OOPS!: FAFSA scares

Okay so if you’ve read my previous post about the FAFSA process, you will already know how ridiculously confusing it can be.

Two days ago my mother received an email from the Indiana state website, stating that there was time sensitive action required, pertaining to my FAFSA. Now, the first thing I did after very quickly skimming through the email, was panic, click the link, and frantically run in circles through cyber space on the FAFSA website, trying to figure out what the problem was. I received the following error on my application:

Error 12

FC – You either left Question 102 on your 2010-2011 FAFSA blank or you listed only non-SSACI eligible colleges.

If you left the question blank the federal processor could not provide your FAFSA information to any college for review. A college must receive your FAFSA information to be able to process financial aid from any source, including SSACI. DO NOT CONTACT SSACI to add a college to your FAFSA. SSACI is not able to do so. For assistance, please contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243 or go to http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. If you listed only non-SSACI eligible colleges or universities (including out-of-state colleges) you need do nothing more to correct your FAFSA. SSACI cannot make an award to you if you attend an out-of-state-college or an ineligible SSACI college.

Now, this sounds pretty scary if you’re not paying attention. And to be honest, I feel very stupid that I didn’t read through it carefully. Really, all this was, was my state informing me that because of my college choice being out of state, I will not be permitted to receive Indiana financial aid. That’s all…..~SIGH OF RELIEF~.

I don’t mean to assume that YOU would be so silly as to look over such a thing…but it’s very easy to do. Especially when you glance at the sentence “YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO RECEIVE FINANCIAL AID IF YOU DO NOT CORRECT THE STATED ERRORS BEFORE MAY 15th”. Yeah… Just make sure you know who sent it to you and why. Because you can’t rush through anything FAFSA…or, you’ll die…and mess up the entire thing. Luckily I was careful enough to not trip over everything while I tried to correct my errors…but for future reference, be careful!

FAFSA- Here’s how to do it…

So here I am, the oldest child of 7 in a homeschooling family with parents that didn’t go to college and therefore don’t really know how the whole college application process goes. With all that being said, that made everything pretty much my responsibility while I could still shout out questions while working online to get into school. There are SO many things involved in this, but for right now we’re going to talk about the FAFSA.

“FAFSA” stands for “Free Application for Federal Student Aid”. With this form, you can apply for Stafford and Perkins loans, grants through your school, and scholarships. Without this form, you’re going to be paying everything for your college education- everything. So it’s pretty much not an option….FILL OUT THIS FORM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

With that, I would like to take you through a step by step procedure so as to help alleviate the huff that often ensues after an unprepared for 3 hours spent at the computer trying to fill the stupid thing out.