INDIANAPOLIS — Tax Day is not the only deadline Monday.
It is also when Indiana wants your student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
So far, about 34% of high school seniors have filled out the form.
The Indiana Commission for Higher Education said in a January press release that its goal is to have at least 60% by the priority deadline. The commission says it has more than $400 million in state aid and billions in federal aid to give out.
Once the priority deadline passes, it's first-come, first-served for what is leftover.
Randy Stegemoller, with Class 101, said the application is also important when it comes to scoring other aid.
"It's not just grants through the state, but other scholarships that you want to apply for. If you don't do the FAFSA, many times you're not eligible for those scholarships," Stegemoller said.
To fill out the application, some of the information families will need includes:
- Social Security numbers
- 2022 tax return information
- Assets including bank accounts, bonds and possibly real estate
It is also important to take your time on the application. If you mess up, you cannot go back and fix it yet.
"It's brand new. It hasn't been editable yet. It was supposed to be the first part of March, now they've said should be done halfway through April," Stegemoller said. "Some of the schools have moved that May 1 deadline back. IU and Purdue both have moved it back to May 15."
Bill Wozniak, with the nonprofit InvestED, said via email that many families have been calling and emailing them nervous about this issue. He said if families cannot make the edits and corrections needed, the worry is that colleges don’t have the accurate information they need to produce award letters.
InvestED can also help with FAFSA questions for free. They can be reached at 317-715-9007 or by email at outreach@investedindiana.org.
If you need help figuring out a specific school's costs, contact the school's financial aid office.