Common FAFSA Errors
Avoid common mistakes made by others filling out the FAFSA.
Students often make four critical errors when applying for
financial aid.
- Incomplete applications (e.g., no signature).
- Typos (e.g., transposing numbers, decimal point errors).
- Missed deadlines.
- While there is no federal application deadline, per se, most
schools require students to submit the FAFSA and other financial
aid application documents by a priority filing date. Students
who miss school deadlines are frequently offered less financial
aid or are offered more loans and less grant funds.
- Missing supplemental applications or documents.
Students should be encouraged to check and double check that
they have submitted all required forms.