FAFSA

The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is the application submitted to determine if a student is eligible to receive federal and state grant money for college. The FAFSA for Fall 2023 will be available for completion on October 1, 2022. To qualify for need-based aid, all applicants must file the FAFSA. 

On September 14, 2015, President Obama announced significant changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process that will impact millions of students. Starting 2017-2018, students were able to:

• Submit a FAFSA Earlier: Students will be able to file a FAFSA as early as October 1 rather than beginning on January 1. The earlier submission date will be a permanent change, enabling students to complete and submit a FAFSA as early as October 1 every year.
• Use Earlier Income Information: Students will report income information from an earlier tax year. For example, on the 2022–23 FAFSA, students (and parents, as appropriate) can report their 2021 income information (already filed).

SCAM ALERT - The FAFSA is absolutely free. If you are on a website that is requiring a fee for processing the FAFSA, you are not on the correct website.

Steps to Complete the FAFSA:

1. Prior to completing the FAFSA, the parent/guardian and student must apply for a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID so that they may sign the application electronically. (The FSA ID replaced the Federal Student Aid PIN on May 10, 2015.)
2. Complete the FAFSA at  https://fafsa.ed.gov/ 
   When applying for financial aid, you'll need your FSA ID, income tax returns, W-2 forms, and other records of income. A complete list of what is needed is on the FAFSA site.