The start of the year means a new year to apply for federal financial aid, better known as FAFSA.
If you need financial aid, you should look into applying as soon as possible.
It became available January 1 for the 2015-2016 school year.
It's the largest student financial aid provider in the country.
You should apply for the aid because it gives you more opportunities to get help, and you don't need your 2014 taxes, said Carolyn Schloemann, the acting financial aid director at the University of Illinois Springfield.
“Go ahead and fill out the 2015-2016 application using their 2013 taxes that were already completed,” Schloemann said. “Go ahead and submit the application and then once their taxes are done for 2014, they can go in and make a correction to the 2015-2016 application and still have the application on file and still be considered for all the grant programs that might be available.”
Schloemann said more students are sending their FAFSA applications early in January, but there are some students who learn too late about the advantages.
This story appeared online at WICS Newschannel 20 on January 5, 2015.
Watch the story online.
