Myth busting common fafsa misconceptions

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a great resource that can make the difference between whether someone can attend college or not. However, with it being so important, there are several myths around FAFSA that outright prevent many qualified students from being able to benefit from it, due to their beliefs in these myths. Today, they will be debunked.

Myth 1: I Won't Qualify for Financial Aid

One big myth that prevents many students from applying for FAFSA is the automatic assumption that they will not be given financial aid because they believe their family makes too large of an income to qualify. However, low-income households are not the only qualifiers for FAFSA. Aid decision makers incorporate several factors into their decisions including the size of one's family, how many other children in that family are currently attending college, and how that relates to the household's income.

For example, a family with five kids and three that are attending college may qualify for FAFSA, even if they have a moderate income, due to the size of their family. Do not count yourself out! The form is free, give it a chance!

Myth 2: I Should Wait Until I’m Accepted to College to Apply

The next common misconception is the belief that college applications should be applied for before completing the FAFSA form and that one should wait until they are accepted into a school to ask for aid. This can serve as a very dangerous belief, as it can lead to missed deadlines to obtain financial aid, as FAFSA applications have a set opening. Although FAFSA is a yearly opportunity, it is better to apply as early as possible as many colleges have their own financial deadlines that must be considered. Make FAFSA a priority to increase your chances of receiving aid and beating the deadlines.

Myth 3: I Can Only Use FAFSA for Federal Aid

FAFSA is falsely believed by many people to only be a resource for federal aid. While the main funding for FAFSA does come from the federal government, the form is also used and taken into consideration by state and institutional grants to provide other forms of and resources for aid. Therefore, although you may not qualify for federal aid, completing the form itself opens up other doors of opportunity for aid to come from different places. For example, if someone is undocumented but has DACA and a social security number, they can fill out the form and though they won't qualify for federal aid, colleges may use the form to assess and meet their need for non-federal aid.