Planning ahead is vital for a successful academic year and it’s never too early to start thinking about financial aid for next year. The 2020-21 FAFSA is available for filing beginning October 1 and getting an early start means you’ll have plenty of time to complete and submit your financial aid well before the deadline. Whether you’re a student or a parent, filling out FAFSA can be complicated and time-consuming, so it’s important to be careful in order to avoid costly mistakes. With these helpful tips, you can avoid dreading the deadline and rest easy knowing next year’s financial aid is secured.

Fill It Out Early

You may think that you have plenty of time to fill your FAFSA out, but putting off finishing it can cost you. Filling it out and submitting your FAFSA as soon as it’s available provides you with the opportunity to get the most financial aid available, as some financial aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. In some instances, states and colleges run out of money early, so make sure to complete your FAFSA early to avoid being left high and dry for the next academic year.

Get A FSA ID Before Starting Your FAFSA

Your FSA ID is an important part of completing your FAFSA as it allows you to electronically sign your FAFSA and submit it and access other Department of Education websites. Each FSA ID is unique and both parents and students will need to create their own separate IDs in order to avoid any delays that may result from a mix-up.

Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (IRS DRT)

One of the requirements for completing your FAFSA is supplying your financial information. The IRS Data Retrieval Tool lets you avoid the difficulty of finding old tax returns or risk entering the wrong data. In a few simple clicks, you can import your tax information quickly and accurately, reducing the risk of any errors. Simply click “Link to IRS” to use it.

Carefully Review Information Before Submitting Your FAFSA

Even the simplest mistake can have a serious impact your financial aid, delaying your application or affecting the amount of financial aid you receive, so before you submit your FAFSA it’s important to make sure everything is complete. Common mistakes include leaving too many fields blank, forgetting to list the colleges you plan to attend, or misplaced commas and decimal points. Mistakes often come from failing to read or misunderstanding directions so while you’re reviewing your information make sure you’ve filled everything out according to the instructions.

Sign and Submit

Until you’ve signed and submitted your FAFSA it’s still incomplete. Once you’ve reviewed all of your information and checked or corrected and mistakes you can submit your FAFSA electronically using your FSA ID.

If you’re looking for help with questions about making sure you have everything you need for your financial aid application, contact an experienced accountant like the ones at Donohoo Accounting Services. Schedule a free consultation at 513-528-3982 or email us today. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn for our latest updates!

Having a college degree is vital in today’s economy because a degree means higher wages, more career opportunities, greater job satisfaction and other benefits. But as college costs continue to increase it’s more important than ever to start saving for your children’s future as early as possible. These tips can help you get a head start and put your student on a path to higher education that leaves them with as little student debt as possible.

Put Yourself In The Right Financial Position To Start Saving

Parents are encouraged to start saving for their child’s college fund as early as possible, but before you do it’s important to make sure you’re in the right financial position. Paying off credit card or your own student loan debt, establishing an emergency savings account, as well as saving for retirement are important financial milestones to complete before establishing a college fund. Completing these milestones will help put you in the right financial position to start saving.

Research College Costs

With college costs continuing to rise, it’s important to make sure you’re saving enough to cover your future student’s tuition, living expenses, materials and fees. Researching and comparing the costs of attending public colleges both in and out of state with private universities and community colleges gives you an idea of what kind of costs to expect. This allows you to determine a time frame and budget.

Explore Different Savings Options

There’s a variety of different savings options available to start your college fund, and researching available plans will help you find the one that’s right for you. Education Savings Accounts (ESA) offer parents the opportunity to save $2,000 per year, per child that grows tax-free. While the money can be withdrawn tax-free when it’s ready to be used, you must meet a certain income limit to qualify and contributions are limited to $2,000 a year.

529 plans are an alternative to those looking to contribute more than $2,000 or don’t meet the income limits of an ESA. The high contribution rates offer the opportunity to quickly meet your goal and like the ESA, your money grows tax-free. While 529 plans provide parents great saving opportunities for a single child, restrictions may apply if the parents decide to transfer the funds to another child.

Find Out If You Qualify for Certain Tax Breaks

Qualifying for available tax breaks helps provide you with more money that can be put toward educational costs. If you’re eligible for the American Opportunity Tax Credit, you can get a credit of up to $2,500 that covers certain educational expenses while the Lifetime Learning Credit covers costs other than tuition and books including activity fees.

For help with questions about the best ways to save for your child’s future, contact an experienced accountant like the ones at Donohoo Accounting Services. Schedule a free consultation at 513-528-3982 or email us today. And don’t forget to check us out on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn for our latest updates!