Introduction
In order to figure out their eligibility for student financial aid, university or college students in the United States must fill out the FAFSA, which stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Let us know ‘What Happens If You Miss FAFSA Deadline?’.
What Happens If You Miss FAFSA Deadline?
FAFSA is the key to securing a loan, scholarship awards, or any federal financial aid for academic pursuits. This form is usually available between January and March but it may be differ depending on your higher education facility.
It is extremely important to submit your application on time, but some students miss this opportunity or deadline for submitting the FAFSA application. If you miss this opportunity, then you could be missing out on aid and access to a government student loan. Luckily, we are here to help you if you miss this opportunity.
In this post, we will show you the some ways you can use if you have missed your FAFSA deadline to make your college life better.
So, without wasting time let’s get started.
What to Do if I Miss FAFSA Deadline?
Following are some options you have if you have missed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) deadline.
Submit the Application Form as Soon as Possible
The first step is, never miss an opportunity that is provided by your institute because these opportunities can help you a lot in the future. So, always try to keep an eye on upcoming scholarships.
The FAFSA deadline has gone, but you should still try to submit your application as soon as you can. The FAFSA operates on a first-come, first-served basis for financial grants. Even while if your application will be given less weight than others that submit on time, there may still be a chance that it may be funded.
Reach Out to the Financial Aid Department at your School
The second step that you have to take is to contact your school’s financial aid department as soon as possible about the FAFSA application.
If you are not too late, then your school or college may be able to instruct you on a different method of submitting your application. Alternatively, your school may have extra financial awards to hang out with.
By following their instructions, you will be able to get an alternative way to submit a FAFSA application after the deadline.
The finance office at your institution is a good place to inquire about short-term loans, outside scholarships, and grants.
But all educational institutes are not too flexible, and they might not have any awards left to distribute after a certain date. Even if you get your information after the deadline, some institutes have strict policies, and they don’t give any remaining aid to you.
Contact Your State Education Agency
If you have missed your FAFSA deadline, then you have to contact your state education agency and tell them the reason why you don’t submit your application before the deadline.
Each State has a different education agency for students and residents to contact for any educational issue. Students of Massachusetts can contact the State Department of Higher Education, for instance, while students from California can reach out to the State Student Aid Commission. Along with this, students from Washington can contact the State Department of Education.
You can use these resources to find the appropriate Education Agency in your State for the FAFSA deadline and form submission you want to apply.
Search For Other Sources of Scholarship
If you have missed the FAFSA scholarship due to not submitting the application before the deadline, then you can go for other scholarships from different sources. However, many people get financial help from their institutes or from the federal government state.
But these are not the only sources to get high-paying scholarships or federal student aid. There are many other organizations and groups that are providing scholarships or loans that don’t have to be paid back.
That sound amazing, right? These outside organizations don’t require you to submit the FAFSA in order to be eligible for aid. So, your missed FAFSA scholarship will not affect your qualification ability to avail of other sources of scholarships. You can visit Fastweb or BigFuture for more information about other scholarships.
With this, you don’t have to worry about missing the deadline, but the FAFSA scholarship is much better than other scholarships. So, try to get it.
Find a Part-Time Job Near Institute Campus
The next way you can follow if you have missed the FAFSA deadline it tries to find a part-time job. If you can handle a job with a study, then you will be able to cover your living expenses; otherwise, it will become difficult for you.
Although you don’t want to get overcome and fall behind on your studies, a part-time job could be some relief from the financial pressure during your time in college.
You can easily get a part-time job in a restaurant, supermarket or any other brand. They will surely offer you a good salary package that can help you in college life.
Try to Apply for a Private Loan
You cannot qualify for federal student loans without a FAFSA scholarship. But there is another way that you can use, which is getting a private loan from banks or other financial organizations.
While a private loan doesn’t offer all of the same benefits as federal loans do. But they give you some reliance, like they offer competitive rates and flexible repayment plans, so they are affordable for many students.
You have to understand the terms and conditions of the loan agreement when taking a loan from a private organization. You have to read all the terms carefully to understand their deadline for repayment.
If you find a low-interest rate private loan as a student, it will surely help you to get through your semester—at least until the next phase of FAFSA comes, and don’t forget to apply and check the deadline for a scholarship.
Avoid Missing FAFSA Deadline Next Year
We know that higher education students don’t have much time to do some other activities, and that’s why they miss the FAFSA scholarship deadline.
But you don’t have to worry. The good news is a missed FAFSA will affect just one academic year since students are required to fill out the form once per year. FAFSA scholarship is available in the starting months (Jan-Mar) of every year.
If you have found a solution to pay for college or university in the current academic year, then you can make sure to submit your FAFSA scholarship application at the time of the upcoming year. Don’t forget to check the deadline and don’t miss it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I miss the FAFSA scholarship opportunity?
If you have missed the FAFSA opportunity deadline, then you will not be eligible to fill out any aid program in that academic year.
But you can use alternative ways, such as borrowing a loan from a bank or other financial organization. If you don’t want to avail of the loan, then you can do a part-time job.
With this, you will be able to handle your academic life expenses.
Can I apply for FAFSA after the deadline?
If you miss the opportunity for FAFSA and miss the deadline and it’s not that late, then you can contact your financial aid department or state education agency. They can guide you if there are some chances to submit a FAFSA application.
If it gets too late, then there is nothing you can do other than follow the side hustle way, like getting a private loan or applying for other scholarships.
Is there a need to fill out the FAFSA application every year?
Yes, if you want to receive FAFSA every academic year. For this, you have to be very careful in submitting the application before the deadline to claim this reward.
If you miss the deadline, then you will not be able to get the FAFSA scholarship. So, make sure not to miss the deadline and submit the form before it.
Conclusion
This topic was all about what happens if you miss the FAFSA deadline. If you are one of those students that missed the deadline for Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), then it will be very difficult for students because they have too many expenses that cost too much money.
It will be hard for students, but they don’t have to worry anymore. Because in this topic, we have also discussed how you can live to get through the academic year. You can grab any other scholarship from different sources, and you can also handle your college expenses by doing a part-time job.
You can also get a private loan from a bank, financial organization, or any other credit union. If you want to get a private loan, then make sure to read all the terms and conditions of the agreements of the loan.
But, try not to miss the deadline because the federal loan is much more affordable for every student as compared to a private loan. Federal loans have a very low return interest rate as compared to others; along with this, they offer a flexible repayment plan for students.
Try not to miss the FAFSA deadline next year 😊.
