Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a graduation requirement for all students in the State of Illinois. 

Parents of Seniors can apply for college financial aid early, beginning October 1st.  The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) now uses the previous year's tax information for this year's Seniors.  Click here for FAFSA priority deadlines.

Click here to learn more on the FAFSA graduation requirement.

2 steps to complete fafsa

FAFSA has opened as of 9/23/2026!

Step 1: create your FSA ID by clicking here  Both student and parent must create an FSA ID. ***ALWAYS write down your FSA # 

(tip-use a notes app on your phone)***

• All users/contributors must have an FSA ID and password to fill out the FAFSA, even those without a Social Security Number (SSN). 

• Processing an FSA ID can take up to 5 business days, so we recommend creating it at least a week before starting the FAFSA. 

Step 2: complete the FAFSA by clicking here ***Documents needed are 2025 federal tax returns, W-2's and other records of money earned, banking statements and records of investments (if applicable), records of untaxed income (if applicable), list of colleges you would like to attend (you will still also need to apply to those colleges separately)

• If you see a pop up that says additional steps are needed (such as submitting a photo for identity verification) after attempting to submit your FAFSA, be sure to complete these steps in order for your FAFSA to be fully completed. 

  • • If you do not complete this in one sitting when it asks for the information, your FAFSA application will be rejected.

• Also, for the IL high school graduation requirement of completing the FAFSA your senior year, your information must match what Mrs. Peña's records have as far as first, middle, and last name as well as birthdate. 

  • Confirm with Mrs. Peña after you submit so your information matches and meets the graduation requirement!!

Click here for full details on all steps parents/guardians need to take to get FAFSA completed.

**After you filed the first time, file your FAFSA every year by December 31**

Attend a FAFSA Workshop

If you have questions or need additional assistance with the FAFSA, financial aid representatives from KCC's Financial Aid Office can help.

You may also attend one of the many FAFSA Workshops at KCC: Click here for dates  You can also call KCC's Financial Aid Office, at 815-802-8550, or send them an email here.

Learn details on how to apply, with video supports, by going to  https://www.kcc.edu/tuition-and-aid/financial-aid/

What happens after you submit your FAFSA?  

1. Students will now receive their FAFSA Submission Summary immediately.

• SAI

• Pell Grant Eligibility

• Reject Code (if applicable)

2. As soon as you submit your online FAFSA, the Financial Aid Office—which is just the official name for the college financial aid officers—can securely access your data right away on their computer screens. 

What this means for you: 

• No waiting for the mail: The colleges don't have to wait weeks for paper forms or files to transfer. It lands in their digital system instantly.

• Faster processing: Because they see it right away, they can immediately check it for completeness, flag it if they need any extra documents from you, and start building your child's financial aid package much faster.

3. Parents will be given a message saying student's results have been processed.

Click here to find out more details.

Resources

• "Who counts as a parent on the FAFSA® form?" Wizard – A tool to help students and families determine who will need to provide contributor information on the 2027–28 FAFSA®.

• Federal Student Aid YouTube Channel: FAFSA® Videos – Videos to help students and families understand the importance of the FAFSA® form, who is a FAFSA® contributor, and what happens after submitting the form.

• • Federal Student Aid Estimator -- supplies an estimate of the 2025-26 Student Aid Index (SAI) and federal Pell Grant eligibility calculation

• • “Who’s the Parent on the FAFSA Form?” wizard -- a new, stand-alone tool to help students and families determine who will need to provide contributor information on the 2025-26 FAFSA form before starting the application

• • “Creating Your StudentAid.gov Account” page -- a resource that explains everything families and partners need to know about creating a StudentAid.gov account

• • Pro Tips for Completing the FAFSA Form -- updated information for preparing to complete and submit the FAFSA form

• • Federal Student Aid YouTube Channel: FAFSA videos -- videos to help students and families understand the importance of the FAFSA form, who is a FAFSA contributor, and what happens after submitting the form.

• • Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC): college and FAFSA support videos -- The ISAC Student Portal https://studentportal.isac.org/web/guest/student/ offers free tools to help with career, college, and financial aid planning. Students can also get their college and financial aid questions answered by ISAC experts through ISAC’s free text messaging service, ISAC College Q&A. isac.org

• • Where to Find My 2025 Tax Information (2027-2028) - A list that shows information you might be asked to enter, and where to find it on the 2025 IRS Form 1040 or on other forms you filed with your return. 

Forgot Your Password?

***ALWAYS write down your FSA # (tip-use a notes app on your phone)***

BUT If you forgot your password on https://studentaid.gov/, try resetting your password by clicking this link here. If this does not work, you may need to contact student aid.

If you do not have access to your account because you do not have access to the email, phone number, or username used to set up your account, click here to help recover your account with a photo ID.

Still need help with FAFSA?

There’s free help available from the ISACorps to help you complete your application in as little as 30 minutes! If you need immediate assistance, you can schedule a one-on-one virtual meeting with an ISACorps member by clicking the following link: ISAC Bookings.

Those that are wanting to book English speaking or Spanish speaking appointments can use isac.org/booking link.

You may also email an ISAC representative, Michael Emerson at Michael.Emerson@illinois.gov , with any questions you may have.