MEFA Institute: Helping Families Correct and Update Their FAFSA
This webinar is for school counselors helping families and students with filing, fixing, or updating their FAFSA. Many families have already submitted their FAFSA but have experienced issues or technical bugs. Families all over the Commonwealth need help in the weeks ahead at FAFSA filing events and individual meetings and calls. This webinar starts off with a presentation on the latest guidance for correcting and updating the FAFSA followed by a Q&A and discussion about how we can help students in Massachusetts get over the finish line filing their FAFSA ahead of deadlines.
Net Price Calculators
Do you wish there was a way to get an idea of how much a certain college may cost after your financial aid is awarded? There is! You can find this information by using a Net Price Calculator, and every college is required to have one on their website. Our short video explains how they work.
MEFA's SAI Calculator
Your Student Aid Index, also known as your SAI, is a number colleges use to determine your eligibility for financial aid. MEFA’s SAI Calculator allows you to type in information about your family's finances and receive an estimate of your SAI. Our video provides a quick tutorial on how to use the calculator.
What is a Good SAI?
Your SAI is your Student Aid Index, a number that represents your family’s ability to pay for one year of college. We’re often asked, “What’s a good SAI?” We provide an answer in our short video.
Financial Aid 101
This webinar provide information and clarity on the entire college financial aid application process. Learn about financial aid applications and types of financial aid, the factors that determine your aid eligibility, how colleges determine the amount of aid to offer, and the details of financial aid offers.
What to Expect When You Receive Your Financial Aid Offers and Guidance on Paying the College Bill
This webinar provides valuable guidance for high school seniors on understanding financial aid offers (which should start arriving in April) and different methods to pay for college costs. Topics include an overview of different types of financial aid, an explanation of how to calculate the balance due at each college, ways to pay the college bill, and how to make the college decision.
MEFA Institute: Helping Your Students and Families Create FSA IDs
Although the 2024-25 FAFSA will be delayed until December 2023, there are steps that students and families should take this fall to ensure they are ready to apply for financial aid once the FAFSA becomes available. One of the most important steps will be creating FSA IDs (usernames and passwords) for family members who need to contribute information on the new FAFSA.
Creating an FSA ID
MEFA's Associate Director of College Planning Jonathan Hughes explains how to create your FSA ID, who needs to create an FSA ID, and what your FSA ID will be used for even after college.
Navigating the Challenges and Delays of the New FAFSA
The new 2024-25 FAFSA is open, but some families have experienced difficulty navigating the application process. In this webinar for students and families, we review known issues, technical bugs, and workarounds (when available) of the new FAFSA. We also discuss the impact of the delayed FAFSA launch on financial aid deadlines and the release of financial aid offers, as well as the process of updating and correcting FAFSA data.
Understanding the FAFSA<sup>®</sup>
This webinar provides a detailed overview of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the main application for college financial aid. Learn step-by-step instructions on completing the application, helpful tips on answering questions correctly, and important next steps.