How to Fix FAFSA Not working – Steps to fix

This guide covers how to fix FAFSA not working errors along with other information, such as how FAFSA works, why these errors occur, and more.

So, without any further ado, let’s get started –

What is FAFSA?

FAFSA (Free Application for Free Student Aid) is an official form in that graduates and undergraduate students in the United States of America apply for federal financial help to pay college fees. It totally differs from the CSS Profile ( College Scholarship Service Profile) that some colleges ask for. It is a fee-based product of the College Board and is used by the educational institutions to give out their own institutional fund rather than from state and federal funds.

The FAFSA decides who is eligible to receive financial aid in the form of loans, scholarships, and grants based on the data collected from the application. The FAFSA application period starts on 1st October and ends on 30th June. It also has some deadlines that students have to follow strictly.

Also read: Financial Literacy for College Students Full Guide

How does FAFSA work?

The Federal Student Aid, which is a part of the U.S Department of Education, provides up to $150 billion annually in federal aid to more than 13 million students. It consists of grants, work-study, and loans.

Grants: It is also referred to as scholarships, and it is for those students who need exceptional financial help. It doesn’t need to be repaid. It is also known as Pell Grant.

Work-study: It was initiated by the government to provide paid part-time jobs for graduates and undergraduate students by taking part in colleges and universities.

Loan: Loan is different from grants and scholarships. It needs to be repaid. However, the federal interest rate is low compared with those that private lenders offer. Many other types of federal loans are available for higher education, also referred to as Stafford Loans. There are two types of subsidized loans, the first one is Direct subsidized, and another one is Direct unsubsidized. 

Direct subsidizing is available for families that need financial help, whereas Direct unsubsidized is available to families regardless of financial needs. The FAFSA is the only gateway to this financial help. The office of Federal Student Aid administers it.

Who is qualified for FAFSA?

There are some criteria that you must meet if you want to get federal student financial help. Have a look at the mentioned criteria.

• Students must be registered with the Selective Service System.
• Students must have continued the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) report.

• The Students must be U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or qualified non-U.S. citizens.

• Students must have a valid Social Security number.

• It asks for a high school diploma or a GED.

• Students must not be a part of any crime or found guilty of selling or possessing illegitimate drugs at the time of receiving federal aid.

• Students must sign a certification statement stating that they are not a part of any default on a federal student loan and don’t possess any money on a federal student grant. They will use the financial aid for educational purposes only.

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What’s the issue with FAFSA?

Millions of college students fill out FAFSA forms every year for financial aid. More than 13 million students get a combined $150 billion as financial help via the FAFSA.

The FSA website saw a sudden visitor increase after the current president of the United States, Joseph Biden, declared his plans for broad student loan cancellation. He set a criterion saying that any borrower earning less than $125,000 yearly will get the relief of up to $10,000 in student debt cancellation. But many visitors reported an issue on the website after Joe Biden’s announcement. The FSA website reads.

“StudentAid.gov is experiencing high volumes of visitors. You will be able to proceed to the site momentarily. Thanks for your patience!”

It also made visitors angry, so the FSA launched another website with complete information on the president’s debt cancellation plan.

How to fix FAFSA Not Working?

The error that the visitors are facing on the FAFSA is that they are not being able to sign up and submit the portion instead of filling in all the sections. After you opt to submit your encounter with the message “We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, please successfully return to the home page.”

Another reason behind facing an issue is that you might have entered incorrect information. So, in this section, we will look over some ways that you can use to fix the problem. 

• Firstly, log in to the FAFSA.gov website using your FSA ID and password.

• Once you sign in, you will be directed to a page showing disclaimer. All you have to do is to click on “Accept.”

• Give a tap on “MAKE FAFSA Corrections” on the page.

• Create a Save key so you can access saved information later.

• Fill in your information on the FAFSA again, and don’t forget to re-check.

• Now, click on the update option and submit your updated information.

Another major thing you have to do after submitting your FAFSA updated form is to write the corrections you made on the Student Aid Report you received after you submitted your application. After completing this, mail it to the address mentioned on the form.

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Conclusion 

There you have it. We have tried to cover everything about FAFSA in this article and the steps you can take to fix it. I hope this will help you out!