Who Needs to Be Trained and in What?

One of the roles partners can play is providing hands-on support to students and families as they complete the FAFSA form. Some partners probably have staff with the know-how to not only help students but to help train other volunteers who might not be so familiar with the FAFSA. These partners may include:

• Staff from the financial aid offices of a postsecondary institution.
• Staff from a college access organization.
• Some counselors from K-12 with the appropriate training.

If volunteers from other sectors will be helping students complete the FAFSA, they will need to be trained in the basics. It might be best to refer students with unique situations to the FAFSA completion "experts."

Tools for Training: There are many places to get training materials, but the first place to look is the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Federal Student Aid. Other places to look for resources are the Form Your Future and NCAN websites.

Timing of Training: Ideally, anyone who will be assisting students will be trained before the Oct. 1 opening of the FAFSA.

Blogs, Webinars, and E-learning Courses:

• Blog post: Tips for Filing the 2022-23 FAFSA (English | Spanish)
  
• E-learning course: FAFSA Completion 101
• E-learning course: FAFSA Completion 201
  

Other Resources:

• Got FAFSA Training? – Effective FAFSA Completion Training Formats
• Center for New York City Affairs: "FAFSA: The How-To Guide for High School Students (And the Adults Who Help Them)"(Available in 10 languages)
  
• DIY FAFSA Kit for Counselors
• Federal Student Aid (FSA): Draft 2022-23 FAFSA Form (English | Spanish)
  
• FSA: 2022-23 FAFSA Preview Presentations (for website and mobile app)
  
• FSA: 2022-23 FAFSA on the Web Worksheet (English | Spanish)
• FSA: 2022-23 FAFSA Demo Site
• FSA: Federal Student Aid Estimator (This tool has replaced the FAFSA4Caster.)
  
• Get2College: Video: Easy Filling Out the 2022- 23 FAFSA Tutorial for Dependent Students
  
• Get2College: Video: Easy Renewing the 2022-23 FAFSA Tutorial
• NASFAA: Video: Completing the FAFSA via Mobile App - 2022-23 Edition