FAFSA/CASFA Support
Whether you plan to train for a career or get a college degree (or both!), there could be money available to help you cover the costs.
It is estimated that more than $4 billion dollars worth of government student aid went unused last year! Research shows that students and families who do not complete financial aid forms do so for one or more of the following reasons:
- They are unaware of the true cost of postsecondary options and are unaccustomed to search for available resources;
- They have a false belief that grants or scholarships are unavailable based on family resources and income levels;
- Students and families often do not realize they have the required tax information necessary to complete the forms;
- They fear incurring debt for postsecondary education.
https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2021/04/12/why-students-dont-fill-out-fafsa
To qualify for scholarships and grants based on financial need, families need to complete either the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or the CASFA (Colorado Application for State Financial Aid - available to qualifying undocumented students).
What type of aid is available?Learn more about the following types of aid on the FAFSA website.
Grants are money provided based on need and do not need to be repaid.
Scholarships are awarded based on specific criteria and do not need to be repaid. Not awarded by the federal government, but sometimes FAFSA needs to be completed to qualify.
Loans require the money to be paid back at a fixed or variable interest rates. There are many types of loans.
Work Study on campus jobs to help cover expenses
FAFSA Completion Tips
Make the form submission as easy as possible by doing two things. First, have students create a StudentAid.gov account now. Second, if they're under 24 years old, have their parent to create their account as soon as possible.
- Have students Create a StudentAid.gov account or make sure that they can access an existing account by signing in to StudentAid.gov.
- If under age 24, get a parent to create their account. Check this chart to confirm whether a parent or spouse also needs to have an account before submitting a FAFSA form.
- Make sure all numbers (date of birth, SSN, etc) are entered correctly. Also, students living
What is needed:
Name (exactly as it appears on a Social Security card); Date of birth; Personal email address (not school or work); Social Security number (if available)
Remember: Students will only have one StudentAid.gov account to use for the rest of their life, so make sure that they use an email address that they’ll have access to even after graduating from school or changing jobs.
Video: Creating a FSA ID (English)
Vídeo: Cómo crear una FSA ID (Español)
How do I know if a parent or spouse also need to create an account?
- Check this chart to see whether any other contributors, like a parent or spouse, also need to create an account before submitting the FAFSA form. If the parent/contributor live at the same address as the student, make sure the addresses are entered exactly the same (e.g. 123 Elm St Apt 23 does not match 123 Elm Street #23)
- If you’re still not sure whether a parent should sign the form, confirm whether you are an independent or dependent student.
- If a dependent student, the student and parent can use the Who’s My FAFSA Parent wizard to figure out which parent, guardian or spouse also needs to create an account.
What if a student or parent doesn't have a Social Security number?
- If there is a SSN, they must provide it when creating an account.
- All students must have an SSN to create a StudentAid.gov account unless they are from the Freely Associated States (Micronesia, Marshall Islands, or Palau). Check eligibility here.
- If a parent or spouse who does not have an SSN, you can still create a StudentAid.gov account to contribute to a student’s FAFSA form. When creating an account, leave the SSN field blank and select “What if I don’t have a Social Security number?”
- If only one parent has an SSN, that parent is the one who should create an account and join the student's FAFSA form as a contributor.
Note: If you get a message saying the SSN entered is already in use, make sure the SSN is entered correctly. If the SSN is correct, then it’s likely an account was previously or someone else (such as a parent) created for you. Try logging in first rather than creating a new account. If you think you may already have an account, and are having trouble accessing, you will need to recover your account. You can use this page: Recover Your Account | Federal Student Aid. If you’re sure an account has not already been created, contact the office of Federal Student Aid for more help. Do not attempt to use an ITIN or other value in place of an SSN for online account creation.
How can I get help completing the FAFSA or CASFA Application?
- Check out your high school or college website to see what resources are available.
- Come to one of the following work sessions. Families are welcome to attend workshops at any location. Students without a social security number can apply. Before the workshop, students should sign up for an FSA ID (required only for the FAFSA). Bring a list of colleges/trade schools you are considering and parent 2023 tax return and records of untaxed income and assets (if available). Food provided at the workshops.
- January 29, 2025 - 4-7:00 pm - BVSD Education Center, 6500 Arapahoe Rd
- January 30, 2025 - 3:30-7 pm - Boulder High School, 1604 Arapahoe Rd
- February 12, 2025 - 4-7:00 pm - Arapahoe Campus, 6600 Arapahoe Rd
- February 12, 2025 - 10-11:30 and 1:45-3:25 - Boulder TEC, 6600 Arapahoe Rd
- February 26, 2025 (in Spanish) - 4:30-7 - Centaurus High School - 10300 W South Boulder Rd, Lafayette
- Contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center. Extended evening and weekend hours available through March 2, 2025.
- Additional helpful links available in this article: US Department of Education Announces Official Release of the 2025-26 FAFSA Form.