Question: How do I pay for college and career school?

Answer: You pay for college with Financial Aid and any money that  you have saved up.

Question: How do I apply for Financial Aid?

Answer: You need to Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid aka the FAFSA

Question: How do I complete the FAFSA?

Answer: Follow the steps below.

Question: When can I complete by FAFSA?

Answer: In the past FAFSA opened on October 1st. But this year it did not open until December 31st. 

Question: Which year should I choose for completing my FAFSA?

Answer: The academic year that you will be in college and need financial aid for. (So if you are a senior graduating high school in 2024, then you complete the FAFSA for the 2024-2025 school year.)

Question: How do I access FAFSA?

Answer: Via mobile phone app, tablet, desktop computer or laptop computer

• https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa 

Step 1: Review the information you need to know and that your parents need to know before completing the FAFSA. Click this link here.

Step 2: Student Needs to Create an FSA ID (Video Walkthrough Below)

Your FSA ID is the username and password that you use to login to your FAFSA the year that you are applying to college and every single year that you are in college.

Click here to Create an Account.

Step 3: Parent Needs to create an FSA ID (Video Walkthrough below)

PARENTS, before you create one, ask yourself these questions. Have you already created an FSA ID. You may have one if one of the following situations applies to you:

• I, the parent, went to college

• I, the parent, went to a career program and used financial aid to pay for it.

• I, the parent, have an older child in college and they used my information as the parent for their financial aid application.

• Guess what, if you have already created an account using your social security number and phone number, FAFSA will prevent you from creating a new one. So you may need to reset your username and/or password.

Parent, Click here to Create an Account.

Parent, Click here to reset your username and/or password because you already created an account, but forgot your login information.

Parent, here to login to your account to see your information.

Follow these Steps to Create your FSA ID  if you don't already have one

Step 4: Work on your FAFSA Application

The FAFSA application can be completed online at www.studentaid.gov 

There is a parent and student section that needs to be completed. (Click this link for Student and Parent information that is needed to complete the FAFSA).  Students should start there section first. Make sure you select the school year that you will be in college. If you are a senior in the Class of 2024, then you will select the 2024-2025 school year for FAFSA since that will be your 1st year in college.

Other things to select, if you are in the senior Class of 2024:

• You will be completing your: High School Diploma

• You will be working on your: 1st bachelor's degree

• Select: Never Attended college/ 1st year

• Select: Yes, you want to be considered Work-Study.  (Work Study is when you can get a job on campus.) If you don't want to work while in college, select NO or Don't know!

Option 2: Another option is to complete your FAFSA Application by paper. This process is not recommended because it takes much longer to process. However, if you want to use this form to practice completing your FAFSA application before the opening date, then you can. 

Follow These Steps Closely to Complete your FAFSA

Step 5: Don't forget to SUBMIT your FAFSA.

Step 6: Wait 3-5 days for your FAFSA to be processed.

Step 7: Email a copy of your SAR (Student Aid Report) to your College and Career Coordinator - tiana.ottley@k12.dc.gov 

Additional fafsa help videos

Frequently Asked Questions

• Do students need to have a Social Security Number(SSN)?

  • • Yes

    • Students must be a US Citizen or Eligible non-citizen.

• Do parents need to have an SSN for their student to complete the FAFSA?

  • • No. If parents don't have an SSN then the student has to print out the completed FAFSA and have the parent sign it. For the parent's SSN you will put all Zeros. The parent can't get an FSA ID. It takes 2-4 weeks to process.

• What parent do I use for FAFSA?

  • • Use your Biological Parent

    • Or your Legal Guardian - as determined by a court order in your state of legal residence. You will need to submit a copy of this court order.

    • It does not matter who claims you their taxes.

  • What's the difference between a dependent and independent student?

    • See this document that documents who is completed a dependent or independent student.

• What if I don't live with my parent?

  • • It doesn't matter if a student doesn't live with their parents; they must still report information about their parents. 

• What if my parent won't help me complete the FAFSA?

  • • If your parent is unwilling to help you with FAFSA, you can still submit your FAFSA, but you will not qualify for college scholarships or grants. You will only qualify for an unsubsidized student loan.

• Dependent Students with Special Circumstances?

  • Do any  of these apply? If so you may be eligible for a Dependency override?

    • Both parents are in

• How many colleges can you add to the FAFSA?

  • • Up to 10 colleges each time you submit your FAFSA

Financial Aid Vocabulary

Adjusted Gross Income (AGI): Most financial aid forms require parents or students to state their taxable AGI based on income minus maximum allowable adjustments. 

Community College: Sometimes called junior college or two-year college. Students can take classes, and then transfer to a four-year school, or they can earn certificates, diplomas or associate degrees. 

Cost of Attendance (COA): This is the total cost of attending a college or university, including tuition, room and board, books, lab fees, transportation and basic living expenses. 

CSS Profile: The College Scholarship Service Profile is a financial aid form that many colleges and universities use to determine how much non-federal financial aid a student may be eligible for. 

Department of Education: This government agency administers several federal student financial aid programs.  

Expected Family Contribution (EFC): To be eligible for federal financial aid, parents must fill out a FAFSA form with detailed financial information. The EFC is calculated based on this information, showing the amount of money the family can reasonably be expected to contribute to their child's education. There are free EFC calculators available online, which can help estimate the EFC. 

Federal Direct Student Loan Program (FDSLP):  Through this program, student loans are provided directly to the student from the federal government, rather than through commercial lenders. 

Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP): This federally guaranteed student loan program allows students to obtain low-interest loans from private lending institutions even if the student has no income, collateral or credit history. 

Federal Stafford Loan (Federal Direct Loan): These student financial aid loans are obtained through banks, lending institutions or colleges. To qualify, students must be enrolled in a college degree program at least part-time. Students apply by filling out the FAFSA. Formerly called the Guaranteed Student Loan. 

Federal Work-Study Program: A federally funded, need-based program administered by each school, this program allows students to work on campus in exchange for a portion of their tuition. 

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): Filling out a FAFSA form is the first step in the financial aid process. To be eligible to receive federal financial aid, a student must complete a FAFSA. 

Grant: A grant is money given to students for their education. Often based on need, grants may come from federal or state programs, or sometimes from private charitable organizations. It does not have to be repaid. 

Independent Student: Independent students are self-supporting students who are not financially dependent on their parents. 

Need-Based Aid: Financial aid awarded based on financial need. 

Parent Contribution: This is the amount of money parents are expected to be able to contribute to their child's education. 

Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS): These federal guaranteed loans are available for parents of undergraduates. 

Pell Grant: This federal program provides need-based educational grants for low-income students. Because they are grants, they do not have to be repaid. 

Perkins Loan Program: This federally funded, need-based loan program provides low-interest loans to both undergraduate and graduate students. 

Student Aid Report (SAR): This report summarizes the information entered on your FAFSA form and shows the amount of your Expected Family Contribution. 

Student Contribution: This is the amount a student is expected to contribute to his or her educational expenses. 

Subsidized Loans: Loans that where government pays the interest on them while a student is in school and during the six-month grace period after graduation. However, subsidized loans are only available to students who demonstrate financial need, and you can use them for undergraduate studies. 

Unsubsidized Loans: These loans, unlike subsidized loans, can be used for undergraduate and graduate school, and students do not need to show financial need to qualify. The interest does begin accruing as soon as you take out the loan, but you don't have to pay the loans back until after you graduate.  

Additional Resources

• FAFSA Demo Site

• FAFSA On the Web Worksheet: English - Spanish

• Info on Creating FSA ID: English - Spanish