Filing Your FAFSA
Anna Zimmerman
Financial Wellness Manager
My FAFSA Tip:
Complete it early!
Have you ever completed the FAFSA?
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Agenda
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What is the FAFSA?
FAFSA
How to Apply
How do I apply for the FAFSA? What do I need to apply?
Student Aid
What if my familial situation is different?
What federal, state, and institutional grants are available?
Common Questions
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Additional Resources
What other assistance is available?
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FAFSA
What is the FAFSA?
True or False
Students must complete the FAFSA for every school year.
True or False
True
Students must complete the FAFSA every year to receive aid
What is the FAFSA?
What? The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is used by the federal (and some state) governments to determine eligibility for financial aid.
When? The FAFSA is made available on September 25th this year*. The Missouri deadline is February 1st.
Who? Any student interested in federal student aid (grants, scholarships, or loans!) should complete the FAFSA.
www.studentaid.gov
*Typically, the FAFSA is available on October 1st.
Who is eligible?
Student
Parent(s)
A parent does not have to be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. resident for the student to be eligible for financial aid.
How does the FAFSA work?
Student Tax Information
Parents’ Tax Information*
Untaxed Income & Savings
Student Aid Index (SAI)
This number is used to determine your financial need.
The same at every school.
Cost of Attendance (COA)
Student Aid Index (SAI)
Financial Need
Grants
Loans
Work-Study
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* Parents’ information is needed for dependent students. Dependency is not determined by tax filing status.
What is Cost of Attendance
Cost of Attendance is an estimate made by your school for your billable and nonbillable costs. Differs from school to school.
Tuition and Fees
Books and Supplies
Housing and Dining
Personal Expenses
Transportation
Financial Aid Calculation
Cost of Attendance
Student Aid Index
Financial Need*
*Schools are not required to meet “full financial need.” Loans and grants have annual caps, and the totals may not meet your student’s need.
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Student Aid
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What financial aid is available?
True or False
Students may be eligible for more aid if they complete the FAFSA earlier
True or False
True
Some aid is first-come,
first-served aid and will depend on when the student completes the FAFSA
GRANTS
Did you know?
$4.4B
In Pell Grants went unclaimed
Grants are a form of “gift aid” that do not need to be repaid. They are based on financial need, as determined by the FAFSA.
Federal Grants | Pell Grants Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant |
State Grants (Missouri) | Access Missouri |
Some grants are first-come, first-served so
complete the FAFSA early!
School Grants | Varies by School |
SCHOLARSHIPS
Scholarships
Automatic Scholarships
Competitive Scholarships
Private Scholarships
If you spend 2 hours on a $1500 scholarship, you made
$750 per hour!
Pro Tip:
Look for automatic AND competitive scholarships to any schools you apply to!
Part-time jobs for students with financial need
How do I get a work-study job?
WORK STUDY
What about Loans?
| Who is it for? (and Who pays?) | Interest? | Credit Check? |
Direct Subsidized | Undergrad Students with Financial Need | Government pays interest while in school | No |
Direct Unsubsidized | Undergrad, Grad & Professional | Interest accrues from disbursement (6.39%/7.94%*) | No |
Parent PLUS | Parents of Undergrad Students | Interest accrues from disbursement (8.94%*) | Yes |
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When does repayment start?
6 months after a student
Loans can help cover gaps left after free and earned money.
The Federal Government sets maximums for loans
based on the year in school!
LOANS
*Interest rates are for 2025-2026 Year
How to apply
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How can I apply for the FAFSA?
Website
The studentaid.gov website allows you to quickly complete the FAFSA.
Paper Application
The paper application is a slower process. It allows you to sign and mail it.
The FAFSA will be available in 11 common languages.
FSA ID & Password
All contributors need their own FSA ID & Password to complete the FAFSA. Answers on the FAFSA help identify who contributors are.
Other Contributors may include parent(s) or a spouse and they will need the same information to create an account
Students will need to create their FSA ID & Password using:
All contributors MUST CONSENT to allow the FAFSA to directly transfer data from the IRS.
Who are my contributors?
Are your biological or adoptive parents married to each other?
Both your parents’ information must be on the FAFSA. If they filed taxes jointly, only one needs to be a contributor, if separate, they must both contribute.
Do your biological or adoptive parents live together?
Marital status is unmarried and both parents are contributors- even if never married, divorced, or separated.
Did one parent provide more financial support than the other in the past 12 months?
Yes
The parent who provided more support is the contributor and even if married but filing separate- the stepparent is too!
No
The parent with greater income or assets is the contributor and even if married but filing separate- the stepparent is too!
Gather Your Documents
Start the FAFSA
Log In. Using your FSA ID and password you’ll be able to log in directly to StudentAid.gov.
Fill out basic information. You’ll be asked to review information pulled in through your FSA ID and answer a few questions about your family situation.
Consent to Import �Federal Tax Information
Allows the FAFSA to import tax data from the IRS directly.
What does it do?
What if I don’t?
If you decline, you must manually enter income data and you will not be eligible for federal student aid. | |
2024 tax return
2025-2026
FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS)
After you submit the FAFSA form, you will receive a FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS) which summarizes the information you report and estimates aid.
Summary of Responses
Student Aid Index (SAI)
Estimated Eligibility for federal student loans and Pell grants
Review your FAFSA Submission Summary for mistakes. If you entered something incorrectly, you can go back into the FAFSA and correct or update your form.
You will receive instructions for how to access FSS within 3 days by email or 3 weeks for paper forms.
Common Questions
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Familial �Situations
Who’s considered my parent?
A legal parent includes:
What if my parents/guardians are separated?
What if the parent identified above is remarried?
Report the information for the parent who provided more financial support over the last 12 months.
You will need to include financial information about the parent and stepparent.
Familial �Situations
What if my stepparent does not provide any financial support for me?
Federal regulations require you to report your stepparent's information on the FAFSA if they are legally married.
Print & sign FAFSA.
Mail signature page.
Do I have to include my parents’ information if they will not be paying for my education or financially supporting me?
Federal regulations require students to provide parental information unless they meet one of the following criteria:
Familial �Situations
What if my parents are undocumented?
Will need an FSA ID & Password*
Identity will be verified using questions similar to a credit
report
If student meets eligibility criteria, the student can still receive aid.
Parents’ citizenship status does not affect eligibility for federal student aid.
Common Concerns
Privacy
The federal law, FERPA, safeguards the privacy of educational records.
Residency/Citizenship Status
Tax Filing Status
If your parents are undocumented, completing the FAFSA will not cause their status to be shared.
The FAFSA is based on the prior, prior year’s income and tax information. The 2026-2027 FAFSA will be using 2024 taxes.
Additional Resources
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Additional Resources
StudentAid.gov- Help Center
@FederalStudentAid on Instagram
University Financial Aid Offices
Education Opportunity Center at MCC
816-604-4400
3100 Main Street, Ste 100, KCMO
Anna Zimmerman
UMKC Financial Wellness Center
816-235-1401
financialwellness@umkc.edu
Questions?
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