Welcome to part two of the Financial Aid Finder’s online FAFSA workshop. (Go here to read Part 1: The Essential Document Checklist .) The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and it is your key to unlocking the treasure chest of federal financial aid.
In order to help you maximize your student aid award, we are running a five-part series on FAFSA basics. This week, we are looking at the FSA ID — what is it? Do you need it? And how do you get it?
Coming up soon, we will cover:
• Common FAFSA Blunders & How to Avoid Them
• What’s your FAFSA deadline?
• FAFSA FAQs
So, without further adieu, on to the FSA ID.
You probably already know by now that you can complete the FAFSA on paper or online (or through an App).
There are numerous benefits to the online or pp version, including the fact that your application gets processed more quickly — and that your school gets the results earlier. With many schools facing major budget cutbacks, it is definitely to your advantage to be first, rather than last, in line!
In order to complete and access your application online, you will need an FSA ID, a personal identification number. Your FSA ID will serve as your electronic signature, giving you — and you alone — access to your personal records. You should never share your FSA ID with anyone, including any commercial services you might hire to help you complete your FAFSA.
The FSA ID is so important that the federal government even created a separated website just for the FSA ID. To learn more about the FSA ID, go here.
In addition to completing your FAFSA, you can also use your FSA ID to access your student loan accounts, make payments online and apply for federal loan consolidation. (Here is a complete list of all the uses for your FSA ID.)
So there you have it, the FSA ID. Pretty straightforward, actually.
This is part of Financial Aid Finder’s five-part FAFSA Workshop. If you want to catch up on the other parts, follow these links:
