March 26, 2008
Correcting the FAFSA
By Mr. Chris Brown
Director of Financial Assistance
Each year, we hear from families who need to correct the information they previously submitted on their Department of Education Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) because they are not sure how to update their FAFSA records. If you or your student used estimated information to complete the FAFSA initially or you have realized that you need to correct an error that you made when you originally entered the FAFSA data, there is a simple way to update the information electronically.
The easiest and fastest way for you and your student to correct your information is to access FAFSA on the Web and select “Make Corrections to a Processed FAFSA.” You and your student can correct the information on the Web even if you did not originally complete the FAFSA electronically on the Department of Education’s Web site. All you need is a Federal Student Aid PIN (Personal Identification Number), which can be requested from the PIN Web site. Both the student and a parent will need to request a federal PIN number.
It is extremely important that you and your student carefully review the Student Aid Report (SAR) that is provided by the Department of Education. A student will typically receive notification of the availability of his or her SAR via e-mail if he or she included an e-mail address on the FAFSA. To access the SAR:
- Go to the FAFSA Web site.
- Select “View and Print your Student Aid Report” from “FAFSA Follow-up” on the “step 3” information menu.
- Once you access the document, review the information and be certain to correct any item that was inaccurate at the time you and your student completed the FAFSA.
For example, if you estimated your federal income tax return figures when you completed the FAFSA and the actual figures are different, we encourage you to update the tax information and change your filing status to “have filed.” If you or your student updates information, the changes will be shared with our office and any other schools your student listed on the FAFSA. We may be required to request supporting documentation from you and/or your student for the FAFSA information, so please respond promptly to any such requests from our office.
Note: If your family situation changes after you submit your FAFSA, please contact our office to discuss your changes. Some changes cannot be updated until the next FAFSA year, but we can review your student’s record to determine the appropriate course of action.
Contact: Chris Brown, (989) 463-7347
