Help keep your personal information safe when filling out a FAFSA
Would you be nervous if you were asked to fill out an online form with your social security number, driver's license number, income tax return, bank statements, and investment records? If you want to use the Web-based version of FAFSA—the United States government's Free Application for Federal Student Aid—you'll need to enter that information and more. So how can you tell whether you're giving this sensitive personal information to the right people? Do you know how to tell the official FAFSA site from other, for-profit services, or from scam attempts?
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/privacy/fafsa_security.mspx
On This Page
Entering personal information on the Web
You should always consider very carefully before entering any personal information on a Web site. When you're filling out a FAFSA, be sure that your Internet browser is set to the highest level of security and that you've got the latest security updates and software.
Using the FAFSA Web site
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ is the home page for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid program. It is easily distinguishable from other allegedly FAFSA-related Web sites by its Web address that ends in .gov.
This distinction can help you in two ways:
| • |
.gov sites are reserved for U.S. government-related use. But other types of Web addresses, such as those ending in .com, .net, .org, and .us, can be given to anyone, and they can say anything they want. Private services that claim to be FAFSA-related are distinguishable from the free, official government service if they are available through a Web site that ends in anything other than .gov. |
| • |
.gov sites are harder to acquire, so they are harder to "spoof" or fake. |
If you visit the FAFSA site through a suspicious link, or you think you might have stumbled upon a fake FAFSA site, do not click any links on the Web site and close your browser window. Then, open a new browser and go to the Federal Student Aid Web site, http://studentaid.ed.gov/. From there, you can navigate to the FAFSA site by clicking the FAFSA logo on the left navigation bar.
Adding and changing personal information
The only way you can add or change your FAFSA account information online is by visiting http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ and entering the PIN you received upon application. For more information on how to use your PIN, visit http://www.pin.ed.gov/PINWebApp/pinindex.jsp
Note: It is very important that you not share your PIN, or any information related to it (your social security number and birthday). This information, along with your last name, could allow anyone to access, alter, or disable your financial aid information on the FAFSA Web site.
Unsolicited e-mail
If you receive unsolicited e-mail requesting information from you related to your FAFSA account, or offering additional financial aid deals and services, whomever it appears to be from, keep in mind that:
| • |
Unsolicited commercial e-mail is considered spam, and can contain misinformation, links to scam Web sites, or cleverly disguised attempts designed to steal your personal information. |
| • |
Do not click any links or respond to e-mail requesting your PIN or any other FAFSA-related information. Your application is created, completed, and updated through the secure FAFSA Web site, not through e-mail. If you are unsure about a seemingly FAFSA-related e-mail, contact the agency by telephone (1-800-433-3243) or visit the FAFSA Web site directly (http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/) and navigate to the page in question. |
| • |
FAFSA is a free service available to all United States citizens. Some legitimate companies might offer assistance with your FAFSA application, but this could also cost you money. |
Fee-based FAFSA help
If you choose to use a fee-based or no-cost service that offers help with FAFSA, be sure to research the service very carefully before providing any personal information or your credit card number. Also consider that, while no site can offer absolute security, the official FAFSA Web site is considered very secure, and it has won numerous awards for best practices on the Internet.