The U.S. Department of Education has created an excellent tool that you can use for your planning purposes. The FAFSA4caster is a great tool for those planning for college and wanting to get an early start.
Cautions
Actual financial aid awards will vary greatly depending on the school a student attends, the Cost of Attendance at that school, and the federal aid available to the school for awarding.
Completing the FAFSA4caster does NOT replace completing the actual application later.
Students and families must complete a FAFSA in order to receive federal financial aid.
Benefits
Families will receive an estimated "Expected Family Contribution" (EFC) prior to actually completing the FAFSA. (The EFC is an index used to calculate financial aid awards.)
You will see what types of aid you may receive.
Reminders will be sent to you to complete the actual FAFSA.
When you complete the FAFSA, some of the questions will have pre-filled information based on your answers on the FAFSA4caster.