SJR State to hold fall FAFSA Frenzy on Oct. 5

ORANGE PARK – St. Johns River State College will present “FASFA Frenzy,” on its three campuses this fall. The event will provide free assistance to qualified families applying for college financial aid. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is the first and most important step in applying for financial aid.
“Finances should not be a barrier to attending college,” said SJR State’s Financial Aid Director Suzanne Evans. “Each year, at least half of high school graduates are eligible for free aid, yet millions of dollars in Pell Grant funds go unclaimed.”
Students and potential students attending the FAFSA Frenzy event will receive FREE step-by-step instructions for completing and submitting the FAFSA, along with the Florida Financial Aid Application. Computers will be provided. Filling out the FAFSA doesn't obligate students to a particular career track or college.
The Orange Park campus will entertain applicants from 6-8 p.m. on Oct. 5. The final session will start at 7:30 p.m. in the D Building.
Students can base their financial information on the previous year’s tax return. Potential students intending to enroll in college during the 2022-23 academic year are encouraged to complete the form as soon as possible, as some funds are awarded on an as-needed basis while others are awarded first-come, first-served.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, the top seven myths associated with financial aid are:
Myth No. 1: My family makes too much money for me to qualify for aid.
There is no income cut-off for federal student aid. Your eligibility for financial aid is based on a number of factors and not just your income. Plus, many states and schools use your FAFSA data to determine your eligibility for their aid. If you’re not sure what you will get, the best way to know for sure is to complete the application.
Myth No. 1: I need to file taxes before completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. You can use estimated information on your FAFSA so you’ll be able to submit it before you file taxes. In fact, many states and schools have financial aid deadlines well before the tax deadline. So completing your FAFSA earlier is a good idea. You might want to base your estimates on last year’s tax return, and once you file your taxes, you can log back in and update the information. You may even be able to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to automatically import your tax information into your FAFSA.
Myth No. 3: The FAFSA is too hard to fill out.
This is a very common misconception, but the FAFSA has come a long way! It’s easier than ever to complete online. The form uses “skip logic,” so you are only asked the questions that are relevant to you. And if you’ve filed your taxes, you can transfer your tax return data into your FAFSA automatically. As a result of improvements like these, the average time to complete the FAFSA is now less than 21 minutes. If you do get stuck, help is available by Web chat, e-mail and phone.
Myth No. 4: My grades aren’t good enough for me to get aid.
Eligibility for most federal student aid programs is not linked to your academic performance. However, you will need to maintain grades that your school considers satisfactory in order to continue receiving financial aid.
Myth No. 5: My ethnicity or age makes me ineligible for aid. There are basic eligibility requirements, but ethnicity and age are not considered.
Myth No. 6: I support myself, so I don’t have to include parent info on the FAFSA. This is not necessarily true. Even if you support yourself and file taxes on your own, you may still be considered a dependent student for federal student aid purposes. You can determine your dependency status by answering these questions. If you are independent, you won’t need to include your parents’ information on your FAFSA. But if you are dependent, you must provide your parents’ information.
Myth No. 7: I already completed the FAFSA so I don’t need to complete it again.
You need to complete the FAFSA every year you plan to attend college or career school. Don’t worry; it will be even easier the second or third time around since a lot of your information will be pre-populated on the application.
To complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, students/parents will need to bring the following:
• Social Security Number
• Driver's License Number
• Alien Registration Number (if not a U.S. citizen)
• Most recent federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned. (Note: You may be able to transfer your federal tax return information into your FAFSA using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.)
• Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable)
• Records of untaxed income (if applicable)
Facemasks are strongly encouraged during the campus event.

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