Financial Aid FAQs
GO HERE for all Financial Forms and Information
I make too much money to qualify for financial aid, don’t I?
This is one of the more common misconceptions about Federal Financial Aid. While you may make too much to qualify for Pell Grants and/or Subsidized Stafford Loans, you cannot make too much money to qualify for Unsubsidized Stafford Loans. These loans can greatly help to ease your out-of-pocket costs while in school.
The government does not just simply use income figures to determine aid eligibility. Several different items from demographic information, to state of residence, and the number of people in the household and how many are attending college are factored in. We encourage students to at least file the FAFSA to find out what is available. It’s a free process, so it can’t hurt to try!
How do I complete the FAFSA if I didn’t file income taxes?
You will need to collect documentation of any income you had and complete the FAFSA after checking off the “I’m not going to file” option. The instructions will direct which questions to answer.
However, if you are required to file income taxes, per IRS filing requirements, you will need to file your Federal Income Taxes before completing the FAFSA. If a person is required to file, but simply chooses not to, he or she is unable to complete the FAFSA until the Federal Income Tax Forms are filed.
I am getting married soon (or have recently been married), how will this affect my FAFSA?
When you fill out the FAFSA, your answers to the marital-related questions must accurately reflect your marital status the day you file the FAFSA. Therefore, if you file the FAFSA before your wedding date, you would be considered unmarried and required to file the FAFSA with only your tax information.
Similarly, if you were recently married, and are now filing your FAFSA, you are required to list your status as married and include your spouse’s income tax information on the FAFSA, even if you did not file together during the required tax year. Simply add the amounts for you and your spouse and enter the combined amount for each of the FAFSA questions.