How do I apply for federal student aid?

To apply for federal student aid, you need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA\circledR) at www.fafsa.gov. Completing and submitting the FAFSA is free and quick, and it gives you access to the largest source of financial aid to pay for college or career school.

When do I complete the FAFSA?

If you plan to attend school in the fall, you should apply for aid by completing the FAFSA as soon as possible after Jan. 1 of the year you plan on attending.

A few things to remember:

• To receive federal student aid for the 2015–16 award year, the deadline for submitting the FAFSA is June 30, 2016.
• You need to apply as soon as you can! Schools and states often use FAFSA information to award nonfederal aid. Their deadlines are usually early in the year. Check with the schools you're interested in to find out about their deadlines. Find state deadlines at www.fafsa.gov.
• You must reapply for federal student aid every year.
• If you change schools, your aid doesn't automatically transfer with you. Check with your new school to find out what you need to do to continue receiving financial aid.

Your FAFSA helps you apply for federal, state, and school financial aid!

If you're not ready to apply for federal student aid, but you'd like to estimate your aid, visit StudentAid.gov/fafsa/estimate to try FAFSA4caster, an early eligibility estimator.

What information do I report on the FAESA?

The FAFSA asks for information about you (your name, Social Security number, date of birth, address, etc.) and about your financial situation. A series of questions will also determine whether you must provide information about your parents. Whether you must report that information or not depends on whether you're a “dependent” or an “independent” student.

Learn more about dependency status at StudentAid.gov/dependency.

Where does my FAFSA information go once I submit it?

Your information is shared with the schools you list on the FAFSA.

• The financial aid office at a school to which you applied uses your FAFSA information to determine how much federal student aid you may receive at that school.
• If the school has its own funds to use for financial aid, it might use your FAFSA information to determine your eligibility for that aid. (The school might also have other forms it wants you to fill out to apply for aid there, so check with the school's financial aid office to be sure.)

Your FAFSA information also goes to state higher education agencies where your chosen schools are located. Many states have financial aid funds that they give out based on FAFSA information.

I completed the FAFSA... now what?

After you apply, you'll receive a Student Aid Report (SAR), which is a summary of the FAFSA data you submitted. You'll get your SAR within three days to three weeks after you submit your FAFSA, depending on the method of delivery you selected. Be sure to look over your SAR to make sure you didn't make any mistakes on your FAFSA. The SAR won't tell you how much financial aid you'll get; it's a summary of the information being sent to the schools you listed on your FAFSA.

If you don't need to make any changes to the information listed on your SAR, just keep it for your records. To find out how to correct mistakes, or update your FAFSA, visit StudentAid.gov/fafsa/next-steps/accept-aid. Next, expect to receive an award letter from the schools at which you were accepted.