We all make mistakes. Thankfully, some of them are correctable! That’s true for a number of errors you may make on your FAFSA. If you notice any mistakes on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid after you’ve submitted it, here are some steps to take.
Make a Correction
Making corrections for your FAFSA is extremely simple. You can do so online, by calling, or by mail. Online is by far the easiest and the quickest. The website has a button right there that says “Make FAFSA Corrections” under your application’s status for the year. This area also has places to check your current application and report as well as any past corrections you may have made.
One error that students notice is they may have written down the wrong college they’re applying to, or are deciding to apply to another school that wasn’t previously on the list. If you’re making this change however, remember that you can only have up to 10 schools listed online and the paper forms only allow for 4. If you add more than 10, you will overwrite a previous school.
You may have also written down the wrong email or mailing address or just made a simple typo such as typing 3 where a 2 should have gone. Remember to double check your form before you submit, but a majority of these changes are quite simple through FAFSA’s system if you do end up making a mistake.
Made an Error With Your Social Security Number?
If you made an error with your social security number, you sadly can’t correct that through the “Make FAFSA Corrections” section. If you see you typed your SSN incorrectly, you will want to contact your college for assistance. You may be asked to complete a new FAFSA under the correct number.
Make an Update
Some information is considered more of an update, rather than a correction. Circumstances change around your life so you can easily change that on the FAFSA. If you become pregnant or if there’s a change in the number of people living in your household, you should update your form.
For Special Circumstances
There are many aspects of the FAFSA that can’t be changed or updated once the form is submitted. Things like savings accounts for example are considered most accurate when first submitted. However, life happens and there are special circumstances that allow you to make other changes to your application.
One example of these special circumstances is recent unemployment of a family member or yourself, disabilities of the wage earner, loss of income, income variations, and other hardships. If you run into these or noticed you made a major error on your FAFSA you can’t seem to correct, you will want to contact your financial aid administrator at your future college. Adjustments like these can only be made through them. You will be asked to provide any related documents.
For a majority of errors and typos, fixing your FAFSA is easy as clicking a button. However, for more serious mistakes, you will want to talk to your financial aid administrator as soon as possible to get your application back on track.
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| Lender | Rates (APR) | Eligibility | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
5.81%-13.96%* Variable
4.43%-12.57%* Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT CITIZENS |
 |
6.37% - 16.70% Variable
4.50% - 15.49% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT SALLIE MAE |
 |
5.37% - 16.99% Variable
4.41% - 16.99% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT CREDIBLE |
 |
5.84% - 11.11% Variable
4.39% - 11.11% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT LENDKEY |
 |
6.03% - 15.94% Variable
4.48% - 15.66% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ASCENT |
 |
6.10% - 10.64% Variable
3.95% - 8.01% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ISL |
 |
5.39% - 16.20% Variable
4.42% - 15.90% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT EARNEST |
|
|
4.98% - 12.79% Variable
4.48% - 12.29% Fixed
|
Undergraduate and Graduate
|
VISIT ELFI |
