Can the FAFSA process be automated?

Many students apply to dozens of colleges and universities each year, taking advantage of the federal programs offered by filling out a FAFSA or Free Application for Federal Student Aid. By using this form, students are able to determine their eligibility for educational funding offered through the United States Department of Education. These programs provide invaluable services such as work study programs, subsidized and unsubsidized loans, grants and scholarships. But for some students, the FAFSA is a long and tedious process. In this case, many have asked if there is an automated process for filling out the FAFSA. The short answer is “no,” though the long answer includes a “but.”

Because the FAFSA is used by schools to determine internally administered programs such as school-sponsored grants, scholarships, and work study, a FAFSA must be filled out on a school-to-school basis. However, the FAFSA form is identical regardless of what school you’re applying to. This means that with a little resourcefulness, you can automate the process yourself…sort of.

One way to do this is to create an Excel spreadsheet. First, you’ll need to fill out one copy of a FAFSA completely. Then, you can highlight and copy each segment of your answers on the form. Then, by using the ALT-TAB function on your pc, you can flip back and forth between the two: copy answer fields from the FAFSA you’ve filled out and saved and then paste it into your Excel document. You can then navigate to each school's website and reverse the process- dumping information from the Excel sheet into the new FAFSA and submit to the respective school.

But even this process is a little tedious. A faster solution would be to fill out one FAFSA in entirety, then make a bunch of photocopies of it and send it to the schools of your choice the old-fashioned way: snail mail. Some of you might be too young to understand what snail mail is ( ;-P ) - it’s the process of sending paper or other materials through a postal service to reach its destination in a matter of days . . . or weeks if you’re unlucky. However, this is also a tedious process, and can prove quite costly depending on how many schools you are applying to.

The best solution for submitting multiple FAFSA’s? Fill out one copy completely and accurately. Store it in electronic format. Bring up the FAFSA submission form of 6-7 schools at a time using multiple browser windows. Attach, copy, paste, or otherwise include your electronic version of the FAFSA and submit to each school, using the ALT-TAB function to easily flip between screens. Then, rinse and repeat.