Financial Aid: Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Start Your FAFSA Application
Go online at FAFSA.gov and apply starting December 2023, to be eligible for scholarships, loans, grants, etc. for school year 2024-2025.
Click here to start your worksheet or application today!
Important Notes:
https://fafsa.gov/ – Make sure you apply at .gov (not .com)
This is a FREE application; beware of scams that will try to charge you for this service. The FAFSA must be completed each year the student is in college.
FSA ID’s - The Student & the parent must apply for their FSA ID’s (separately and with their unique email addresses). This is required to electronically submit the FAFSA. Make sure this is an email address that is checked routinely.
Make sure to apply with the student’s legal name that matches their social security card. This should be the same name listed on their college applications.
Use your 2022 IRS tax return information to submit your application for the 2024-2025 school year starting December. The IRS Retrieval Tool (DRT) is available to electronically fill in the 2022 data. The data will appear "encrypted" in order to maintain privacy.
School Selection – Add the schools to which you are applying. If you are considering any California schools, make sure to list one in the first slot. The California Student Aid Commission only sees the 1st slot for determining Cal Grant eligibility. If you have more schools than slots available, then you will need to complete & submit the FAFSA application. Wait 24 hours, then log-in again & remove the schools on the list, add the additional school names, and re-submit the FAFSA application. If you make any updates/changes to your application, you will have to repeat this process for all of the colleges on your list. Colleges will not see other schools listed on a student’s FAFSA.
The FAFSA can be electronically submitted /signed using the student and parent FSA ID.
Upon submission, you will receive a Confirmation Page with your Confirmation Number and Data Release Number (DRN). Make sure you print a copy of this page for your reference!!
Student Aid Report (SAR) – A Student Aid Report will be sent electronically to your student/parent and will summarize the FAFSA information, specifically the “Student Aid Index (SAI)". The SAR will be sent electronically within 3-5 days after electronically submitting the FAFSA (2-weeks, if FAFSA is submitted by paper). The SAR will be sent by U.S Postal within 3-weeks if the FAFSA (online or paper) was submitted without a valid email address.
Student Aid Index (SAI) –Schools use the SAI to determine your federal student aid eligibility and financial aid award.
