FAFSA® Filing Pro Tips
- Apply every year online at fafsa.gov. Watch a How-To Guide.
- Make sure we get your FAFSA, add our school code: 003896
- Attending UWM at Waukesha or Washington County? Be sure to use 003896!
- UW Help FAFSA information
- Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT)
- You will not see the information after it has been transferred from the IRS.
- You will receive a letter in the mail letting you know that the DRT has retrieved your tax information.
- If you are unable to use the DRT, pay careful attention when manually entering your information. Use the correct tax year! 2021 federal tax information is used for 2023-24!
- Make sure ALL information is accurate, especially the fields not retrieved from the IRS
- Avoid these common FAFSA mistakes
- Make sure your Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) is set up correctly so you can sign the FAFSA. Learn more about your FSA ID below!
- On July 10, 2022, FSA made additional updates to StudentAid.gov features designed to improve the information and self-service tools.
• Two-Step Verification – Customers who create a new account on StudentAid.gov will be required to set up and use two-step verification. • Customers who already have an account will have the option to set up two-step verification in their account settings. For more information check out the announcement on StudentAid.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
The acronym FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This is the first step to determining if you’re eligible for most state and federal financial aid. You can get a more detailed overview of the process by watching this short video.
At UWM, our school year begins with the fall term and ends with the summer term. That means if you wish to be considered for aid for Summer 2023, make sure you submit a 2022-23 FAFSA. If you plan to attend for Fall 2023, Winter 2024, Spring 2024, or Summer 2024 terms, you should be completing the 2023-24 FAFSA.
If you are submitting the 2023-24 FAFSA, you are required to use your 2021 tax information. Most filers can link directly to the IRS and use the Data Retrieval Tool (DRT). The DRT takes the guesswork out of transferring your information from your tax return to the FAFSA. It also lets the Financial Aid Office know the information is the most accurate it can be.
Filing now means no mad dash in August to get everything completed before the Fall semester begins. If you’re a current student, filing in October is a great time because you’ll also be on campus in case you need to ask our office any questions. You may have witnessed lines or experienced increased wait times at the beginning of the most recent semester. Avoid that by filing as early as possible!
Notification for new Panthers-to-be began in late December 2022! If you’ll be starting at UWM in Fall 2023 keep an eye on your email for a notification of your aid eligibility.
Current Panthers! Don’t think we have forgotten about you! Since financial aid is based on your academic performance and how much you have borrowed so far, your aid packages for next year get a little trickier. We plan to have offers out to you in April 2023!
Once you submit your FAFSA, be sure to monitor your PAWS to-do list! If you’ve been admitted, you have submitted your FAFSA, and there is nothing on your to-do list, all that’s left is to be patient! We will work to offer aid as quickly as possible.
The final date to submit a FAFSA is June 30 AFTER the academic year is over. However, you must still be enrolled in classes for financial aid to be offered. Please keep in mind that some financial aid programs run out of funding pretty quickly. Apply early to give yourself the best chance at receiving all types of aid.
Use your FSA ID Username and password to sign the FAFSA. You will also use this log-in information for other federal student aid sites. Here are some tips for making sure you set yours up correctly:
- Create while completing the FAFSA or in advance here.
- Do not create an FSA ID for anyone else.
- Do not use the same email as anyone else when creating.
- Keep a record of your FSA ID to use throughout your academic career.
- Check out this video and this handout for more FSA ID-specific tips!