FAFSA
The FAFSA, or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is the form that the government, along with several colleges and universities, uses to determine how much financial aid college students should receive each year.
In general, federal student aid (financial aid from the government) is determined based on four factors:
Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
Year in school
Enrollment status (i.e. part-time or full-time)
Estimated Cost of Attendance (COA) at your intended school. Colleges and universities might use a similar method or a completely different one.
The FAFSA becomes available every year on October 1st. Students must complete the FAFSA each year. We recommend filling it out as early as possible as some awards are provided on a first-come, first-served basis. You can find state FAFSA deadlines here.