Completing the FAFSA®

When you complete the FAFSA, you are taking an important step to achieve your college and career goals. If you need money to help you pay for college (and who doesn't?), the FAFSA is necessary to determine your eligibility for federal financial aid as well as funding from state or local programs.

Alert!

The 2024-2025 FAFSA is scheduled to be released in late December! You will need to create your FSA ID now to be prepared. You and anyone contributing to your FAFSA (like a parent) will need an FSA ID. Find tips on what you should do while you wait for the FAFSA here, and view step-by-step instructions on how to create your FSA ID below.

Create an FSA ID

WHAT IS THE FAFSA?

The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It determines your eligibility for federal financial aid (federal grants and student loans), and it helps other organizations, such as state governments and private foundations, to determine your eligibility for their financial aid programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I complete the FAFSA?
Who should complete the FAFSA?
When should I complete the FAFSA?
How do I complete the FAFSA?
What happens after completing the FAFSA?

Need Help Completing the FAFSA?

Filling out the FAFSA can be a little overwhelming. But if you take the time to gather the information needed and then lean on the resources available to help, you will complete the application – and it will be easier than you think. Get support from the professionals who work with the FAFSA everyday. You won’t regret it.

For more questions about filling out the FAFSA, what it requires or the application process itself, please visit studentaid.gov.

FAFSA Support Resources

Your School Representative
Financial Aid Night Events
College Financial Aid Offices
Mapping Your Future

Related Resources

Financial Aid
Paying for College
Cost of College

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