To find out if you qualify for more than $16,000 a year in federal education grants all you have to do is fill out the Free Application For Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, which shows the government your financial status so they can determine if you may qualify for the federal grants.

The FAFSA form may seem daunting, but it is really just a form that shows your identification and financial information. To complete the form you must fill in your Social Security Number, federal income tax return & W-2 forms, parent or guardian’s federal income tax return and W-2 forms.

You will also need to provide the names of the colleges or universities that you are planning to apply to (you can fill in up to 10).

October 1st is the day that the FAFSA form becomes available online if you are hoping to attend college in the following year.

For instance, if you are applying to go to college in the year 2023-2024, then your FAFSA form will need to be submitted by June 30, 2023. For the year 2024-2025, the deadline is June 30th, 2024.

You will have to complete the FAFSA for each year that you are enrolled in an institution of higher education.

This requirement is there to make sure that there are no changes to you or your family’s financial situation that would make you ineligible for continued aid.

To make sure that you do not miss out on thousands of dollars of free government assistance, make sure to complete the FAFSA as soon as you can.