Financial Aid, or FAFSA can be a very confusing topic, especially if its your first time messing with it and I’m sure it is.  Its great that the government is more than willing to help you with college, but like any other government program, they don’t make the process that easy!

Since people have many questions, I wanted to start with the most common ones and those are as of the following…

When is the deadline for my FAFSA?

First, you’re going to have to understand that each year, the deadlines are going to change, so make sure that you’re looking at the right date.  Since the 2010 – 2011 year is fast approaching us, it’s very important that you look at these deadlines only.  You will be able to view these deadlines here.

For the 2010 – 2011 school year, you will want to follow the following deadlines.  These deadlines are for Federal levels only, not statewide:

  • Web applications are due by June 30, 2011.
  • Corrections must be submitted by September 15, 2011.

Now, your states are going to have deadlines as well.  Make sure that you look at the link listed above as well.  Some of the deadlines, you won’t be able to find out an exact date and that’s fine.  Instead, you’re going to want to consult with a financial aid administrator.

What is the phone number for financial aid?

Since you may have a lot of questions, you may want to talk with someone on the phone, as I generally like to do.  You can reach any information center via the following phone numbers listed below.

  • 1.800.4.FED.AID
  • 1.319.337.5665

You can also get to them via a private chat, as well as a form that you can find anywhere here.

Its important that you look into the times, as well as date, as they are really strict when you’re ready to hand in the forms.  You’re also going to want to make sure that you fill out the form at 100%.  If you have any type of errors, this is more than likely going to slow down the process.  This is something that you don’t want.

Yes, I know the process can be rather confusing, but rather than stressing out, take your time, and do it the right way.  If you ever have a problem, meet with an adviser at your local college.