Everything You Need To Get Your Free Federal Aid

Background

High school students can file a FAFSA, the U.S. Department of Education‘s Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

It office distributes billions of dollars in federal aid funds in the form of loans, grants and scholarships to students through the schools.

The FAFSA requires a valid social security number for the student and his or her parent if the student is under age 24, unless the student can prove in court that he or she is independent. Because of this, undocumented students—or U.S. born students with undocumented parents—cannot complete the form and cannot qualify for federal aid.

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February 3, 2015

Florida FAFSA Completion, By The Numbers

Yesterday we told you about a program in Miami-Dade County schools to help more students complete the federal financial aid application, known as the FAFSA. Here’s some graphs to Here’s how Florida compares to California, Texas and the national average for the rate of high school graduates who submit a FAFSA:

February 2, 2015

Why Paperwork Is Worth Millions To Florida College Students

It’s a midweek school night at Miami Beach Senior High School. Students, their parents and siblings — roughly 80 people in all — are waiting in the school’s library to get on a computer and answer a lot of questions. Miami Beach Senior High college adviser Maria Sahwell and experienced counselors will walk families through […]

December 8, 2014

Why First Generation Students Find It Tougher To Earn A College Degree

Students who are the first in their family to attend college often have a more difficult time finishing their degree. Research shows those students know less about how to get into and pay for college. And first generation college students are less likely to take tough high school courses needed to be prepared for college. […]

June 19, 2013

The Other Things Florida Schools Should Do To Prepare Grads For College

New education standards adopted by Florida and 44 other states alone won’t be enough to ensure high school graduates are ready for college, according to a new policy brief from the Florida College Access Network. State and education leaders will also need to provide help outside the classroom, such as bolstering school college and career […]

March 12, 2013

Bright Futures Scholarships May Soon Require Less Paperwork

With no discussion or fanfare, the Senate Education Committee has approved a bill that would remove a small piece of red tape for students who want to receive Bright Futures scholarships. Under the bill, SB 680, students would not be required to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA requirement went […]

August 21, 2012

Everything You Need To Know About Applying For Bright Futures Scholarships And What They Cover

The value of Bright Futures scholarships has gone down in Florida as tuition has jumped, but they’re still a good deal. Requirements have changed, so let’s take a look at what students need to do to receive a Bright Futures award and keep it each year they’re in college. The program provides three levels of […]

June 22, 2012

Most Florida High School Graduates Have Not Applied For College Financial Aid This Fall

More than 60 percent of Florida high school graduates have yet to apply for federal financial aid. That’s according to an analysis by the Florida College Access Network (Florida C.A.N.!), which found that just 38 percent of high school seniors completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by early June for the upcoming […]

November 2, 2011

New Florida Scholarship Requirement Prompts Identity Theft Concerns

Why should a student need a parent to fill out a financial aid application to renew a merit-based scholarship if the student pays for his or her education? And why should a parent put their personal information at risk if they receive no benefit from the scholarship? That’s what Palm Beach County resident John Loeffler […]