There’s still time to complete the FAFSA. Here’s where to get help applying for financial aid in Minnesota.

Hoping to attend college in the fall, but worried about how to pay for it?

You can still apply for state and federal financial aid.

“It’s not too late, and it’s worth it,” said Zoey Haines, program strategy manager for Achieve Twin Cities, a nonprofit that provides career and college readiness support to Minneapolis and St. Paul students.

This year, thousands of Minnesota students are behind on their financial aid paperwork because of glitches in a new version of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. That form qualifies students for many kinds of federal and state financial aid, including Pell Grants, Minnesota State Grants and the North Star Promise Scholarship.

“It is the gateway for nearly all financial aid,” said Isaiah Allen, senior director of external relations at College Possible Minnesota. (One exception: Undocumented students access state aid through the Minnesota Dream Act instead of the FAFSA.)

The federal government unveiled a new version of the FAFSA in January, aiming to simplify the process and allow students to draw information directly from their parents’ IRS tax forms. But the new form was delayed by several months, and had numerous glitches—making the process especially difficult for students whose parents are undocumented or had not filed taxes recently, or who do not rely financially on both parents.

Those delays and glitches led to decreases in financial aid applications nationwide. According to the National College Attainment Network , which tracks FAFSA completion, Minnesota FAFSA applications for graduating high school seniors are down by about 7% compared to the previous year—about 2,500 fewer students. That could mean fewer low-income students who receive financial aid—or it could mean fewer low-income students going to college altogether.

The good news: Counselors who help students complete these forms say that most of the bugs are now fixed. Haines and Allen say that for many students, it should now take only 15 to 30 minutes to fill out the form. More good news: schools, the state of Minnesota, and nonprofits have put together resources to help you fill it out. Here’s what you need to know.

Who should be filling out the FAFSA now?

“Anyone who wants to go to college in the fall and doesn’t have a financial aid package should complete the FAFSA,” Haines said.

That includes both new students and returning students. Though colleges often streamline the process for returning students, financial aid backlogs this year mean that some returning students are behind as well, Allen said.

Even if you haven’t applied to college yet, many state schools and community colleges accept applications until classes start, Allen said.

Why should I fill out the FAFSA?

Put simply: to receive help paying for college. This form could qualify you for federal and state grants, as well as support from your institution.

“Unless you intend to pay the entire cost of the college out of pocket, you need to do the FAFSA in order to get help paying for college,” Haines said.

Is it too late? Did I miss a deadline?

It’s not too late. The federal deadline to fill out the form for the upcoming school year is June 30 of next year. But higher education institutions have their own deadlines—and will generally want students to have their paperwork in before they start classes.

“If you want financial aid support in the fall, you need to complete it before the school year starts,” Allen said.

Didn’t you say the new form is glitchy? Will it be hard to fill it out?

Counselors say that, while the system was initially glitchy, most of the bugs have been fixed.

Haines encouraged students who ran into issues with their form previously to try again. “Now so many of those glitches have been resolved that it’s worth it to go back in and make that correction so it gets processed in time for fall,” she said.

Now that many of the bugs have been fixed, she said, “It truly is a lot faster than the previous FAFSA form used to be.”

Both she and Allen stressed that for many students, the form can be completed in 15 to 30 minutes.

What will I need to fill out the FAFSA?

You’ll need to know your tax identification number, which is probably your Social Security number. Your parents or guardians who contribute to your FAFSA will need to provide their Social Security numbers or other government identification numbers linked to their taxes as well, Allen said.

Allen said that in the past, students could fill the form out largely on their own. But the new system requires parents to log in directly to submit their tax information, and link it with their student’s form.

Key steps in the process for students include creating a login and ID, inviting their parents or guardians to join their FAFSA form, and listing the colleges to which they want to send their information, Haines said.

Most financial information will now come directly from the IRS, though students or parents may have to add some information manually, Haines said.

I’m undocumented and don’t qualify for federal student aid. Are there other forms available for me?

Yes. Only citizens and “eligible non-citizens” can fill out the FAFSA and qualify for federal student aid. But in Minnesota, undocumented students are still eligible for state aid. You can fill out the form for the Minnesota Dream Act.

That form has not had the same kinds of issues with glitches, Haines said.

What resources are available to help me fill out my financial aid paperwork?

If you want help filling out your FAFSA, you can call a hotline, speak with a chatbot, schedule a one-on-one appointment or attend an event.

Hotlines:

• Federal FAFSA hotline: 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243)
• Minnesota Office of Higher Education hotline: 1-651-642-0567 or 1-800-657-3866, press 2.

Chatbot:

You can connect with Wyatt, the FAFSA Chatbot, at https://www.getfafsahelp.org/northstar/ .

Schedule a one-on-one appointment: Any Minnesota student hoping to attend college in the fall can schedule a one-on-one appointment with College Possible staff at https://www.collegepossiblefafsa.org/ .

Recent alumni of Minneapolis Public Schools and St. Paul Public Schools can reach out to Achieve Twin Cities financial aid professionals, schedule an appointment or attend library drop-in hours. More information is available here .

You can also reach out to the college you plan to attend with any questions or to schedule an appointment.

Events:

• Tuesday, July 30, 6-8 p.m.: Attend a virtual FAFSA completion party sponsored by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education. The event will include an open Q&A session with breakout rooms for students and families who want one-on-one support in English, Somali, Hmong and Spanish. You can register here .
• Thursday, August 1, 2:30-4:30 p.m., FAFSA/Dream Act workshop, Normandale Community College. Sign up here . This event is open to Normandale students first, but others are welcome at open office hours 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, or 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Thursdays.
• Thursday, August 8, and Thursday, August 22, 4-8 p.m.: Meet with College Possible staff to fill out the FAFSA or Minnesota Dream Act forms. Computers are provided; just bring your personal information. These sessions will be held at the Capital One Cafe at the Mall of America , 132 South Ave., Bloomington.
• Thursday, August 22, through Monday, September 2: Get started on your financial aid paperwork at the State Fair. College Possible volunteers will be at the Office of Higher Education booth in the Education Building.

Are resources available in languages other than English?

Yes. The July 30 virtual FAFSA completion party will have support available in Somali, Spanish and Hmong. College Possible’s FAFSA website also has information available in Somali , Spanish and Hmong . College Possible also works with an interpretive service that can provide support in many languages.

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