Complete Your FAFSA

What is the FAFSA?

FAFSA is short for “Free Application for Federal Student Aid.” It’s basically a way of collecting your financial information (and your parent’s information if you are a dependent), and determining how much federal student aid you will qualify for. If you don’t fill out the FAFSA each year, you won’t qualify for financial aid for the following school year.

When to Complete the FAFSA

You can submit the FAFSA after January 1 for the following school year. The deadline to complete the Federal FAFSA is June 30. Note that your state’s deadline may be different than the federal deadline.

The FAFSA website states “remember to apply early before funds run out” under the state deadline section. That’s good advice in general. Apply as early as you can, so that you are at the front of the line for free money.

You’ll need to complete the FAFSA for the first time as a high school senior, or the year before you plan to attend college. Expect the first FAFSA to take a considerable amount of time. You and your parents (if you are a dependent), will need to fill out very detailed financial information – so be prepared. Once you complete the FAFSA, you will receive a FAFSA pin (personal identification number). Your FAFSA pin is basically your security code to access your information year after year. Make sure you store your FAFSA pin in a safe, locked environment so that nobody can get access to your financial information.

After you complete your FAFSA for the first time, you will only need to complete what is called a renewal FAFSA in subsequent years. The renewal FAFSA is usually quicker, because you are just updating your financial information instead of starting from scratch.

Where to Access the FAFSA

The government’s website for the FAFSA is www.fafsa.ed.gov. Completing the FAFSA is free, so beware of sites that charge a fee.

After You Submit the FAFSA

Using your FAFSA pin, you can log on to www.fafsa.ed.gov and check the status of your application. Once your application is processed, you and your school(s) will receive a Student Aid Report, or SAR. If you completed your FAFSA electronically, your SAR could come within a few days. Read our page on understanding your Student Aid Report to learn more.

What You Gain by Filling out the FAFSA

The FAFSA is your ticket to federal student aid, including free money like college grants. Additionally, you need to fill out the FAFSA to qualify for low-cost federal education loans. If you don’t get enough in scholarships and grants, federal loans should be your next stop. Your state government and your school might also use the data you provided on the FAFSA to qualify you for state grants, scholarships and possibly other financial aid programs.