Apply for financial aid

En Español

Apply for financial aid - complete the FAFSA

The first step in applying for financial aid is to complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), which collects information about you and your family's financial situation.

Normally, you should complete the FAFSA as soon as possible after October 1 in the year before you are requesting aid. However, for the 2024-25 academic year, the FAFSA was delayed and became available late December 2023. This one-time delay wass needed for federal financial aid updates.

Check with the schools you're interested in attending and your state department of higher education for specific FAFSA completion deadlines (some state deadlines are online).

  1. Apply for an FSA ID by Creating an Account at StudentAid.gov. The FSA ID allows you to sign the FAFSA electronically.
  2. Complete the FAFSA at StudentAid.gov as soon as possible after the FAFSA is available the year before you are requesting aid. Most years the FAFSA will be available on October 1, but for the 2024-25 academic year, the FAFSA was available in December 2023.
  3. Check with the school you are attending and your state department of higher education for specific deadlines.
  4. Have the following items for you and your parent(s), if applicable, on hand when you prepare to complete the FAFSA:
    • Income tax return
    • Other records of money earned, including untaxed income
    • Current bank statements
    • Business and farm records
    • Records of investments
    • Drivers' licenses
    • Social Security cards
    • Dates of birth
  5. Answer all questions.
  6. Sign the FAFSA electronically with your FSA ID. If you cannot use an FSA ID, you can print, sign, and mail the signature page.
  7. Watch for notification that your Student Aid Report (SAR) is available, usually within two weeks after submitting your completed and signed FAFSA.
  8. Review the financial aid offer/award letter you receive from each college listed on your FAFSA. The colleges you list on the FAFSA automatically receive your results and use them to prepare your financial aid package. The award letter lists the financial aid you are eligible to receive at that college.

Keep in mind:

  • If you filed a FAFSA in the previous academic year and provided your e-mail address, you will receive a renewal FAFSA notification from the U.S. Department of Education. When you file your renewal FAFSA, the majority of your data will be pre-filled - all you'll need to do is make the necessary corrections/revisions before electronically signing and submitting.
  • If you do not receive your SAR within two weeks after the date you submit your FAFSA, check the status of your application by logging back in to StudentAid.gov or calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4 FED-AID.