Students
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
What is FAFSA?
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the application students must complete to apply for federal and state student assistance. Many colleges and universities also require the FAFSA to be considered for additional institutional aid.
When do I need to apply?
Application is open from December 2023 – April 2, 2024.
We strongly recommend students complete the application as early as possible before April 2, 2024. All financial data submitted is subject to verification.
What do I need to complete the FAFSA application?
Students and Parents will need:
- Their and their parent’s prior year W-2 forms (if they worked)
- Their and their parent’s previous year’s tax forms (if they filed)
- Student’s Social Security Number
- Parent’s Social Security Numbers (if applicable)
- Student and Parent Legal Permanent Residency Cards (Green Card) if applicable
- Parent’s marital status and marriage/divorce date (month/year)
- Parent’s date of birth (month/day/year)
- Record of untaxed income such as social security benefits or welfare benefits
Apply to FAFSA
Step 1: Create an FSA ID (account username and password), and have your contributors (Parents) create an account.
*Note: Starting December 2023, contributors will have to create a FSA ID at studentaid.gov. (Parents without SSN must also create an FSA ID).
Step 2: Choose the correct FAFSA application (2024-2025), if you are a returning applicant make sure you complete “renewal” FAFSA application.
Step 3: Complete the application by using the following tips
- When filling out the student demographic information, make sure to enter your personal information exactly as it appears on your social security card
- You can now list up to 20 schools that will receive your FAFSA information
- Dependency status will determine whether you need to provide parent information on the FAFSA application
- Parent who provides the greater portion of the student’s financial support should be the information that is being collected when filling out the parent demographics section
- When providing your financial information the Direct Data Exchange (DDX) tool must be used, If a student/contributor does not consent, they will be able to enter their information manually, but their application will not be processed until both student and contributor consent.
- Make sure both the student and contributor sign and submit your FAFSA application
Once students have submitted their FAFSA or CADAA, they can apply for the 10,000 Degrees Scholarship.