FAFSA

• In the 2025-2026 school year, the FAFSA will open and be ready for submitted applications on October 1st, 2025. 

• The deadline to apply for the FAFSA will vary for the college you plan to apply/attend, so check their website to see if they have a FAFSA completion deadline; some colleges will not have a deadline. 

  • • If there is no deadline indicated, the last and final day to apply for the FAFSA will usually be around June 30th, 2026. However, please do not wait that long to apply for the FAFSA, the money distributed to students is a first-come-first-served, therefore the quicker you apply, the better your chances at receiving financial aid.

FAFSA Eligibility Requirements

• • Student must have financial need for need-based aid (you should still apply even if you aren't but there is no guarantee you'll receive much)

  • Are a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen

  • Are enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate program at an eligible college or career/trade school

If you do not meet these eligibility requirements, please connect with Mr. Billy to find alternative options.

FAFSA application here: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa 

1. Know When to Apply

• The FAFSA opens on October 1st, 2025

• Apply as early as possible—some financial aid is first-come, first-served

• Mark your calendar and check college and state deadlines too.

2. Create an FSA ID

Before you fill out the FAFSA, you and one of your parents/guardians (if you're a dependent student) need to:

• Visit studentaid.gov/fsa-id

• Create an FSA ID (username + password) & write the information down and keep it somewhere safe

• This lets you sign the FAFSA electronically and access your financial aid info later (do this a few days in advance—your FSA ID may take a little time to activate)

• Keep in mine, if your parent or an older sibling who has the same parent/guardian as you do previously attended college, then most likely they already have a FAFSA account and do not need to make another one. Check-in with them to see if this applies to them. If they don't remember the login, they can do the "forgot username/password" options to recover their login information.

Everyone only gets one FAFSA account as it is linked to their identity and their social security number. There is no way to "create a new account" if one already exists. If you are having trouble with this, connect with Mr. Billy in the CCRC.

3. Gather Required Information

You’ll need personal and financial details. Here’s what to collect:

• Student Information

  • Your Social Security Number (or Alien Registration Number if you’re not a U.S. citizen)

  • Your driver’s license (if you have one)

  • Your personal email address and phone number

• Parent(s)’ Information (if you’re a dependent)

  • Parents’ Social Security Numbers

  • Marital status and household info (e.g. number of people in the home)

  • Financial Documents (for you and your parent(s))

  • You’ll need tax info from two years prior to the school year you’re applying for, for example, if you’re applying for aid for the 2026–2027 school year, you’ll need 2024 tax returns.

Things you'll need:

• 2024 Federal tax returns (IRS Form 1040)

• 2024 W-2 forms and records of money earned

• 2024 Records of untaxed income (like child support received)

• 2024 Info on cash, savings, investments, and bank accounts

*GREAT TIP* Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) in the FAFSA to automatically import tax info—faster and more accurate.

4. Make a List of Schools You Want to Send your FAFSA To

• You can list up to 20 colleges or career schools on your FAFSA. Each will receive your info to create a financial aid package if you apply and get accepted.

• Tip: You don’t need to be accepted yet to list a certain school—just include any you’re considering.

5. Talk to Your Parent/Guardian(s)

Since their financial info is needed (if you’re a dependent), make sure:

• They understand what the FAFSA is

• They’re ready to provide the necessary documents

• They also create an FSA ID for signing

• If your parent is having a difficult time understanding the FAFSA, you can have them connect with Mr. Billy in the CCRC to help better explain this procedure to them.

Nothing is better than free money, especially if it could cover something as expensive as going to college. The free money given to you will be sent directly to your school and does not need to be paid back, and the loan that could be offered to you doesn't need to be paid back until after you complete your college degree (unless you decide to drop-out of college, then your loan will need to begin the payment process as soon as that day happens). Lastly, you can always decline the financial aid being offered to you, there is no commitment until you say yes/no. You would rather receive the offer and decline it, versus not getting anything at all!

1. You’ll Get a Confirmation - Right after you submit the FAFSA online, you’ll see a confirmation page. This lets you know that your application was successfully submitted.

2. You Receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) - Within a few days (if you applied online), you’ll get a Student Aid Report (SAR). This isn’t your financial aid offer—it’s a summary of the information you provided on the FAFSA. Check it carefully for any errors. It also includes something called your Student Aid Index (SAI). Colleges use this number to figure out how much financial aid you’re eligible for.

3. Your FAFSA Info is sent to the colleges you listed on your FAFSA - Each school will review it along with your application for admission.

4. Schools Send You Financial Aid Offers - If you’re accepted to a school, they’ll send you a financial aid award letter (usually in the spring). This letter outlines the types and amounts of aid they’re offering you—like:

• Grants and scholarships (free money)

• Federal student loans (money you borrow and repay)

• Work-study opportunities

You can compare these offers to decide which school is the most affordable for you.

5. You Accept or Decline the Aid - You’ll choose which parts of the aid package you want to accept (for example, you might accept grants but decline loans). Follow the school’s instructions to respond by their deadline.

6. Once a college's financial aid is accepted, this means you are committing to their school - Congratulations, you've ultimately decided which college you'll be attending! Once you've confirmed this, all there is left to do is to finish the school year strong and graduate!

Reviewing and comparing your financial aid letters from the colleges may be confusing and overwhelming, and if you need help with reviewing this, please connect with Mr. Billy in the CCRC! 

If you'd like to do this on your own time, writing things out on a piece of paper to compare and contrast is always helpful. Compare the aid you are receiving to the cost of attendance (which is the total cost of attending that specific college), therefore you can see how much you'd owe out-of-pocket after your aid is added to your tuition. 

Again, it can be confusing, so it is recommended you sit down with Mr. Billy or another college access program coordinator, and figure this out together.

Don't just give up because you're stressed and overwhelmed. Keep pushing forward! You got this!

You could miss out on lots of opportunities to receive some free money! Even just $1 is better than nothing. If you do not complete the FAFSA, you will need to plan on paying for college completely on your own out-of-pocket; you'll need to turn to your own savings, your own private loans that you'll find on your own, and vice versa. I always, always, always encourage doing the FAFSA even if you think you won't qualify for anything, because you could still receive a federal loan (which is usually less interest than the average loan, and you're not committed to paying it back until after you graduate), and you could also receive work study! 

Regardless of anything, you should still 100% apply for the FAFSA!

This is completely dependent on you and your family's financial status. Depending on that number, the FAFSA could cover 100% of your tuition, or nothing at all. It really just depends and cannot be something you can 100% predict.

It's completely normal to feel suspicious or anxious about applying for the FAFSA—many students feel the same way, especially if it's their first time dealing with financial forms. Regardless, you should still apply because:

1. The FAFSA is Safe and Secure - The FAFSA is a government-run process through the U.S. Department of Education. The website (fafsa.gov) is secure and designed to protect your personal information. Millions of students apply safely every single year.

2. You’re Not Committing to Anything - Filling out the FAFSA doesn’t mean you’re accepting loans or signing any agreements. It just gives you access to potential financial aid. You choose later whether to accept or decline what’s offered.

3. You Have the Right to Ask Questions - If anything feels unclear or sketchy, you can:

• Talk to your school counselor

• Call the Federal Student Aid Information Center

• Or ask Mr. Billy—he is here to explain anything step-by-step

If you are still very anxious or suspicious, connect with Mr. Billy or any other college access program coordinator to help you reflect on your thoughts. Again, it is completely okay to be anxious, this is a big step and a huge milestone to achieve, and it's okay to be worried about this.