FAFSA stands for "Free Application for Federal Student Aid".

What does that mean for you? Free money!

​The FAFSA is used by colleges and universities to determine how much help you need financially. Most schools require you to fill out the FAFSA to be eligible for any of their scholarships as well, even those that aren't need based (like academic scholarships, for example).

​The FAFSA is used by Federal Student Aid, an office of the Department of Education. That means you can count on your information to be safe and secure.

​

​​Anyone who plans to pursue post-secondary education should fill out the FAFSA.

​​In very special circumstances, people will not qualify for federal aid. Refer to the links below to see if you qualify and if you still have questions, or think you don't qualify, set up an appointment with Mrs. Young or a counselor to discuss it.

​If you are an undocumented or DACA-mented student, see the fact sheet below for more information about financial aid that is still available to you, and the steps you may need to take to secure it.

​If your parents are undocumented, but you are documented, then you are able to fill out the FAFSA. In fact, the FAFSA doesn't ask about your parent's status.

​Sometimes, giving this information to the federal government can be very scary for families. Please know that ​no information given on the FAFSA will be given to other federal departments, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

For those completing a 2024–25 FAFSA form, you need the following information:

• Your Social Security Number

• Your A-Number (if you're not a U.S. citizen)

• Federal income tax returns, records of child support received; and your current balance of cash, savings, and checking accounts (Note: You must provide consent and approval to disclose your federal tax information to be eligible for federal student aid.)

• Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable), net worth of investments, businesses, and farms

• Records of untaxed income (if applicable)

• An FSA ID (account username and password) to log in to StudentAid.gov and start the FAFSA form electronically

For those completing a 2023–24 FAFSA form, you need your Social Security number, your Alien Registration number (if you’re not a U.S. citizen), your federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned (Note: You may be able to transfer your federal tax return information into your FAFSA form using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool)

If you're a dependent student, then you will also need most of the above information for your parent(s).