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First, an applicant will need to decide whether to file the 2005-06 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) electronically via FAFSA on the Web 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, 2005. 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, 2005.
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. The FAFSA on the Web site contains the Pre-Application Worksheet, available in both English and Spanish. For ease of entry into the FAFSA on the Web site, the applicant can print a copy of this worksheet (rather than filling out a paper FAFSA) and answer the questions on the worksheet prior to submitting the data on FAFSA on the Web.
For the quickest results, encourage students to apply online. For 2005-06, 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 online 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 14 days. 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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