• Obtain the FAFSA:
• online.
• as a PDF file that you can download. 
• as a paper form. To receive a copy in English or Spanish, call 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243).
• Download and fill out the FAFSA on the Web worksheet. Filling out this worksheet makes it easier to fill out the FAFSA online.
• Complete and submit the FAFSA form as soon as possible after January 1. If you submit the form online, your information automatically is transferred to the U.S. Department of Education. If you submit a version through the mail, make a copy for yourself and mail the original. Note: It cannot be sent by overnight mail.
• Follow up after you submit the form. If you don’t hear anything within three weeks of the date you submitted your application, check your status through FAFSA on the Web. You can also check your status by contacting the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243).
• Review your Student Aid Report (SAR) to make sure there are no errors. The U.S. Department of Education will send your SAR online or in print. If you need to make corrections, go to www.fafsa.ed.gov and select “Make Corrections to a Processed FAFSA” or write corrections on the print report, sign it (along with a parent if you are dependent for financial aid purposes), and then return it to the address provided.
• Review financial aid packages from colleges. After the U.S. Department of Education sends your FAFSA information to the colleges you listed, each college takes a series of steps to determine your financial aid package. They:
• Determine financial need. Each college and university calculates the institution’s cost of attendance. This amount of money includes tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, transportation, and other personal expenses related to attending a specific college. The financial aid office will subtract the expected family contribution (the amount the U.S. Department of Education has determined your family can contribute to your college costs), which is listed on your SAR, from the cost of attendance to determine financial need.
• Analyze your eligibility for federal, state, and institutional aid. The office will first determine eligibility for grants and scholarships, followed by eligibility for work-study and then loans.
• Send you a financial aid package. When finished, the college will provide a financial aid package that lists the amounts of grants, loans, and work-study for which you are eligible. You will receive this information in a letter — commonly called the Financial Aid Award Notification.
• Review your Financial Aid Award Notification. Visit the Sallie Mae Web site for help understanding your Financial Aid Award letter and tips on what to consider when comparing award packages. 
• Fill out any additional aid applications that may be required. Some colleges require the College Scholarship Service (CSS) PROFILE application or may have their own forms that need to be completed. Check with each college you are applying to about their unique financial aid form requirements and application deadlines.
• Respond to inquiries. You may be asked by the college’s financial aid office to submit additional documentation (such as tax forms). This process is called verification and may be required because you were randomly selected by the U.S. Department of Education or because the financial aid office noticed incomplete or inconsistent information on your FAFSA. Make sure you submit the requested documentation as soon as possible; aid cannot be awarded until verification is complete.
  

— adapted from Indiana’s Guide to Paying for College: Step-by-Step Tips To Help High School Seniors Apply for Financial Aid, Learn More Indiana.