FAFSA now open

College-bound students have always been encouraged to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) their senior year.

Woodland has a tradition of helping senior families complete the FAFSA on parent-teacher conference night. This year, however, changes in the FAFSA delayed its release. But that didn't prevent rootEd college and career advisor April Brumfield from taking advantage of having parents on campus.

Brumfield organized a fun fiesta-themed dinner in the library and titled it Taco 'Bout the FAFSA Night. Seniors and their families could stop in, enjoy some Mexican food, and create their FSA ID, the preliminary step in completing the FAFSA. They could also ask questions and receive information about the upcoming application process.

That was October. As of Dec. 31, the FAFSA is open, but Brumfield cautions that the first few weeks are a soft launch. The new application is in its beginning phase, a chance for the government to work out the kinks in the system. She recommends that seniors wait until the last two weeks in January to complete the application; however, it is important not to wait too long. The priority deadline for the Federal Pell Grant is Feb. 1.

"Just know that patience is required because you will most likely experience longer waiting times due to system overloads. Parents and students all over the United States are completing the FAFSA; so, when too many people are applying at the same time, the system can't function properly," Brumfield said.

Weston Roark takes a break from eating tacos to create an FSA ID in preparation for college.Courtesy of Tobi Layton

Prior to completing the FAFSA, applicants will need login information created from their FSA ID. Luckily, Woodland seniors who attended the fiesta in October are prepared. They will be able to login without waiting. After creating an ID, it can take up to three days before logging into the application successfully.

To make the process run smoothly, Brumfield recommends that parents complete their portion of the FAFSA first, followed by the student. This will eliminate financial questions from the student's application. Applicants will need access to the following information:

• Parents' Social Security numbers
• Tax returns
• Current balances of cash, savings, and checking accounts
• Net worth of investments, businesses, and farm
• Records of child support received

The application can be found at the following web address: https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/filling-out. Plans are in the works for another Woodland FAFSA event to help seniors and their families with the process. However, Brumfield shared a how-to video created by the Three Rivers College financial aid department for those who want to complete the FAFSA at home. The video can be found at https://trcc.edu/student-services/how-to-videos/.

TOBI LAYTON is a family and consumer sciences teacher and FCCLA sponsor at Woodland High School.