What it is:

• The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.  When you submit this application, you will be considered for federal aid money by way of grants (free money - Pell Grant), loans (both subsidized and unsubsidized), and work-study (on-campus job through the university), as well as need-based scholarship/grant money from specific universities.

When to complete:

• Complete this ASAP, the application opens in December. The "deadline" is June 30th of your award year (2024-2025), but you should submit the FAFSA much sooner to have better chances of receiving need-based financial aid. *Some universities may want your FAFSA completed by a certain deadline in order to be eligible for institutional grants, check that school's financial aid website to be certain!

Why it's important:

• This form is required in order to be considered for federal student aid.  By not completing it, you are severely lowering your chances of receiving aid at your institution and making it more difficult to pay for higher education. *BTW, this has to be completed every year you are in college!

Before you begin:

• Before you access the FAFSA, you must make an FSA ID (Federal Student Aid Identification).  This ID acts as your login to begin the application and your electronic signature to sign it at the end.

  • Visit FSAID.ed.gov to create your FSA ID.

  • Students and their parent/guardian(s) MUST have separate FSA IDs!

  • If you don't have the information to create one (such as a social security number), see Ms. Young. There are other ways to sign your application.

• Next, you can complete your FAFSA by visiting FAFSA.gov.

  • Students or families are welcome to meet with Ms. Young to complete their FAFSA applications.

  • We will also be holding financial aid nights throughout the school year. Make sure to watch for announcements!

 The FAFSA can offer 3 things: Grants, Loans, and Work Study

Grants: Money you don't have to pay back

• A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid and can be awarded for as much as $6895

• NC Need-Based Grant / UNC System Grant: Can be as much as $4000

• Institutional Grants : Awarded with funds from a particular college / university

Loans: Money you do have to pay back with interest

If you decide to take out a loan, make sure you understand who is offering the loan and the terms and conditions of the loan. Student loans can come from the federal government or from private sources like banks. Loans offered by the federal government, called federal student loans, usually offer borrowers lower interest rates and have more flexible repayment options than loans from banks or other private sources.  The William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program is the largest federal student loan program. Under this program, the U.S. Department of Education is your lender. There are four types of Direct Loans available:     

• Direct Subsidized Loans are loans made to eligible undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need to help cover the costs of higher education at a college or career school. 

• Direct Unsubsidized Loans are loans made to eligible undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, but in this case, the student does not have to demonstrate financial need to be eligible for the loan.

• Direct Plus Loans are loans made to graduate or professional students and parents of dependent undergraduate students to help pay for education expenses not covered by other financial aid.

• The Federal Perkins Loan Program is a school-based loan program for undergraduates and graduate students with exceptional financial need. Under this program, the school is lender.                              

Work Study: A job on campus

• Work Study provides part-time jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay education expenses. The program encourages community service work and work related to the student’s course of study. **Pro tip: When filling out the FAFSA, always select "Yes" when asked if you'd like to be considered for work study! This is not a binding decision (you're not obligated to work at the school by selecting "Yes," Ms. Young personally received Work Study funds and never actually worked a job), but it opens the door for more financial aid and potentially a really cool job on campus. 

1. On October 1, you can complete FAFSA for the next academic year.

   • Expect the site to run slow/crash the first few days in December - everyone in the country is applying! You will still get financial aid even if it's not submitted the first day!

2. Before you begin the application, you must make a FSA ID (Federal Student Aid Identification). This will be your login for the application and let you electronically sign it before submitting.

   • Visit FSAID.ed.gov to create your FSA ID.

   • Students and their parent/guardian MUST each create their own FSA ID.

   • Do NOT use your high school email address. Use a personal email.

   • *You and your parent/guardian will use these FSA IDs every year you submit the FAFSA - that is, every year you are in college! Write them in the Notes app on your phone or in another safe, secure place!

3. Once you have a FSA ID, complete the FAFSA application here.

4. Let Ms. Young know if you need help or that you have successfully completed the FAFSA!

**In about 30% of cases, a student may be selected for verification. If this happens, the student will need to provide additional tax return information. This usually entails ordering a tax transcript. If you receive an email in the weeks following your FAFSA submission alerting you that you have been selected for verification, do not ignore it! You must complete this process to receive financial aid and you should get started ASAP!

***For FAFSA instructions en español, click here 

• • After you submit the FAFSA electronically, your SAI will appear on the screen. This is your Student Aid Index, which is the amount of money the government expects that a family is able to contribute to their student’s college education.

  • The SAI, along with the results of the FAFSA, will be sent to the schools that you listed while completing the FAFSA. Schools that you are admitted to will then send you a Financial Aid Award letter. This letter will tell you the exact amount of grants, scholarships, and loans that you can expect to receive from the institution as well as any federal aid you will receive, such as Federal Pell Grants. In most cases, this letter will not include any outside scholarships you have received from community organizations, the school, or businesses. 

  • You should wait until you have received your Financial Aid Award letter from every school you are considering before making a final decision. This will allow you to compare your financial aid packages at each school. Remember, don’t just look at the sticker price of attending a school! Look at how much each school will cost after you take into account any grants and scholarships you receive.

  • *Remember, loans are NOT free money! You must pay them back after you finish school.

  • Grants and scholarships, for the most part, ARE free money. You usually do not have to pay them back.

  • Please set up an appointment with Ms. Young to go over your financial aid award letter. It is very easy to get confused and mistake loans for grants/scholarships. Please be informed and make smart financial decisions!

I am an undocumented/DACA student. Can I file FAFSA?

• Unfortunately, undocumented and DACA students are not eligible for federal student aid. However, you may still be eligible for institutional financial aid by filling out the CSS Profile. See the bottom of this page for more information about the CSS Profile. There are also scholarships you can apply to. Please see Ms. Young to discuss your options!

My parent/guardian(s) does not have a social security number. Can I still do FAFSA?

• Yes! Your parent/guardian does not have to have a social security number (SSN) for you to complete FAFSA.

• When FAFSA asks for your parent/guardian's SSN, they must enter 000-00-0000. This means they will be unable to create a FSA ID or sign the FAFSA application electronically. Instead, you will print out the signature page before submitting the FAFSA application. Then, you will mail in that page.

• If you cannot print it at home please see Ms. Young for help, she can also mail it for you!!

• Click here for more information and answers to common questions about undocumented/DACA students.

  • Haga clic aquí para más información. 

Helpful links:

• Creating and Using the FSA ID

  • Cómo crear y utilizar la credencial FSA ID

• FAFSA and Homeless Youth

 What it is:

• The CSS Profile is an online application used by colleges and scholarship programs to award Institutional (their own/not federal funds) aid. 

When to complete:

• The CSS Profile opens on October 1st. Some schools may have different deadlines - be sure to check with each school you are applying to.

Why it's important:

• The CSS Profile is required by certain universities and gives you access to grants, loans, and scholarships not available on the FAFSA. By completing the profile, you may be eligible for additional institutional aid, which is "stackable." This means you can add this aid on top of any federal or state aid you may receive. *The CSS Profile is also available for undocumented/DACA students!

NC Schools the require the CSS Profile:

• Davidson College

• Duke University 

• Elon University 

• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 

• Wake Forest University

What you'll need to complete the CSS Profile:

• Student's and parent's SSN or TIN numbers, if applicable

• 2022 federal income tax return(s)

• W-2 forms and other records of money earned in 2022 and 2023

• Records of untaxed income and benefits for 2022 and 2023

• Current bank statements

• Current mortgage information

• Records of savings, stocks, bonds, trusts, and other investments

• The student's noncustodial parent's email address, if applicable

How to complete:

1. Sign-in at cssprofile.org – If you created a College Board account for the SAT, PSAT or AP, use the same username and password to sign-in. If not, create a new account. 

2. Complete the Application – The application provides online help to guide you. You do not need to complete the application all at once; you can save your application and return to it later. 

3. Submit the Application. 

4. Review Your Dashboard – Your dashboard will include your payment receipt (completing the CSS profile is free for families with an yearly income lower than $100,00/year)  and any next steps, such as uploading documents through the Institutional Documentation Service (IDOC). You may also add additional schools at any time by clicking on “Add a College or Program.” 

5. Made a mistake? – If you made a mistake on your application or need to include additional information after you submitted, you can update your application once by clicking “Correct Your CSS Profile” on your Dashboard.

See Ms. Young if you need help!

• Students and families are welcome to meet with Ms. Young to complete their CSS Profile.