When any senior families will visit the financial aid sections of their respective colleges’ websites, many will note the deadline to file their FAFSA in order to apply for need-based aid. And while it is absolutely crucial to visit those sites so you know exactly how to apply (which often requires forms in addition to the FAFSA), please remember that the posted deadline isn’t the real deadline.
As financial aid expert Mark Kantrowitz points out:
“Students who file the FAFSA in January, February or March receive more than twice as much grant funding, on average, as students who file the FAFSA later in the aid application cycle.”