What Does FAFSA Stand For?
What is the Meaning of FAFSA?

The information you submit will allow Federal Student Aid to calculate a FAFSA EFC number for you.

This Expected Family Contribution figure is not the actual amount that will be demanded you pay for college- rather it is an index which tells the federal government, your state and your college how much and what kind of financial aid they should provide.

The lower the number, the more aid you can expect.

Aside from federal aid, it is also the first step in applying for state grants and scholarships, state college loans, college grants and scholarships and university student loans.

Here are some very basic questions that people who ask, "What does FAFSA stand for?" usually want answers to:

Should I Wait to Fill Out FAFSA Until I Know Which School I Am Going To?

If you file a FAFSA online application, you can list up to 10 schools to receive your information. If you use a printable FAFSA application you can only list up to 4 schools. This is a no-brainer- why limit your chances of a school getting your info and realizing that it fits into just what they want?

(And, when you renew FAFSA every year, the online form is prefilled with your information, saving you a lot of time and effort.)

What Kind Information Do I Need to Supply?

1. You need supply your personal identification information including:
• citizenship status
• drug convictions
• academic information (schools attended, etc.)
• selective service registration
2. You need to supply student's financial information including including income and assets.
3. You need to supply parent's (unless you are categorized as an independent student) financial information including including income (and FAFSA includes deferred compensation) and assets. What does FAFSA stand for ...no financial information remains private:)

All financial information needs to be for the year prior to admittance. So if you were filling out information for the 2012-2013 school year, you would use your 2011 tax information. (Although recent changes in federal regulations hint that at some point, a FAFSA year could be one that is not the previous year.)

Why Aren't I Considered Independent/What if My Parents Won't...?

• Were you were born 24 years before your FAFSA year? (For the 2011-2012 application, that would be before Jan.1, 1988.)
• Are you legally married on the date you complete the application?
• At the beginning of the school year, will you be working on a master’s or doctorate program?
• Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training?
• Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces

The "why" is pretty simple. Almost every 18 year old would be entitled to an expected family contribution of "0" if only their income was considered. (There aren't many who are making more than $32,000)

"Special circumstances" can allow you to be considered independent. Parents who do not want to give their information are not special circumstances.

Starting with the 2011-2012 FAFSA application you are now given the option of getting unsubsidized federal student loans if your parents refuse to support you.

Who Will this Information be Shared With?

• the schools you list
• state agencies in your state
• state agencies of the states your schools are in

The information will also be shared with any agency that the U.S. Department of Education relies on to certify its accuracy, including (but not limited to) the:

• Internal Revenue Service
• Social Security Administration
• Selective Service System
• Department of Homeland Security
• Department of Justice
• Veterans Affairs

What does FAFSA stand for?- Well, the second "F" does stand for "Federal".

In the unlikely event that the Department of Education is involved in a lawsuit, your information could wind up in court. If there is evidence in your information that a violation of law has occurred or will occur, it may be given to a foreign, federal, state or local enforcement agency. They may even turn over information to a consumer reporting agency for a valid claim.

And unless you know you have a good reason not to share your information, go for it. All of these agencies can probably get your information anyway (if they want to).

How Secure is the FAFSA Website?