Apply For Federal Aid

Everything begins with the FAFSA — the Free Application for Federal Student Aid

You will get used to talking about the FAFSA, because you file one for every academic year. With one application, you are applying for several different types of federal aid.

Set up a FSA ID

A FSA ID is needed to submit your FAFSA, access federal websites and sign your loan promissory note. It also serves as your legal signature and is tied to your Social Security number. If you’re a dependent student, at least one parent needs a FSA ID in order to sign the FAFSA and apply for a parent PLUS loan. You’ll only create your FSA ID once, but will use it often as a student.

Applying Online

The online FAFSA application takes less than an hour if you have all your documents. The FAFSA is necessary to be considered for grants, loans, work-study, and some need-based scholarships. Keep in mind that there are typically two FAFSA applications open at one time. Please be sure to fill out the right one for the academic year you are applying for. Our academic year runs from fall to summer.

We highly recommend using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to import your tax information directly into the FAFSA.

*Don’t forget to pay close attention to important dates and deadlines.