFSA is more comprehensive - it connects students with federal student aid and state student aid. The WASFA only connects students with Washington state financial aid. Students who can should file the FAFSA. Students should only file the WASFA if they do not qualify for the FAFSA.

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Bethel Virtual Academy