Correcting or Amending your FAFSA After Submission

By Amy Johnson
 
Did you know that once your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) has been processed, you may make certain types of changes to it?

Changes you can make:

1.  Corrections, if you made a mistake:
If you made a mistake on the information you reported, you should correct it.  Please note, however, that most of the questions on the FAFSA want to know your situation as of the day you sign the FAFSA.  For example, if you got a new job and your income changed two months after you filled it out, that is not a necessary correction.  However, if you listed the wrong net worth or income by mistake, then you should make that correction.

2.  Changes to contact information:
You should update changes to your mailing address, email address, and other contact information, if it has changed.

3.  Dependency status:
You must update anything that changes your dependency status (for instance, you are now pregnant or are now in legal guardianship) except a change in your marital status. If your marital status changes, you must speak to the financial aid office to determine whether you may update the FAFSA.

4.  Selected for FAFSA verification:
If (and only if) you are selected for verification of the FAFSA information by the school, you may have to make some necessary changes – specifically regarding number of people in the household or number of people in college.  About 30% of applicants are selected for the verification process, which requires additional documentation to check the accuracy of your application.

5.  Adding a Federal School code: 
If you want to make your FAFSA information available to an additional school, after submitting the FAFSA, you may add that school’s code by amending your FAFSA.  Note that only 10 schools can be listed on your FAFSA at one time.  If you add an 11th school, you’ll be able to choose which school to replace with the new school.  The school that was removed will not be able to see any of your updated information.
 
Changes you can’t make:

1.  Wrong SSN:
If you listed the wrong Social Security number (SSN), that information cannot be corrected.  Instead, you should contact the financial aid office at the college you plan to attend and see if they need you to complete a new FAFSA.

2.  Updating information that has changed:  
As noted above, most information on your FAFSA cannot be updated because it must be accurate as of the day you originally signed your FAFSA.  The example given by studentaid.ed.gov is “if you spent some of your savings after filing the FAFSA, you may not update your information to show a change in that amount.”  If there is a significant change in your financial status, you can always talk to the financial aid office at the college the student plans to attend to see if your financial status may affect the financial aid the student be given from the school.

How to make changes to the FAFSA

1.  Log into fafsa.ed.gov
   1. Click on “Login” and enter your information
   2. On the My FAFSA page, click “Make FAFSA Corrections.”
   3. Enter your FSA ID (username and password).
   4. Change the information.
   5. Submit the new information.

OR

1. Write in the corrections or changes on your paper Student Aid Report (SAR), sign it, and mail it to the address listed on the SAR.  More information about the SAR can be found here:  https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/next-steps/student-aid-report

OR

1.  Check with the financial aid office at the school you plan to attend; they may be able to make changes electronically.

 Reference:  https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/next-steps/correct-update