The FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid.  It is the form that the federal government uses to determine your eligibility for federal student aid.  This aid includes grants, scholarships, work-study and loans to help you pay for college.  The form collects financial and demographic information. 

You can begin filing your 2018–19 FAFSA  on October 1, 2017.  On the 2018–19 FAFSA, students (and parents, as appropriate) will report their 2016 income information, rather than their 2017 income information. This change makes it easier to complete your FAFSA.

Since you and/or your parents will have already filed your taxes, you can electronically import your tax information directly into the FAFSA using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.  It is IMPORTANT for all students completing the FAFSA to submit their FAFSA early.  The months of October and November are recommended for all students to submit the FAFSA because of the lack of funds allocated for the MAP Grant by the state legislature for the 2018/2019 academic year.

Note: If your family’s financial situation changed since your 2016 taxes were filed, you will still need to provide 2016 tax information. Then, you can contact the financial aid office at the school you plan to attend and let them know your situation has changed. They have the ability to review your situation and consider making adjustments to your FAFSA.

Complete your FAFSA form at: https://fafsa.ed.gov/

Remember, even if you don’t qualify for financial aid, it is still very important to complete the FAFSA form. Many scholarships and work study programs will not consider your application unless you have a completed FAFSA form.