By Emma Patch
From Kiplinger’s Personal Finance
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) that determines students’ eligibility for federal grants, loans, and work study, became available on Oct. 1 for the 2023-24 academic year.
It typically takes from 30 to 60 minutes to complete the FAFSA (available at www.studentaid.gov), yet many students or their parents wait to file it or never file it at all. But the sooner you file, the more likely you are to qualify for a greater amount of aid.
Students who apply for financial aid during the first three months tend to get twice as much grant money as students who file the FAFSA later, says Mark Kantrowitz, author of “How to Appeal for More Financial Aid.”…