SAN JOSE, CALIF. — As the school year approaches its end at Silver Creek High School, it’s time for our seniors to plan for the road ahead, starting with FAFSA.

For the unaware, FAFSA, standing for Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is exactly what it sounds like: free money from the government, on the table, up for grabs.

If students haven’t already, they need to go to studentaid.gov and complete the online application before June 30, 2024, to qualify for the fall 2024 period. It is widely considered the most important thing students can do for student aid. When the counselors here at Silver Creek were asked about the FAFSA and things students should do, they linked a very helpful Google Doc containing a timeline for seniors. 

Head Counselor, Vân Nguyễn, also says that seniors must “continue to maintain your grades and GPA, otherwise, your acceptance may be rescinded.”

When seniors were asked about their opinion on the FAFSA form, most, if not all of the students were in a state of confusion and distress, many not realizing that the FAFSA deadline was so close because they decided to procrastinate on it.

Filling out the form is completely free, students need to grab one or both of their parents, their tax forms from the past few years, all their identifications, proof of citizenship, and sit down for an hour or so and follow the FAFSA’s easy step-by-step directions on how to fill the form out digitally.

Even if students do not believe they qualify for the FAFSA, possibly due to their family making good money, it is recommended that students try anyway, even if they may not qualify for aid, but there is no harm in trying regardless. 

The average amount of aid students will receive is about $8000, and while it may not seem like a lot for a four-year tuition, do know students can do that every year when attending their college of choice. Meaning if students fill out the FAFSA four times, they could receive $32,000 in aid on average.