Completing your FAFSA has never been easier, now that the Florida Prosperity Partnership (FPP) and its partners have made available tax assistance free to eligible Floridians at www.FreeFLTaxSites.org.
With this website, anyone in the state can find a location near them for help completing their tax returns with a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Volunteer. Tax filers preferring to complete the form from the comfort of their own home can also get help through the Facilitated Self-Assistance website with IRS-certified volunteers standing by to answer questions. Most free tax prep services are available to people who earn $62,000 or less per year.
Tax returns are needed to complete the FAFSA, which determines students’ eligibility for over $150 billion in federal loans, grants, and work-study to help students attend college or technical school each year. Individuals without completed 2015 tax returns can still complete a FAFSA with previous year estimates, given that they correct any differences after the current year taxes are filed.
To ensure that you get the best financial aid package possible, complete taxes well before this year’s tax deadline of April 18. Research from this year shows students who complete the FAFSA in January, February or March receive twice as much state and institutional aid than those who complete the form later.
To learn more about free tax assistance in Florida, please visit www.FreeFLTaxSites.org.