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Gage & Emanuel, Opportunity Scholars

Completing the FAFSA or WASFA

When you apply for a scholarship through WSOS, you must also submit that year’s FAFSA or WASFA. Follow the steps below to complete your FAFSA or WASFA. You can find more information on the FAFSA and WASFA websites or below in the FAQs.  

We are aware that applicants and families may face issues and obstacles when completing their financial aid paperwork.

We recommend all applicants and families complete their financial aid paperwork as soon as possible.

FAFSA Completion Steps

View the WASFA Completion Steps
  1. Create an FSA ID account, which gives access to the FAFSA and allows you to sign in electronically.  
    • Create your FSA ID as soon as you can, as it can take one to three days for your information to be confirmed. 
Create an account
  1. If your parent(s)/guardian or spouse must contribute to your form, ensure each contributor creates their own StudentAid.gov account. Even if a contributor doesn’t have a Social Security number, they can create an account when the FAFSA goes live.  
    • A contributor refers to anyone (you, your spouse, your biological or adoptive parent, or your parent’s spouse) required to provide information on your FAFSA or WASFA form.   
  2. Gather documents needed to complete the FAFSA; your contributors will need the same items.  
    • Your parents’/guardian’s SSNs if you’re a dependent student  
    • Tax returns  
    • Records of child support received  
    • Current balances of cash, savings, and checking accounts  
    • Net worth of investments, businesses, and farm  

Keep these records! You may need them again. Do not mail these supporting records to us.  

  1. Log in, complete the student application, and sign.  
  2. Once the student application is complete, all contributors (parents, guardians, spouses, etc.) will receive an email inviting them to complete the contributor application.   
  3. Contributor(s) complete their application and sign.  
  4. Once all contributor applications are received, you will be notified that the application has been successfully processed. You can also log back into your StudentAid account to see if you have received all signatures from contributors and if your application has been processed.   .

Additional resources

WASFA Completion Steps

  1. Visit the WASFA website. New users completing the WASFA questionnaire for the first time will be asked questions to determine if the WASFA is the appropriate financial aid application to complete. If it is, a link to the WASFA application is provided. If not, a link to the FAFSA is provided.  
  2. Create a new account. 
  3. Gather the documents needed to complete the WAFSA; your contributors will need the same items.   
    • Your income information. This includes bank statements, a W-2 or pay stub, and/or a federal income tax return.  
      • If you filled out a federal tax return, use tax return information from two years before the current year.   
    • Additional financial information – such as child support statements, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or welfare information, real estate, stocks or bonds investments, family business, or farm info.  
    • Your Social Security card or I-797 Form if you have current or expired DACA status (optional). 
    • If you are a dependent student (most students under 24 years old), you will also need most of the above information for your parent(s)  
  4. Complete the application.  
  5. Once you complete the electronic signature section, you will be redirected to the WASFA home site. If you are an independent student, your application is complete and will be sent to your prospective schools within 24 hours. YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE EMAIL CONFIRMATION.  
    • If you are a dependent student, you must invite your parents to sign your application electronically.   
  6. Once you select the “invite a parent to sign an application” button in the Actions column, it will bring up your parent choices.  
    • Choose only one parent and make sure their email address is correct.  
  7. Your parent will review the application, verify their information, and sign the form electronically. A Social Security Number is optional to be able to sign. Those without one will enter 0000 in the SSN question.  
  8. You will not receive confirmation once your application is complete. You must log back into your account to verify that all signatures have been added.   

Additional resources:

FAQs

What if I experience technical difficulties and cannot file my FAFSA or WASFA by the deadline for the Baccalaureate Scholarship?

In consideration of the many barriers students have faced with the implementation of the new FAFSA, we will extend conditional Baccalaureate Scholarship offers to students who are unable to meet the February 26 deadline for filing the FAFSA/WASFA. However, WSOS strongly urges all applicants to file as early as possible to ensure colleges are able to provide them with timely financial aid award packages. Selected Scholars who do not have a FAFSA or WASFA on file at their college by the time WSOS fall disbursements are scheduled (late July for semester schools, late August for quarter schools) will be withdrawn from WSOS

How do I send proof of FAFSA/WASFA to WSOS?

Don’t! We verify FAFSA/WASFA eligibility through data-sharing agreement with our state partner.

Can I receive the WSOS scholarship without filing the FAFSA or WASFA?

No, we cannot award you unless you have a current FAFSA or WASFA on file at your college in the Fall.

I am a current WSOS scholar. Do I have to file my FAFSA/WASFA again?

Yes, all current scholars are required to file a FAFSA or WASFA annually. WSOS will send you reminders in the Spring.

How do I check the status of my FAFSA application?

You can check the status of your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form by logging in and finding your application status in the Status Center under “My Activity,” which displays after you log in if you have already started or completed a FAFSA form. Learn more: How do I check the status of my FAFSA® form? | Federal Student Aid

Who can I contact with questions about my FAFSA form, or for help filling it out?

Email, chat, or call through the Federal Student Aid Information Center. Chat with Aidan®, the Federal Student Aid’s virtual assistant. Review the Federal Student Aid website’s Help page

I had a recent change in immigration status. Do I complete the FAFSA or WASFA?

This WASFA Questionnaire will help you determine if the WASFA application is right for you.

My parents/guardians are unwilling to provide their information for my FAFSA form. What can I do?

You can’t be considered independent of your parents/guardians just because they refuse to help you with the FAFSA; however, there are considerations for students with parents who are non-citizens, varying family structures, or unusual circumstances. Please review all of the situations discussed on this page.