Across America, rising college freshmen and/or their parents are preparing their Free Application for Federal Student Aid, more commonly known as the FAFSA.
A student cannot receive state or federal financial aid, such as a HOPE Scholarship or Pell Grant, without filing a FAFSA.
“The good thing about filing a FAFSA is that the federal government has really simplified the application process, especially for students who do it online,” said Julae Grosz, associate director of financial aid at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
“Right now, when filling out the FAFSA, mom and dad really start crunching numbers. It’s the reality check of admissions,” said Lee Pierce, UTC director of admissions. “Scholarship offers are out, you see what you qualify for and you have to start finalizing a plan.”
“A lot of times parents go to the wrong website, one that charges instead of the free site. They go to FAFSA.com instead of FAFSA.ed.gov,” said Sarah Broadnax, Tyner Academy counselor.