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First, an applicant will need to decide whether to file the 2006-07 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) electronically via FAFSA on the Web (FOTW) or whether to complete a paper FAFSA.
Applicants should complete the FAFSA as soon after January 1st as possible, but no earlier than January 1, 2006. If a student uses the Web, it’s recommended that he or she review the Before Beginning a FAFSA section on the FAFSA on the Web site. The FAFSA on the Web site will be available January 1, 2006.
If the applicant completes the FAFSA on the Web, the applicant will notice that some of the questions do not appear in the same numerical order as they do on the paper FAFSA. In the 2006-07 academic year, the "Pre-Application Worksheet" will be known as the "FAFSA on the Web Worksheet". The FOTW Worksheet will be available in both English and Spanish on the FAFSA on the Web site.The form was redesigned to make its format and layout more user-friendly, the Department of Education seal was added and the differentiation between student and parent questions was improved.
For the quickest results, encourage students to apply online. For 2006-07, students and parents will be able to apply for a Personal Identification Number (PIN) from within the FAFSA on the Web site. Students may also obtain a PIN prior to FAFSA completion from the U.S. Department of Education. The PIN serves as an electronic signature.
If the applicant does not sign the on-line application electronically with a PIN, the applicant and their parents, if applicable, will need to print out, sign and mail in a signature page with the proper signatures included within seven days. Applications that are missing an electronic signature will be held 14 days before a rejected Student Aid Report (SAR) is sent to the applicant for the appropriate signatures. Not submitting a signature page will increase the time it takes to:
- Process the FAFSA application; and
- Transmit the application data to the schools listed on the FAFSA.
The following records should be available to help the applicant and parent(s), if applicable, answer questions on the FAFSA:
- Social Security card;
- Driver’s license;
- Alien Registration Receipt Card (if applicable);
- W-2 Forms and other records of money earned;
- Income tax return (or estimated figures);
- Records of untaxed income including Social Security, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, welfare, and veterans benefits;
- Records of child support paid;
- Records of taxable earnings from Federal Work-Study or other need-based work programs;
- Records of student grant, scholarship, and fellowship aid, including AmeriCorps awards, that was included in the applicant’s, or parent’s, Adjusted Gross Income;
- Stock, bond, and other investment records;
- Business and farm records; and
- Current bank statements.
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