If you’re hoping to secure grants, scholarships, and other financial aid for college, filling out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is one of the most important steps you can take. At the same time, mistakes during the filing process could result in significant processing delays or even have a negative impact on your total award.
Whether you’re preparing to fill out your FAFSA or have recently filed, being aware of some of the most common mistakes (and how to avoid them) could make all the difference.
The Most Common FAFSA Mistakes — and How to Fix Them
From seemingly small typos to missing information, we’ve outlined some of the most frequent FAFSA mistakes below so you can prevent them on your own application.
Getting Personal Information Wrong
Providing accurate personal information is especially crucial, as errors here could cause processing delays or even require additional follow-up with manual verification. As you review your application, then, be on the lookout for errors such as:
- Using a nickname instead of your legal name as it appears on your Social Security card.
- Entering the wrong Social Security Number (SSN).
- Using a school or temporary mailing address instead of a permanent one.
Leaving Fields Blank
When fields are left blank on your FAFSA, this can lead to processing errors or even rejection of your application. Even if you come across a field that doesn’t technically apply to you, it’s better to enter “0” or “N/A” rather than leaving the response completely empty. On a related note, it’s also a good idea to avoid using any commas or decimal points when filling out your FAFSA; if needed, round to the nearest dollar instead.
Missing or Incomplete FSA IDs
Long before you formally sit down to complete and submit your FAFSA, be sure that you and every eligible contributor (e.g., parents, stepparents, or a spouse) have set up an account and FSA ID on StudentAid.gov. Every participating party will need a unique FSA ID in order to complete their portion of the FAFSA, and without it, the form can’t be fully completed or submitted for processing — so it’s better to handle this sooner rather than later.
Signing Errors and Missing Contributor Approvals
In addition to filling out their own respective portions of the FAFSA, all contributors are required to provide electronic consent for the Department of Education to access any relevant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax data. This applies even if a contributor doesn’t have a SSN, didn’t file taxes in the United States, or filed taxes abroad. Failing to include that electronic signature from all contributing parties will render you ineligible for aid.
Asset Reporting Mistakes That Can Inflate Your Financial Aid Index
Using the information you and your contributors provide in your application, your Student Aid Index (SAI) will be calculated. This number is critical because it is ultimately used to determine how much aid you are eligible for based on information like your and your contributors’ income, assets, and overall family size.
Unfortunately, when assets are misreported or miscategorized, this can result in major SAI consequences that affect your aid.
Misreporting 529 Plans
For example, when tax-advantaged investment savings accounts known as 529 plans are owned by a parent, they must be reported as a parent asset (even if the student is the beneficiary). When 529s are misreported as student assets, they may be assessed at a higher rate of up to 20%, which could raise SAI and reduce grant eligibility.
What if a 529 is owned by a grandparent or other non-contributing party? In general, accounts owned by other relatives should not be reported on the FAFSA at all.
Including Protected Assets
Make sure, too, not to include any assets on your FAFSA that are excluded from reporting to keep your SAI as accurate as possible. These are some examples of commonly excluded assets:
- Equity in the family’s primary residence
- Retirement account balances (401k, IRA, pension, etc.)
- College savings accounts not held in
thestudents’ or parents’ names
Reporting Financial Information for the Wrong Parent
If your parents are divorced or separated, knowing which parent’s information is required on your application is essential. All too often, applicants will assume that the parent with child custody is automatically the one who should fill out the FAFSA — or even that both parents need to provide income/financial information.
You can easily determine which parent’s information is required on your FAFSA form by using the “Who is My FAFSA Parent?” tool on the StudentAid.gov website. Keep in mind that if this parent has remarried, you may be required to provide the stepparent’s income and assets on your application.
Income Reporting Errors That Trigger Verification
Income is a key determining factor regarding your eligibility for federal student aid. Thus, it’s crucial to report all income as accurately as possible and avoid common errors that could result in the need for manual verification review (which can delay the entire process).
Taxes Paid vs. Taxes Withheld — The W-2 Trap
The FAFSA asks for income taxes paid (from Line 22 of Form 1040), not the total taxes withheld (shown on the W-2). Using the wrong figure could either inflate or deflate reported income, which could potentially trigger a time-consuming verification review.
Forgetting Untaxed Income
Aside from taxed income, FAFSA contributors are also required to list any untaxed income sources on their applications. Overlooking any of the following could delay processing or lead to the need for additional verification:
- Child support received
- Veterans’ non-education benefits
- Workers’ compensation
- Disability income
- Housing/food/living allowances
Process and Deadline Mistakes That Limit Your Options
In addition to typos, missing fields, and misreporting of income, be careful to avoid timing errors with your FAFSA. Above all else, try to file early. After all, many state grants and institutional scholarships are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. In other words, funds can (and do) run out before later filers submit their applications.
Submitting Too Late
The FAFSA form typically opens on October 1 and stays open through June 30 of the award year, so your submission window is based on when you plan to start, not a single fixed deadline. That said, institutional and state deadlines can vary, and in some cases may fall as early as February or March, so it’s worth confirming what applies to your specific program and start term. To play it safe, it’s generally best to file as close to the October 1 release date as possible.
Not Listing Enough Schools
Even if you’re not sure whether you’ll apply to a certain school or not, it’s important to list every single institution you’re even considering on your FAFSA form. You can list up to 20 schools, and aid offices can only build award packages for schools that received applications. If in doubt, list it anyway!
Skipping the FAFSA Submission Summary Review
The FAFSA Submission Summary (formerly the SAR) appears in the StudentAid.gov dashboard within just a few business days after you submit your application. Take the time to review it carefully, looking over details like your SAI, Pell Grant eligibility, and any flags requiring follow-up. Many errors can be quickly corrected through the Submission Summary, but time is of the essence as delayed corrections can affect aid timing.
What If You Already Made a FAFSA Mistake?
If you’ve already submitted your FAFSA and realized you made a mistake, you have a few options when it comes to correcting FAFSA errors:
- Submit corrections through the FAFSA Submission Summary on StudentAid.gov.
- Contact the financial aid office directly at each school on your FAFSA list.
- Wait for a verification letter (if selected) and provide any requested documentation promptly.
At the end of the day, FAFSA mistakes happen. What matters most is acting as quickly as possible to correct errors when you realize them.
Start Your Degree on the Right Financial Footing
Submitting your FAFSA with accurate information is one of the best ways to qualify for student aid in the form of grants, scholarships, and subsidized/unsubsidized student loans. Of course, completing your FAFSA is only one aspect of planning for an online degree — and the school you choose also matters.
At Johnson & Wales University (JWU) Online, we take pride in our flexible online programs that are designed to work around students’ work and life commitments. Explore our many online degree programs for yourself, get in touch for answers to any questions you might have, or get the ball rolling on your application for enrollment today.
For more information about completing your degree online, complete the Request Info form, call 855-JWU-1881, or email [email protected].
Frequently Asked Questions
You have three options for correcting a FAFSA mistake. You can either submit a correction directly through the Submission Summary, contact the financial aid office(s) at your chosen school(s) directly, or wait for a verification letter to make your correction.
Typically, no. While the FAFSA application may require you to disclose some information about your bank account balances, your bank account numbers are generally not requested unless your application has been chosen for additional verification.
In some circumstances, yes. If you have a parent who refuses to provide information for your FAFSA, or another circumstance (like homelessness or emancipation) applies to you, you may be able to submit your FAFSA without parent or guardian details. You can determine your dependency status by answering a series of questions within the FAFSA form itself, or by reviewing the criteria on StudentAid.gov.
The FAFSA Submission Summary is an overview of the information you provided on your application. It’s a good idea to review your Submission Summary as soon as it is available (usually within a few business days after submitting) to check for any errors that may need to be addressed.