Filing Options
You have options! Pick what's right for you.
Students and parents have three options for completing and filing a FAFSA:
- Use a fee-based FAFSA preparation and submission service. We at
Student Financial Aid Services, Inc.
offer accurate and fast FAFSA preparation, advice, a personalized review, secure
electronic filing and tracking, assistance for late filers, and a comprehensive
deadline database. Our promise is to help families access the most financial aid
possible to pursue their college dreams.
- Complete, electronically sign, and submit your FAFSA on the U.S. Department of Education’s
Web site for free.
- Complete and submit a paper FAFSA to the U.S. Department of Education for free.
A paper FAFSA is available at high school guidance offices, college financial aid
offices, and most libraries.
To help you decide what’s your best option, here’s the key advantages and considerations
of each filing method:
Our Fee-Based Services
Student Financial Aid Services’ professional help with preparing and filing your
FAFSA is a fast, easy, and convenient service for a modest fee. Many people choose
calling our Student Aid Advisors for personal advice because they want peace of
mind that their eligibility for aid is the best it can be.
On our website - http://www.fafsa.com - choose FAFSALive™
by calling our trained Student Aid Advisors, who in minutes can walk you through
a simplified process and will check for accuracy using our 450-point FAFSACheck™
error detector. Call us at
1.866.550.5120.
FAFSALive™
Or, you can choose ExpressFAFSA™ and enter information
on our secure website. A knowledgeable Student Aid Advisor will personally review
your FAFSA and use our 450-point FAFSACheck™ error
detector to resolve inconsistencies. We’ll contact you to correct mistakes before
electronically submitting your FAFSA to the federal processor. Clients sign and
mail their signature page.
ExpressFAFSA™
Advantages
We make completing the application simple. Most can be prepared in minutes.
- Knowledge - Our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors will answer
individual questions and guide you through complicated sections of the application
about taxes, dependency, assets, non-traditional households, self-employment, and
other special situations.
- Accuracy – FAFSA errors can deprive students of financial aid.
Your FAFSA is personally reviewed by our Student Aid Advisors whether you use our
ExpressFAFSA™ or FAFSALive™.
Our 450-point FAFSACheck™ error detector resolves
inconsistencies that may otherwise cause delays or loss of financial aid.
- Accessibility – We extend our operating hours during peak filing
periods to help clients facing deadlines. Our team is often available when college
financial aid, U.S. Department of Education, and high school guidance offices are
closed – including many weekends.
- Save time – The form is complex, asks over 130 questions, and can take
an inexperienced person a lot of time. Using our FAFSALive™
service, our knowledgeable Student Aid Advisors complete your FAFSA in minutes,
and submit it directly to the federal processor via a secure electronic transmission.
A signature page is generated for you to sign and return.
To help clients who choose our online ExpressFAFSA™
service, we created a simplified method of filling out the government’s complex
aid application. It lets you answer an individual question and automatically completes
multiple FAFSA questions.
- Security - Our secure website allows clients to log in and complete
applications in multiple sessions, and to electronically track application status
online.
- On Time - We offer priority filing for those facing a deadline.
We offer an up-to-date database of individual state and college filing deadlines.
- Tracking – We monitor your application’s status daily until it
is successfully processed by the federal government and made available to college
financial aid administrators. We send you e-mails to keep you informed throughout
the process.
- Value – Our professional services are reasonably priced and affordable
for most students and their parents. Check out our prices to decide which option
suits you best. Some of our options include automatic annual billing. See details
in our Terms of Use.
98% of our clients recommend our services.
Read genuine client comments here.
Filing your FAFSA on the U.S. Department of Education Website
You may complete your FAFSA electronically using the U.S. Department of Education’s
free “FAFSA on the Web” service. You may print, sign, and mail the signature page;
or you may sign it electronically. If you sign electronically, you may receive your
Student Aid Report (SAR) in about three days. If you mail your signature page, receiving
your SAR may take as long as 10 days.
Using the ED website, if you choose to sign the application electronically, you
and your parents (if you are a dependent) must apply for and wait to receive a federal
student aid personal identification number (PIN).
Advantages
Filing is free.
You can complete an application in multiple sessions and to electronically sign
your application through use of a PIN.
There is limited notification of inconsistencies and omissions on your form.
Considerations
The application’s over 130 questions lead users through 25 to 100 screens depending on
how they answer, and can typically take as long as one to two hours to complete.
Many people find sections of the form complicated or confusing.
“For the typical household, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA,
is longer and more complicated than the federal tax return.” - Former U.S. Secretary
of Education Margaret Spellings, Sept 19, 2006
As recently as Dec. 2, 2008, former Secretary Spellings told those at the Federal
Student Aid Conference that the FAFSA is “still a real "pain in the assets.”
If you choose to sign the application electronically, students and parents must
apply and wait for a PIN, which can take several days.
During peak filing periods, it can be difficult to reach a representative at the
ED’s Federal Student Aid Information Center.
Your application will not automatically receive a personalized review to identify
and resolve errors prior to submission.
You must track your application status yourself online.
Filing by Phone with the U.S. Department of Education's FAFSA on the Phone (FOTP)
Advantages
Filing is free.
You get real-time counseling on the financial aid process and end-to-end support
for submission of the FAFSA.
Considerations
This pilot service was announced Dec. 18, 2008 and is designed only for applicants
who do not have access to FAFSA on the Web and who are facing fast-approaching state
application deadlines. In 2009, ED limits FAFSA on the Phone (FOTP) to students
in Rhode Island, Indiana, and West Virginia only.
Paper FAFSA
You may complete a paper FAFSA application and mail it to the Department of Education
(ED) for processing. After it is processed, you'll receive a Student Aid Report
(SAR) in about two to three weeks.
You can download the forms from ED’s website and print them yourself or you can
obtain a paper FAFSA at high school guidance offices, college financial aid offices,
and most libraries.
Advantages
Filing is free and doesn’t require a computer.
Considerations
A paper FAFSA (4 pages of instructions, over 130 questions) can take several hours to
complete. Many find parts of the form complicated or confusing.
“For the typical household, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA,
is longer and more complicated than the federal tax return.” - Former U.S. Secretary
of Education Margaret Spellings, Sept 19, 2006
It’s the slowest filing option, which is an important consideration—particularly
if you’re filing late or trying to meet a deadline.
It is the most error-prone filing method. The ED rejects FAFSAs with errors. Aid
is limited and some aid is first-come, first-served so errors could delay processing
your form and could deprive you of some aid.
During peak filing periods, it can be difficult to reach a representative at the
ED’s Federal Student Aid Information Center for assistance.
Your application status is cumbersome to track.