EDUCATION EXPRESS LANE

1. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

For FAFSA on the Web, go to www.fafsa.ed.gov. Using FAFSA on the Web is faster and easier than using paper. If you don’t have Internet access, you can get a paper FAFSA from

• our Web site at www.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov/pubs (download a PDF),
• our ED Pubs Web site at www.edpubs.ed.gov, or
• our Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243).

You can apply beginning Jan. 1, 2009; you have until July 1, 2010, to submit your FAFSA. But you need to apply early! Schools and states often use FAFSA information to award nonfederal aid. Their deadlines are usually early in the year.
You can find state deadlines at FAFSA on the Web or on the paper FAFSA. Check with the schools you’re interested in for their deadlines.

2. Review your Student Aid Report (SAR).

After you apply, you’ll receive a Student Aid Report, or SAR. Your SAR contains the information reported on your FAFSA and usually includes your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The EFC, a measure of your family’s financial strength, is used to determine your eligibility for federal student aid. Review your SAR information and make any corrections or changes, if necessary. The school(s) you list on your FAFSA will get your SAR data electronically.

3. Contact the school(s) you might attend.

Make sure the financial aid office at each school you’re interested in has all the information needed to determine your eligibility. If you’re eligible, each school’s financial aid office will send you an award letter showing the amount and types of aid (from all sources) the school will offer you. You can compare award letters from the schools to which you applied and see what aid you can receive from each school.