Applying for FAFSA

Independent – to be considered an Independent, you must be one of the following:

• 24 years old or older

• An orphan or Ward of the Court (or you were before becoming 18yo)

• Emancipated Minor or an Unaccompanied Youth At Risk of Homelessness on or after July 1st of the prior year

• An active duty member or veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces

• A College Graduate or working on your master’s or doctorate degree

• Married or can claim dependents, or you are currently pregnant (go to the definition of a dependent below)

• Have circumstances that are approved by our Financial Aid Office

• Please make an appointment to visit a Financial Aid Technician to determine if you qualify

Dependent – if you are 23 years old or younger, and you do not meet any of the above, you are generally considered a Dependent, even if you file your own tax returns and aren’t living with your parents.

• Your Social Security Number (SSN) and use your name exactly as it appears on your Social Security Card

• Your Driver’s License (if applicable)

• Your Alien Registration Number (if applicable)

• A valid email address for you and your parent, or spouse, if applicable

• Prior Prior Year’s (PPY) tax information – for example: if you are completing the 2021-2022 FAFSA, you’ll need your 2019 tax return and W-2 forms

• Independents – if you are currently married, you will need your spouse’s tax info.

• Dependents – you will need your parents’ tax information. If your parents are divorced, use the tax information of either the parent you have lived with for the past 12 months, or the parent who claims you on their tax return for that year.

• The FAFSA also has an IRS Data Retrieval Tool that will automatically enter the information that’s needed for your application from the tax return you sent to the IRS. You can also enter this manually, if you prefer.

• If you haven’t filed taxes yet, there is an option on the FAFSA to say you haven’t filed your taxes yet but intend to file. You can enter estimates of what you think the amounts will be, and go back later to enter the correct amounts. You always want to enter an answer for each question, even if it’s a zero (0).

• You, your parents, or your spouse didn’t file taxes and don’t plan to? There’s an option on the form for that, too!

• Records of any untaxed income, such as welfare, child support, or veteran’s non-education benefits (if applicable)

• Your bank statements and current business and investment records, if any

• A Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID)

• Independents – you will need one, and, if applicable, your spouse will need their own

• Dependents – you will need one, and your parent will need their own

• LASC Federal School Code: 007047

• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen (someone who is a permanent resident with documentation from the Immigration & Naturalization Service that verifies their stay in the U.S. is not temporary).

• Show you have financial need (through taxes and other information asked in the FAFSA).

• A high school diploma, GED, or state equivalency certificate. Some exceptions may apply.

• Over 16 years old and not also enrolled in any K-12 schools, secondary programs, or taking college credit to earn a high school diploma or GED.

• Have a valid Social Security number.

• Be enrolled or plan to be enrolled in college.

• Your Enrollment Status helps to determine your eligibility for financial aid. You can still apply for Financial Aid if you have not yet enrolled in LASC or registered for classes. LASC checks your Enrollment Status after the Add/Drop Class Deadline date of each semester.

• Have chosen a degree or eligible certificate program at LASC that’s listed in your Student Information System (SIS) account. If you have not yet enrolled at LASC or chosen a degree or certificate, you can still apply. You will need to meet with a counselor and choose one before you can receive your financial aid. Also, if what is listed in your SIS account is inaccurate, please contact Admissions & Records at 323-241-5321.

• Not in default on any federal loan (Stafford, subsidized, unsubsidized, etc.) or owe any repayment on a federal grant (PELL Grant, State Student Incentive Grant, etc.) from any school you have attended.

• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress towards your degree or certificate.

• Be aware of the Student Responsibilities when receiving financial aid.

• Have not been convicted of certain drug-related crimes (exceptions apply - make an appointment with LASC’s Financial Aid Office with any questions).

• If it’s required, registration with the Selective Service.

We have informative FAFSA Workshops to help answer your questions and help you complete your application!

Use this FAFSA Worksheet to help you prepare all of your information before completing your FAFSA.

Here are some tips when filling out your FAFSA:

• Don’t forget to list LASC’s Federal School Code: 007047.

• Remember to enter your name exactly as it is on your Social Security Card.

• Enter your permanent address, and not the college’s address or a temporary address.

• Double check to make sure your Social Security Number and Driver’s License numbers are correct. Even have someone else check it.

• Never leave a question blank! Always put something in each question needing a number, even if it is a ‘0’.

• Don’t use decimals or commas in the numeric fields, just round to the nearest dollar amount.

• Make sure to enter your Federal Income Tax Paid amount that’s from your income tax return, not from your W-2(s).

• When you list your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI), make sure it’s not the same amount as your total income. Usually, your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) is larger than your total income.

• Only select that you are married if you’re currently married, as they want to know what your marital status is on the day you sign your FAFSA.

• Verify that your parent’s marital status is listed correctly. They need to know if the parent whose tax returns are being used in your FAFSA is currently married or not. If they have remarried, you’ll need to make sure the step-parent’s information is listed, too.

• The application asks you what kind of aid you want. If you don’t know, select ‘All Available Aid.’ You can always turn down aid you don’t need after you get your financial aid package.

• You will be asked if you have received any benefits, such as being in a school lunch program. If you’re currently receiving these benefits, you may be eligible for increased aid.

• Don’t leave the question about drug-related offenses blank. If you’re unsure what to put, ask someone in our Financial Aid Office before you submit your FAFSA. If you have a conviction, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are disqualified from getting aid.

• Haven’t filed your taxes yet? You can still complete the FAFSA! Don’t wait! You can select in your FAFSA that you will be filing taxes later or do not plan to file them. The FAFSA is first-come, first-served aid. So, the sooner you submit it, the more likely you are to receive the maximum benefits you qualify for.

• The government will share your FAFSA information with more than one school, as long as you enter each school’s Federal School Code. Many schools offer different financial aid packages, so you can compare to find out which you like best. LASC’s Federal School Code is 007047.

• Make sure to review, sign, and date your FAFSA. And, if you are applying online, you’ll need to have created an FSA ID. If you needed to use your parent’s or spouse’s tax information, they will also need to create their own FSA ID (they cannot use yours) as they will be asked to review, sign, and date the document, as well.

Other tips:

• Don’t send a copy of your income tax returns. They aren’t needed and it may slow down processing your application.

• It’s a good idea to figure out how much money you’ll need for college before you accept all of the funding in your award letter. This is because you are only allowed to receive a PELL Grant for 12 semesters (about six years). If your goal is to get a bachelor’s degree while attending school part time, you will want to make sure you have enough funds and time left to attend your four-year institution. Read the ‘How Long Can I Receive Financial Aid’ question on our FAQs page for more details. Check out the cost of attendance. The Net Price Calculator helps you plan how much money you will need each year.

• You can get a paper copy of the FAFSA by calling 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243). Please note: submitting a paper copy of your application typically takes 2-3 weeks to process and send back to LASC. Completing your FAFSA online or with your phone takes 3-7 days to process and send back to LASC.

• Beware of scams! There are many third-party sites that say they will help you submit your FAFSA for a fee. The FAFSA is free to submit, and if you need any help, please contact us.

• You can only receive federal financial aid from one institution for any specific time period. If you are planning to take classes at another college or institution while receiving federal financial aid through LASC, or vice versa, you will need to read our Consortium Agreement on what you’ll need to do.