THE FINANCIAL COMPASS — FAFSA / MASFA READINESS CHECKLIST

Use this checklist to organize the process. Requirements can change, so verify every step at StudentAid.gov and with your school counselor or financial-aid office.

BEFORE YOU START
[ ] Confirm whether you should complete the FAFSA or the Massachusetts MASFA.
[ ] Check the current filing year and deadlines for your colleges and state aid.
[ ] Make a list of colleges, career schools, or programs that should receive your application information.
[ ] Identify every required contributor for the application.

ACCOUNT AND ID PREPARATION
[ ] Each required contributor creates and controls their own StudentAid.gov account.
[ ] Never share account passwords, verification codes, or signatures with anyone.
[ ] Record account usernames in a secure private place; do not put passwords in this worksheet.

DOCUMENT ORGANIZATION
[ ] Student Social Security number, when applicable.
[ ] Contributor Social Security numbers, when applicable.
[ ] Alien Registration number, when applicable.
[ ] Federal income-tax information or consent for required tax-data transfer.
[ ] Records of untaxed income, when requested.
[ ] Current balances of cash, savings, checking, and reportable investments, when requested.
[ ] College list and school codes, if needed.

AFTER SUBMISSION
[ ] Save the submission confirmation.
[ ] Review the FAFSA Submission Summary or MASFA confirmation for errors or action items.
[ ] Respond promptly to verification or document requests from colleges.
[ ] Compare grants, scholarships, work-study, loans, and estimated net price—not just the headline award.
[ ] Revisit the application each year that financial aid is needed.

PRIVACY NOTE
Do not write Social Security numbers, tax figures, bank balances, passwords, or account credentials on a shared or public copy of this checklist.

Official references:
https://studentaid.gov/
https://www.mass.edu/osfa/students/masfa.asp