The Associated Students of Madison Academic Affairs committee kicked off FAFSA Week Monday night with a hands-on informational session to help students fill out their Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
The few students who attended one of Monday’s two sessions at Ogg Hall got help from financial aid staff to troubleshoot problems students encountered filling out their applications.
The staff taught students how to set up their personal accounts on the FAFSA organization’s website and showed them how to fill out the form from start to finish.
According to Academic Affairs Intern Zach Ivins, one of the problems with financial aid is many upper-level students who had help from their parents with filling out their FAFSA when they were younger are now having to fill out the forms on their own for the first time.
The main goal of FAFSA week is not only to help students complete their applications on their own, but also to encourage students to fill out and submit their FAFSA as soon as possible, according to Ivins.
“With the economy of the United States like it is, aid has been running out quicker and quicker every year,” Ivins said.
According to Susan Fischer, director of the Office of Student Financial Aid, the FAFSA became available for students to complete January 1.
Some of the funding is given out on a first-come-first-serve basis, Fischer said, adding that last year’s Wisconsin Higher Education Grant funding ran out in mid-July.
“At our school we have summer at the front end of the aid year, so if you’re a student interested in summer school, you’ve really got to get going,” Fischer said.
Financial aid for next year is already being awarded to students, said Karla Weber, an advisor from the Office of Student Financial Aid.
According to Weber, students are typically awarded their financial aid about four weeks after submitting their application and are notified via e-mail from the Office of Student Financial Aid.
FAFSA Week will continue through Friday and will feature staffed walk-in sessions for the remainder of the week from 5-6 p.m. in the Student Activity Center.
Ivins said students can come in and get help filling out the entire application or they can ask about specific parts of the process with which they are having difficulties.
In order to make the application process go smoothly, students who attend the walk-in sessions should check the Academic Affairs website for a definitive list on the forms of identification to bring.
Ivins said even if students do not have all the information they need to fill out the application, they are still encouraged to come in to get help setting up their online accounts.
Fischer said aside from Academic Affairs’ FAFSA Week, students are always welcome to call or go in to the office of financial aid to get help with filling out their FAFSA.
“We encourage anybody who hasn’t gone through the process yet to at least try,” Fischer said.
