Every year about 22 million people fill out FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to see what kind of grants, loans, and other forms of student aid they qualify for.
The application process uses tax returns from two years ago to determine what applicants qualify for. One problem some families run into is that their income today may not be close to what it was back then.
An advisor at Lansing Community College says those students need to reach out to their school's financial aid office where they can file what they call a special circumstance. This could allow them to base the filing on the current tax information to reflect their current household income.
In Michigan students planning to start college in the fall have until March 1st to submit the form. You can get started and find answers to common questions on the Federal Student Aid website.
