Filling out the FAFSA® is important because it determines your eligibility for grants, loans, work-study and scholarships.
Frequently Asked Questions
As a new or current college student, you have probably heard the term “FAFSA.” You may have some questions about what it is, how it works and why it’s important in your educational journey. We have answers.
FAFSA® is an acronym that stands for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It’s an online form that you fill out to determine your eligibility for federal financial aid (grants, loans, work-study) and scholarships. Many states and colleges also use the FAFSA to grant state and institutional financial aid, like the Kansas Promise Scholarship.
Accepted financial aid protects your enrollment on the payment deadline. It’s possible to accept aid after the deadline. Visit our Disbursement and Refunds page for more information.
To determine if your financial aid is enough to cover your charges, visit our Disbursement and Refunds page for more information.
Once you reach the point in the FAFSA® to invite your parent(s), the personally identifiable information you enter should match the contributors FSA ID. This means the student must know their contributor’s first name, last, name, SSN, and date of birth. The email address is the only thing that does not have to match.
Anyone who is required to provide consent and sign the FAFSA® form is considered a contributor. Depending on a student’s situation, this could include the student’s spouse, student’s biological or adoptive parent, or parent’s spouse.
Every contributor must create a StudentAid.gov account (also known as FSA ID). Contributors who do not have an SSN can create an account. For these individuals, an ITIN should not be used in place of a social security number when creating an account.
Providing consent simplifies the FAFSA® for contributors because it eliminates inputting tax information manually. Essentially, consent is permission for personal information found on the FAFSA® to be transferred to the IRS to retrieve Federal Tax Information (FTI) and input directly on the FAFSA® form. No consent = no federal aid.
Depending on your circumstances, you could have more than one contributor. For example, if your parents are married but filed taxes separately both parents will be considered contributors.
If your parents are divorced, the parent that provided more financial support in the last 12 months regardless of who the student resided with or who “claimed” the student on taxes will be the contributor. If that parent is remarried, both the parent and the stepparent are contributors. In the case of a 50/50 split, the parent with the most income and/or assets is reported.
The FAFSA® asks for basic personal, family and financial information which determines your Student Aid Index, or SAI. Your SAI is an eligibility index number that colleges use to determine the type and amount of financial aid you're qualified to receive.
Before accessing the FAFSA®, your FSA ID must be created and verified. This can take up to 2-3 days. All contributors must have their FSA ID verified before accessing the FAFSA®. Students and parents both should create their accounts in a timely manner to avoid delays.
In addition, you will need the following:
- Tax return information including W2 forms from a previous tax year noted on the FAFSA® you’re completing
- FSA ID
- Social Security card
- Driver’s license
- Dependent students will need to have the same information for their parent(s)
Anyone who meets the basic eligibility criteria below can qualify for federal student aid. Pell Grant eligibility is expanding, and you won’t know exact amounts or aid types until you complete the FAFSA®. But, you can use the Federal Student Aid Estimator to estimate what aid you may be eligible to receive.
Basic eligibility criteria:
- Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen
- Have a valid Social Security number
- Have or be on track for your high school diploma
- Be enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate program at a Title IV school
- Maintain satisfactory academic progress in college (if your GPA falls too low, you could lose eligibility)
Student and family income are just a few factors used in determining federal financial aid eligibility. Pell Grant eligibility is expanding and families that were not eligible in the past may be eligible to receive financial assistance. The only way to find out if you qualify is to complete it. Remember, even if you do not qualify for gift aid like the Pell Grant, many schools require the FAFSA® results for their institutional scholarships and aid programs. Additionally, many scholarship organizations will ask that the FAFSA® be completed regardless of federal student aid eligibility. You do not want to miss out on all the aid you could qualify for!
Once you’ve filed your FAFSA®, come see the financial aid office. Employment changes, marital status, or extreme medical expenses are examples of possible special circumstance situations where a change in FAFSA results may be warranted. Financial aid offices are able to work one-on-one with students and families for these special situations.
Yes! Financial aid is available for part-time students, so make sure you complete it.
Enrollment intensity only applies to the Pell Grant. It is the percentage of full-time enrollment in which a student is enrolled rounded to the nearest whole percent.
Once your FAFSA® form has been processed, you can access the form again to make necessary corrections. Different situations where a correction needs to be made and instructions can be found on the How To Correct or Update Your FAFSA® Form page. Adding a school to your FAFSA® form is considered a correction. Don’t forget to add JCCC!
Chances are you answered a question in the FAFSA® indicating you are an independent student or have an unusual circumstance, allowing you to skip the portion of the FAFSA® where you invite a contributor.
Here’s what it means for you:
When you fill out your FAFSA® and indicate that you have an unusual circumstance, you’ll be given provisional independent status. This allows you to complete the FAFSA® as an independent student, providing you with an estimated Student Aid Index and a potential Federal Pell Grant. However, it’s important to note that this status doesn’t automatically guarantee independent status.
Don’t worry, we’re here to guide you through the next steps!
A financial aid coordinator will get in touch with you to explain everything you need to know about our review process. This includes any forms or documentation we require from you, and an overview of our timeline.
After you’ve submitted everything needed, we’ll take a closer look at your dependency override request.
You’ll know exactly when to expect any adjustments and when you will receive a financial aid offer.
Get FAFSA® Assistance Today!
If you need assistance, our dedicated team of Financial Aid experts is here to help. Scheduling an appointment is encouraged:
- Call 913-469-3840 during regular office hours.
- Send an email with your name, student ID number (if applicable) and phone number to finaid@jccc.edu.