FAFSA & Financial Aid
At a Glance...
Financial aid is money to help pay for college or career school. Grants, work-study, loans, and scholarships help make college or career school affordable.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®)
As soon as possible after its Oct. 1 release, complete and submit your FAFSA® form, along with any other financial aid applications your chosen school(s) may require. You should submit your FAFSA form by the earliest financial aid deadline of the schools to which you are applying, usually by early February.
After you submit the FAFSA form, you should receive your Student Aid Report (SAR) within three days to three weeks. This document lists your answers to the questions on your FAFSA form and gives you some basic information about your aid eligibility. Quickly make any necessary corrections and submit them to the FAFSA processor.
Residency Determination Services (RDS)
Seniors planning to attend college in NC must complete the Residency Interview with Residency Determination Services prior to completing the admission applications.
This applies to community colleges as well as to private and public universities.
To access RDS, visit cfnc.org or RDS Website
Log in using your CFNC username and password.
Complete the Residency Interview
Obtain your Residency Certification Number (RCN)
