6 Helpful Hints for Submitting Your FAFSA

At NDNU we want to make sure that you achieve your academic and career goals by attaining your desired degree. To get you to the finish line, dosage it is vitally important that you organize your financial future in a positive way. For most NDNU students this financial planning begins with the financial aid process, which in turn begins with the FAFSA. It is easy as a busy student to forget about this process. Don’t! See the helpful tips below to better understand why the completion of the FAFSA is so important.

1. File early! You may qualify for more financial aid if you submit your FAFSA early. Funds for some federal programs like Federal Work Study and the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant — not to mention some institutional scholarships — may already be awarded if you wait too long!
2. Haven’t filed your taxes yet? No problem! You (or your parents) do not have to file your taxes before submitting your FAFSA. You can complete your FAFSA based on last year’s taxes and then update later. As long as nothing has dramatically changed, it shouldn’t impact your award too much.
3. Look out for state deadlines. If you don’t submit by state-specific deadlines, you could miss out on certain awards. Those eligible for Cal Grant should submit by March 2; you might qualify for close to $9,000 in grant money from the state.
4. FAFSA wants to know about your parents, too. If you are considered a dependent student for purposes of the FAFSA, you must provide your parents’ income information, even if your parents are not helping you pay for college. If your parents are divorced, you must provide the information of the parent (and step-parent, if applicable) with whom you primarily reside.
5. It doesn’t hurt to submit your FAFSA. 97% of NDNU undergraduates receive some sort of financial aid.
6. Ask for help! Don’t be embarrassed to give us a call and ask for help. Filing your FAFSA correctly on the first attempt saves you work, frustration, and avoids errors, so we are happy to help. If you are confused, make an appointment to come in to meet with a Financial Aid Counselor. We would be happy to sit down and help you and your parents make sense of the FAFSA.

Contact Us!

Office of Financial Aid
1-800-263-0545 or 650-508-3741
finaid@ndnu.edu
Find Your Financial Aid Counselor