High School Seniors: Do you FAFSA?
The credit union has made its scholarship application for the graduating seniors of the class of 2021 available. I have a daughter in that class who plans on attending Texas A&M in the fall of 2021. Pausing for all of the whoops….and that’s enough. So along with encouraging every one of our members who is in the class of 2021 to apply for the credit union’s scholarship, I would also like to ask the question: Did you complete the FAFSA?
It’s not a new dance
When my wife first told me we had to complete the FAFSA, I had to ask for clarification, and she confirmed it isn’t a new dance popular with my daughter and her friends. No, the FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and both the student and their parent(s) should complete it. The deadline for priority consideration for the ‘21-‘22 academic year in Texas is January 15, 2021.
What if I know I won’t qualify?
You should do it anyway. Many schools now require a completed FAFSA even for academic or merit-based scholarships. It is never a good idea to leave money on the table, so filling it out makes sense.
Be forewarned, the FAFSA does require you providing a lot of financial information that some may find very intrusive. Some of the information you’ll need to complete the FAFSA includes:
- Social Security Number
- Driver’s License
- Tax Returns
- Account balances for checking, savings, and investments
- For complete list, click here.
The process shouldn’t take too long and could end up helping you with money towards your child’s college. Also, if your circumstances change, you’ve already gone through the process and will only need to simply update the information on application.
Post author: Jamieson Mackay, CCUFC
The opinions expressed on this page are for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal or financial advice. The views expressed are those of the author of the article and may not reflect the views of the credit union.