How to File the 2008-2009 FAFSA

To begin the financial aid application process, you must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In addition to filing the FAFSA, you must submit other required forms to the Office of Student Financial Aid.

The University of Iowa federal school code is 001892. This information is required on the FAFSA.

Choose one of the following ways to complete the 2008-2009 FAFSA:

FAFSA on the web

The 2008-2009 FAFSA on the web will be available on January 1, 2008. The U.S. Department of Education offers the FAFSA on the web. Filing on the web at www.fafsa.ed.gov is secure, easy, less error-prone, and fast. More instructions are provided than on the paper FAFSA. It can save you weeks on processing time when compared to filing the paper FAFSA. Submitting your FAFSA on the web eliminates possible mailing delays. In addition, the online FAFSA allows you to skip questions that don't apply to you. Also, FAFSA on the web edits your application before you transmit, ensuring that the data you transmit to the U.S. Department of Education is ready to be processed. Extensive online help is available. To chat online with a U.S. Department of Education customer service representative, click on the "Chat" link on any of the screens on the FAFSA on the web site.

The Renewal FAFSA will be available on January 1, 2008. If you used the web to complete the 2007-2008 FAFSA, go to the U.S. Department of Education's FAFSA web site at www.fafsa.ed.gov and follow the instructions for filing the Renewal FAFSA on the web for 2008-2009.

You can print a Pre-Application Worksheet from the U.S. Department of Education FAFSA web site www.fafsa.ed.gov (click on Before Beginning a FAFSA). The Pre-Application Worksheet consists of all questions related to the student's and the student's parents' finances. It is made up of all application questions in the same order as you would see them in the web version of the FAFSA or Renewal FAFSA.

• familiarize yourself with the kinds of questions you'll need to answer
• familiarize your parents with the required information (you will need to provide information about your parent(s) if you are dependent)
• inform you of the documents you will need to fill out the FAFSA on the web

Before you begin completing the FAFSA on the web, if you don't already have a U.S. Department of Education Personal Identification Number (PIN), you should request one. If your parent's information is required on the FAFSA, your parent should obtain a PIN too.

To request a new or duplicate PIN, go to:  www.pin.ed.gov

The PIN serves as your identifier to let you access your personal information in various U.S. Department of Education systems. The PIN serves as your electronic signature and you should not give it to anyone.

If you are not able to complete the FAFSA on the web, you can obtain the paper 2008-2009 FAFSA by calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center toll-free at 1-800-433-3243. After completing the paper FAFSA, sign and mail it to the federal processor in the envelope provided with the FAFSA.