Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

FAFSA is an acronym for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This is a form that can be completed each year by current and new college students (both graduate and undergraduate) to determine their eligibility for student financial aid. It is availabe in the United States and include:

• The Pell Grant
• Federal Student Loans
• Federal Work-Study

This application is for consideration of the nine federal student aid programs and the 605 state and most of the institutional aid available.

Application can be submitted from January 1 of each year for the following academic year. Each application period lasts for eighteen months.

The majority of federal, state, and institutional aid is provided on a first come basis so students are advised to submit a FAFSA as early as possible for to maximize their chances for financial assistance.

Although application who have already submitted a FAFSA in previous years may submit it again (a renewal FAFSA) they need to update any information that has changed.