First of all, let me apologize for being behind in posting my blogs lately. I have been working diligently on completing my Applied Project for my master's degree in Instructional Design and Technology, and my major draft paper was due last Friday. I turned it in on time. Woo hoo! It's been a a very long road working full time, raising a family, and going to school. So I can relate with most of you!
I will be flying to New Orleans tomorrow to attend a national financial aid conference, so I hope to have new information to report about the 2008-09 FAFSA. For now, I can tell you that paper applications that colleges, libraries, and high schools have carried in the past will be no longer for 2008-09.
The major drive behind this action by the Federal Processor is to encourage students to file the FAFSA online. However, if you will not have access to the Internet, you will still be able to request a paper copy of the FAFSA by calling 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243). Remember, the FAFSA must be filed each academic year as of January 1 or later of the academic year (ex. January 1, 2008 for 2008-09). However, I have yet to be given a date as to when this will be available.
A new PDF version of the FAFSA will be available for students to either complete online or print a paper copy and mail to the address listed on the application. Sorry, I have no date as to when the PDF version will be available, but when it is, you can access it at www.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov. This will be the only form of paper available to students other than calling the Federal Processor for an applicaiton.
Again, the reason behind not mailing paper applications to institutions is to reduce paper. The website for financial aid professionals says that schools request millions of paper applications that are not used. For example, they say that one school requested 75,000 paper applications and only 68 were used.
Here's another think ahead tip: Now is the time to start looking into private scholarships offered by your school and scholarship searches. I've seen scholarship applicaton deadlines as early as December prior to the year you will be attending. Contact your college about private scholarships. Some institutions house scholarships within their Financial Aid Office, while others have their own scholarship office.