You are a U.S. Citizen, national, or a permanent resident. (International students are not eligible.) You have a high school diploma or the recognized equivalent (GED). Students enrolled prior to July 1, 2012 may have established eligibility through an Ability-to-Benefit provision; however, other students must have the diploma or recognized equivalent (GED) to receive financial [...]
See Financial Aid and Scholarships for Undocumented Students.
Send in the form as soon as possible after October 1. Do not wait until your taxes are done. Although it is better to do your taxes early, it is ok to use estimates of your income, so long as they aren't very far off from the actual values. You will have an opportunity to [...]
No. Only the original FAFSA form produced by the US Department of Education is acceptable. Photocopies, reproductions, facsimiles and electronic versions are all not acceptable. (See DCL GEN-95-21.)
Yes. Many families mistakenly think they don't qualify for aid and prevent themselves from receiving financial aid by failing to apply for it. In addition, there are a few sources of aid such as unsubsidized Stafford and PLUS loans that are available regardless of need. The FAFSA form is free. There is no good excuse [...]
No. You can apply for financial aid any time after October 1. To actually receive funds, however, you must be admitted and enrolled at the college.
You cannot submit the form before this deadline because the need analysis process uses your financial information from the prior tax year when calculating eligibility for the upcoming award year.
Submit a FAFSA. To indicate interest in student employment, student loans and parent loans, you should check the appropriate boxes. Checking these boxes does not commit you to accepting these types of aid. You will have the opportunity to accept or decline each part of your aid package later. Leaving these boxes unchecked will not [...]
Yes. Most financial aid offices require that you apply for financial aid every year. If your financial circumstances change, you may get more or less aid. After your first year you will receive a "Renewal Application" which contains preprinted information from the previous year's FAFSA. Note that your eligibility for financial aid may change significantly, [...]
No. Parents are, however, responsible for the Federal PLUS loans. Parents will only be responsible for your educational loans if they co-sign your loan. In general you and you alone are responsible for repaying your educational loans. You do not need to get your parents to cosign your federal student loans, even if you are [...]
