by Cassandra L. Hernandez, College of Alameda student
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is an online application that can help you get the financial aid that you need in order to pursue your educational and career goals! Your FAFSA application helps your college determine if you're eligible for work-study programs, if you qualify for certain loans, and—most notably—how much grant money you need based on the information you submit. Grants, whether state or federal, do not need to be paid back; it’s free money! Who doesn’t like free money? So why is it that so many students do not submit their applications?
The process of filling out the FAFSA application can be difficult to fill out, especially when it comes to filling out the income and tax sections. It’s a lot of information you have to give and some of the sections might not be as clear, that’s why there are workshops out there to help out students like you! For example; At College of Alameda, there are people at the financial aid office who are eager and willing to help you out! They have FAFSA workshops—Tuesdays in person, Thursdays are virtual—and can provide you with other opportunities to get more financial aid whether it be in vouchers or more grants.
I was one of the many unfortunate students who had problems with the 2024-25 FAFSA soft launch. I was a high school senior at the time with no idea how to work the application and whenever I got the hang of it, the soft launch had made the website too glitchy to use. Still, I persisted as I wanted to go to college and get the financial aid I needed. In the end, I was also the unlucky few who submitted their application late. The FAFSA 24-25’ priority deadline was May 2nd and I submitted it May 3rd, a single day after the deadline. I remember thinking all that trouble with the technical bugs and confusing tax forms I had to fill out was not worth my time. I was devastated. But even though I had submitted my application past the priority deadline, I still managed to get tons of money from Cal Grants! I was so excited when I received an email that my FAFSA money would be dropping soon and that I would be attending College of Alameda. I remember arriving at my home campus, relieved I could pay for my books, notebooks, class fees, and anything else that came with being a college student.
Submitting your FAFSA as soon as possible is the best option and the only way to get the most aid. When I submitted my application late, I was disqualified from several grants but I still managed to get Cal Grant B to help pay for my college expenses. Every year, thousands of dollars sit at financial aid offices, unused, because students believe that it’s too late to get financial aid. Even if you miss the priority deadline, those few thousand could be yours! It never hurts to try, especially in pursuit of your education and career goals!
If for some reason, FAFSA doesn’t award you enough money to help pay for tuition or other expenses, there are lots of student support programs at your local college! I joined the EOPS program and got all sorts of free supplies and vouchers on top of the FAFSA money. There are tons of other programs out there such as SALAAM, PUENTE, and HireUP! There are people at your local college waiting to help you out, go on out and get that financial aid!
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