How to fill out fafsa

Filling out fafsa can be confusing. I remember the first time I filled out fafsa it took me ten times to get it right!
Follow the steps and you will be fine.
1. Go to http://www.pin.ed.gov/PINWebApp/pinindex.jsp to obtain a pin number that will act as your online signature that is for you only. You will also need one for your parents if you are a dependent student, so if they do not already have a pin number then have them get one too.
*Your pin is a 4-digit number that you will need to keep in a safe place so that you know it when you need it.
2.Make sure that you have all the papers you need in order to fill out your fafsa. The papers include: your taxes from the previous year (for example if you are filling out a fafsa for 2010-20111, you need tax papers from 2009) and also get your parents tax papers, school transcripts from all schools (high schools, community colleges, adult schools, any classes you have taken and received credit for), search the school code that you wish to apply to (each college has a five to six digit school code that you will need to look up or call the school and find out), know your address, employers, social security numbers (yours and your parents), and keep all these papers handy because you will need them.
3. Navigate to http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ the fafsa home page and click on fill out your fafsa.
4. You will then click on the fafsa year you are applying for financial aid either 2010-2011 or 2011-2012, basically the year you start school you are applying for the school year from fall to spring.
5. Follow the steps to fill out your fafsa and enter the correct information. Make sure you read everything carefully because any mistake in numbers, names, classes, or anything, can delay your fafsa to process or you will be denied any financial aid help.
6. When you are finished and have reviewed your fafsa you may sign it with your electronic pin and submit your fafsa. The final pages will issue you a confirmation number make sure you write that down and keep it with your records and also have a copy of your fafsa sent to your email address so you can save it in a file on your computer.

You are now finished with your financial aid so keep checking with the financial aid office at your school, because you will have papers that you need to submit to the school to keep your financial aid on track. Good Luck!

Welcome future college students!

Welcome! First let me introduce myself, I am a junior at California State University Dominguez Hills and I love college! I first started school at a community college and then transferred to a University and am now working on upper division classes towards my major. The purpose of this blog is to talk about the trials of colleges in the economy right now and to inform others of roads they can take and mistakes they can avoid so to make the transition from high school to college or from college to college a little easier. First of all college is great! This is the way of the future, because obtaining a job is hard enough right now especially without an education. As the economy keeps working its way back to being prosperous the jobs will start to increase and business will be hiring college graduates. So to make your life easier you should get a college degree believe me in the long run it will be worth it. Soon you will be living a comfortable lifestyle with a way to pay your bills, so don't wait. College systems are very organized and complicated so it is easy to get frustrated and want to give up; but once you have navigated your way through the mazes of financial aid, classes, books, and the campus, it will be a breeze. So look through this page and hopefully the information will be useful to someone. Good Luck!