Debunking the FAFSA Myth


With the plethora of big-business entities jockeying for the money of students on the path to becoming well-to-do responsible consumers with a house, car, and 1.5 children, it's often missed that the US Government is the first place to start when planning student finances.

Scholarships, traineeships, fellowships, loans: Uncle Sam is nothing if not prolific in the diversity of programs available. For most students, the acroynm FAFSA is their first encounter with the cold hard seriousness of bureaucratic forms, most commonly dealt with before the dreaded and stereotypically cryptic IRS forms such as the 1040.

The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is a free form and free service provided by the Department of Education. If you do not fill it in you will not be eligible for federal (government-backed) student loans. However, you will still be eligible for private, or alternative student loans.

Almost every school sets its own deadline for when the different forms of financial aid are due. Some may be as early as the second week of January and some have no deadlines at all. It is strongly recommended to check with your own school's financial aid office to find out exactly when your deadlines may fall. In order to meet a "Transaction Receipt Date" deadline for your college, it is recommended to submit to us at least 2 weeks prior to the published deadline to insure submission.

There are a myriad of large, well-oiled companies that will gladly take your money and 'process' your FAFSA application on your behalf. The fees for this service typically range from $50 to $100. You could also go with a private accountant, however the 'personal touch' will of course usually cost you more.

Wait! Do you really want to start your experience with Government forms as one of resignation that no, you are really not bright or organized enough to be able to fill it in yourself? Learning to 'do it yourself' with the Government can be not only a satisfying but potentially educational experience that will teach you the skills that many self-made millionares taught themselves: relying on an accountant or anonymous firm does nothing except save you some time, and in fact with big-ticket money decisions who is to say that your 'assistants' are not putting their interests before yours?

Just as their are firms such as H&R Block that will open up retail outlets in your neighorhood every year at tax time, there are companies that specialize in FAFSA applications. Now, as with the majority of tax returns, the FAFSA is anything but rocket science. It is simply a matter of making sure you know all your variables and where to write it on the form. For companies who perform this work day in day out, your financial future is simply an algorithm which is input and output in moments. They typically spend more printing the paper for your documents and checks then they do in any actual 'labor'.

SO, consider tackling the FAFSA yourself. Just like learning to do your taxes on your own, a few hours spent researching how to do the forms ONCE will enable you to conquer them the next time, and you can even make money on the side on campus teaching others how to complete such forms.

Here is the Government's central page for the FAFSA. Everything you need to know is here and studying all the resources here WILL let you fill in this form without errors, and without giving your money away:

http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/student_guide/2003_2004/english/general-applying.htm#renewal

About The Author

This article reprinted courtesy of HungryStudents.com - Independent Student Loan Consolidation Info. http://www.hungrystudents.com

Copyright 2004 HungryStudents.com



RELATED LINKS

Accept Credit Card Payment Online

Accept credit card payment online and increase sales by 400% or more.... Find out how ...

 

Advanta Credit Cards

Apply for an Advanta credit card with 0% APR, rewards and cash back.

 

American Express Credit Card Application

Apply online for a new AMEX rewards credit card. See special offers.

 

Best Airline Miles Credit Card

Earn Frequent Airline Miles for Every Dollar Spent with No Annual Fee.

 

Best Cash Back Credit Card

Earn Up to 5% Cash Back on Every Day Purchases. Apply for Yours Today.

 

Best Reward Credit Card

Compare & Apply for the Best Reward Credit Cards with Up to 5% Cash Back Rewards and more.

 

Business Credit Card Online Application

Compare Business Credit Cards from All Major Banks. Apply Online Now

 

Chase Credit Card Application

Find Credit Card Applications from Chase & Apply Online in Seconds.

 

Citi Credit Card Application

Citibank offers credit cards that have 0% APR balance transfer options, Rewards, Cash Back, and much more

 

Credit Card Application For Bad Credit

Great card for bad credit just got better. 8.9% APR, instant decision.

 

Credit Card Balance Transfer Deal

Great Rates: Balance Transfers and Purchases. Capital One Credit Card

 

Debit Cards

Control Your Spending with a debit card. Guaranteed Approval.

 

Discover Credit Card Offer

Discover Credit Card Offers with 0% for 12 months, no fees & cash back.

 

Gas Credit Card Application

Save money at the gas pump with a new gas credit card. Apply now.

Fast Easy Payday Loan

Get the fast cash you need with an easy payday loan. Compare and apply

 

Hotel Rewards Credit Card

Earn Free Stays with a Hotel Rewards Credit Card. Apply Online Now.

 

HSBC Credit Card Application

Get 0% Intro APR, No Annual Fee, Great Service, Benefits. Apply Now.

 

Low Interest Credit Card List

Compare & Apply for Credit Cards w/ 0% Intro APR for Up to 15 Months

 

Master Card Application

Apply for MasterCard Credit Cards with 0% APR, Cash Back & No Fees.

 

No Annual Fee Credit Card

0% APR with No Annual Fee. Compare No Fee Credit Cards & Apply Online.

 

Online Car Loan Application

Loans and Refinancing for New and Used Cars. Online Approval.

 

Online Debt Consolidation Services

Consolidate your debts today - ease the strain of monthly bills.

 

Online Foreign Currency Trading

FOREX is a serious game. Play it with the pros. Start with just $50. The best trading platform available today. Start Trading and see why.

 

Online Mortgage Application

Apply online for a mortgage for your home. It's fast and easy. Great Rates!

 

Online Visa Credit Card Application

Compare & Apply for Visa Credit Cards with 0% APR and No Annual Fee.

 

Prepaid Credit Card

Get a Prepaid Credit Card with Free Direct Deposit. No Credit Check.

 

Shopping Reward Credit Card

Shopping Reward Credit Card. Fast Online Credit Card Application ... You have found the best shopping reward credit card site on the Internet!

 

Student Credit Card Application

Pay 0 Interest for 6 Months & Earn Rewards with a Student Credit Card.

 

Travel Rewards Credit Card

Compare Frequent Flyer Credit Cards Apply Now and Start Earning Miles.


MORE RESOURCES:

South Carolina Now

Cash America shuts Ohio stores as lawmakers ban payday loans
Houston Chronicle, United States - 8 hours ago
2008 AP The announcement Thursday comes one day after the state Senate approved a bill that would ban two-week loans that support the payday lending ...
Cash America to close Ohio locations, cuts profit outlook Bizjournals.com
UPDATE 1-Cash America to stop Ohio lending after payday bill Reuters
Ohio law kills payday loans Youngstown Vindicator
Columbus Dispatch - Bizjournals.com
all 151 news articles


Fed's Direct Loans to Banks Climb to Record Level (Update2)
Bloomberg - 5 hours ago
By Christopher Anstey and Steve Matthews May 15 (Bloomberg) -- The Federal Reserve's direct loans of cash to commercial banks climbed to the highest level ...
Investment firms' borrowing at fairly steady pace The Associated Press
TABLE-US M-2 money supply up $1.1 bln May 5 week Reuters
Fed's Liquidity Initiative: Knowns and Unknowns Financial-Planning.com
Bloomberg - Reuters
all 61 news articles


Telegraph.co.uk

Deutsche, Banks Selling $4 Billion of Boots LBO Loans (Update6)
Bloomberg - 11 hours ago
The banks offered to help the LBO firms pay for the purchase and cut the price of the loans to 91 percent of face value, they said. ...
Deal to sell £2bn of Boots' debt Telegraph.co.uk
PRIVATE EQUITY'S EXODUS New York Post
Deutsche, Banks Selling $4 Billion of Boots LBO Loans (Update1) Bloomberg
Bloomberg
all 10 news articles


US leveraged loans have worst ever quarter - Fitch
Reuters - 6 hours ago
Loans made to fund leveraged buyouts were scarce, with only $5.4 billion being issued in the first quarter, down 89 percent form $47.8 billion in the fourth ...
Fitch: Q1 Results Demonstrate Full Extent of Slowdown in Leveraged ... Business Wire (press release)
all 7 news articles


Banks set to push home loans
Malaysia Star, Malaysia - 3 hours ago
By DALJIT DHESI PETALING JAYA: Banks are mapping out strategies to garner a larger slice of the home loans market as intense competition continues to exert ...


AFP

Japan plans 4.8-bln-dlr loans for climate change: report
AFP - 6 hours ago
TOKYO (AFP) — Japan plans to extend up to 500 billion yen (4.8 billion dollars) worth of low-interest loans to developing countries over the next five years ...


RLPC-CS sells 135 mln euros of European leveraged loans
Reuters - 10 hours ago
VX: Quote, Profile, Research) sold a 135 million euro portfolio of high-quality European leveraged loans in a secondary market auction on Thursday, ...
RLPC-Endemol restarts sale of hung 2.2 bln euro buyout loan Reuters
all 5 news articles


The Southern Ledger

Bill would make new loan caps permanent
San Jose Mercury News,  USA - May 14, 2008
The loans from the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. , Federal National Mortgage Association and the FHA were raised to $729750 for a single-family home as ...
Jumbo mortgage rates becoming affordable San Francisco Chronicle
US can't continue to take on risk to underwrite bad loans The Patriot-News - PennLive.com
Package: More cash, bigger loans Chicago Tribune
Salt Lake Tribune - MortgageNewsDaily.com
all 535 news articles


RBI relaxes lending norms for housing loans
Economic Times, India - 12 hours ago
"It has been decided to enhance the limit of Rs 20 lakh to Rs 30 lakh in respect of bank loans for housing in terms of applicability of risk weights for ...
Easier ECB rules may fire up industry Economic Times
all 3 news articles


Prospects of cheaper loans hit as inflation forecast sends Libor ...
Times Online, UK - 7 hours ago
Three-month sterling Libor, the benchmark rate used to price many loans, soared by 0.04 percentage points to 5.84 per cent, bringing the rise to 0.08 ...

Loans - Google News

home page | article index | site map
Credit  |  Currency Trading  |  Debt Consolidation  |  Debt Relief  |  Insurance  |  Investment  |  Leasing  |  Loans  |  Mortgage and Refinance  |  Personal Finance  |  Real Estate  |  Stocks and Mutual Funds  |  Taxes

 

© Copyright 2006 - SmarteCredit.Com. All rights reserved