FAFSA
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid
The FAFSA is used to determine federal, state, and sometimes college-specific financial aid. It's important to fill this out first, as many financial aid opportunities require that you first complete the FAFSA before you'll be considered for any additional aid.
Students and parents must first set up FSA IDs to apply. You can do this NOW at studentaid.gov.
(Allow 2-3 days between FSA creation and FAFSA access)The FAFSA will open December 31, 2023 for the 2024-2024 tuition cycle. There have been changes to make the process less complex and easier to navigate.
Everyone must click the permission box to allow their financial info to be transferred - including those who do not file taxes. This information will not be made visible on any portion of the FAFSA - it will only be housed within the FAFSA system and seen by the institution(s) to which the student is applying. This will cut down significantly on the amount of information that has to be entered manually.
Students whose parents are undocumented or whose parents have recently separated (since their 2022 taxes were filed), they will need to manually enter information.
No Social Security Number? Follow the instructions when creating your FSA ID.
Estimated Financial Contribution (EFC) is now the Student Aid Index (SAI), which better reflects the output from the FAFSA as an index, not as a reflection of what a family can or will pay. SAI is no longer divided by the number of students in college.
Pell Grant
Determined by family size (# of people claimed as exemptions on taxes), family composition, and adjusted gross income (AGI)
2 ways to qualify: 2022 Poverty Table OR SAI - whichever gives them the largest Pell Grant
Use the resources and videos below and visit CFNC's Financial Aid FAQs.
Personal FAFSA Assistance
Contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center for live chat, phone, and/or email FAFSA assistance. Live support is available at times convenient with your schedule.
FAFSA Overview
Who's My Parent?
