Already sent in your FAFSA and realized you made some mistakes?  Don’t sweat it.  We’re human; we all make mistakes, and correcting them is easier than you’d think.  Making FAFSA corrections is a common occurrence, and you can do it anytime.  Using the PIN number you get with your FAFSA, you can make fix your mistakes online by electronically submitting them through the FAFSA website.

If you lost your PIN or no longer remember it, you can request a duplicate.  However, if you request a duplicate or a new PIN, it takes one to three days to process the request, pushing back the time you can make your corrections just slightly.  If you can keep your PIN on hand or put it somewhere in case you forget it, that would help you make sure that you always have your number, so you don’t have to worry about going through the process of getting a new one in case you need to make corrections.

If you know you made a mistake on your FAFSA form, be sure to correct it.  Any errors such as incorrect responses or spaces left blank will result in you losing financial aid.  Be sure to double check everything before sending in your form.  If responses you entered have changed, it’s not an issue to go back and correct them, just make sure that you do!  You don’t want to risk losing valuable financial aid money.

In order to correct your completed FAFSA form, you will need to go back to your saved online application. Again, this website is www.fafsa.ed.gov.  Remember the handy PIN number we spoke about in previous blogs? If you have it readily available great if not you can request your PIN once again. You will then identify the school year that you wish to make corrections to from a drop down list.

From there, it is simple. Just make the changes you need to make. Simply, enter the appropriate information in the box next to your original response. If you are a dependent student, a parent will have to sign the correction form. A parent signature will be provided through the use of a parent PIN or by having your parent print, sign, and mail the signature page. You will need to complete all steps and receive a confirmation at the end to ensure your changes are effective.

If you completed a paper FAFSA, you can make corrections on a paper form and once again return the form by mail.

Need to make a very simple change? If your FAFSA had been signed and processed, there are a couple of corrections that can be made by phone. You can either change your address or change your school by phone. This can be done by calling 1-800-433-3243. You will need the student’s name, date of birth, address, and social security number for identification purposes. You will also need to provide the Data Release Number that is located on your Student Aid Report.

Now that you have completed your corrections, you can expect to receive a new Student Aid Report (SAR) that will reflect the corrections made. If you EFC (Expected Family Contribution) is affected, you will also see this change on your new SAR. Finally, your college will adjust your financial aid package accordingly.

Things you cannot change:

• Your social security number. If it was incorrect, you will need to start over.
• Marital status. Unless it was incorrect on the day you submitted your application.
• Your financial information. Unless it was incorrect on the day you submitted your application.