It is that time of year again that no one wants to worry about. Any returning and incoming student needs to fill out their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2016-17 academic year. Filling out the application can be a hassle, but no need to worry because the Office of Financial Aid will be hosting FAFSA workshops in March and April to help students fill out their FAFSA form.

If students would like to retrieve help to fill out their FAFSA form please, they are asked to bring their parents’ 2015 tax return and their own tax return information to the workshop. At the workshop students will be helped by Financial Aid professionals from the Office of Financial Aid, who will help by navigating them through the aid process.

Students who would like to receive help from the Office of Financial Aid on their FAFSA, the FAFSA Filing Days are as listed below

• Thursday, March 10, 2016, from 1:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the Miron Student Center (MSC)
• Tuesday, March 22, 201,6 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in room 113 in the Center for Academic Success (CAS)
• Friday, April 1, 2016, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in CAS 113
• Thursday, April 14, 2016, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and again from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in CAS 113

If students can’t make it to the workshop but still don’t know how to go about it should visit the FAFSA website to get started. For students that have never applied for FAFSA before, click on ‘Start A New FAFSA.’  For students who have completed a FAFSA a year before, click on the ‘Login’ button. Students must make sure to have their parents’ 2015 tax return information as well as their own tax return information before entering the FAFSA form.

Once logged in, students will be asked a series of questions about their living situation, which school they attend and their parents’ taxes. Questions that are required to be answered must be answered. If the FAFSA is done electronically then students can receive their FAFSA statement from Kean University two weeks after completing the form. Students who filled out the paper form will receive their FAFSA six to seven weeks after the form has been completed. When completing the paper form of the FAFSA make sure to follow the directions thoroughly as they ask for the form to be completed in a specific way.  

Make sure to file for FAFSA early, as the priority deadline to file is April 17, 2016. Students no longer need to create a PIN when filling out the form. Instead, students will be prompted to create a Federal Student Aid (FSA) identification (ID). Upon completing the FAFSA, students will be asked to complete the State Application, which is highly recommended to be completed by students. For more information about how to fill out a FAFSA and the FAFSA workshops, visit the Office of Finical webpage at Kean.edu.