The FAFSA decides most of your financial aid, and a handful of small, common mistakes quietly cost families real money every year. None of these take long to avoid.
This is the most expensive mistake. Not all aid is need-based, so file even if you think your income is too high. Skipping it forfeits grants, work-study, and low-rate federal loans.
Some aid is first come, first served, and state and school deadlines are often earlier than the federal one. File close to the form's opening to sit near the top of the list.
Let the FAFSA pull your tax information directly. It is faster and it removes the typos that trigger processing delays.
Blanks cause errors. Enter 0 or 'not applicable' instead, and double-check your Social Security number.
A 529 a parent owns for their child is a parent asset, not a student asset, and you should never list the same savings in both sections. Double-counting inflates your numbers and lowers your aid.
For divorced or separated families, use the parent who provided the most financial support, not simply whoever the student lives with.
The student and a parent each sign with their own FSA ID. A missing signature stalls the whole application.
Some colleges require the College Board CSS Profile in addition to the FAFSA for their own institutional aid. Check each school.
If you already filed and your situation has changed, you can still ask for a review. See how to request a professional judgment, and start or fix your FAFSA at studentaid.gov.
If your situation changed, you can appeal. We draft it around your school's own policy.
Start my appeal