FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID

The FAFSA is used to apply for federal, state and college-based financial aid. You should file a FAFSA as soon as possible once it opens.

How to file:

Visit StudentAid.gov (the only safe and secure site to complete your FAFSA)

Create a Student Aid Account (username and password)

• This will be your permanent access to your aid account for any future applications, as well
• Dependent students will need at least 1 parent contributor.
• Parent contributors can ONLY be a biological or adoptive mother, father and their spouses as requested

Select the FAFSA application for the appropriate school year

• 2027 graduates will select the 2027-2028 FAFSA form opening after Oct. 1, 2026

Complete ALL sections of the form and include all necessary signatures to submit.

Are you dependent or independent?

Most students entering college straight from high school are considered dependent students. You are a dependent student unless at least one of the following applies to you:

Were you born before January 1, 2004?

Are you married or separated but not divorced?

Will you be working toward a master's or doctorate degree (such as MA, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, EdD, etc.)?

Do you have children who receive more than half of their support from you?

Do you have dependents (other than children or a spouse) who live with you and receive more than half of their support from you?

Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training?

Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?

Are you an emancipated minor or are you in a legal guardianship as determined by the court?

Are you an unaccompanied youth who is homeless or self-supporting and at risk of being homeless?

At any time since you turned age 13:

Were both of your parents deceased?

Were you in foster care?

Were you a ward or dependent of the court?

To be eligible to receive federal student aid, you must:

O Demonstrate financial need for most programs.

O Demonstrate you are qualified to enroll in a postsecondary school by:

Receiving a high school diploma or GED.

Completing a high school education in a state-approved home school setting.

Meeting other standards approved by your state.

O Be working toward a degree or certificate in an eligible program.

O Be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen.

O Maintain satisfactory academic progress once in college.

If any of the above apply to you, you're considered an independent student, which means you won't have to include your parent's financial information on the FAFSA. Your college may ask you to submit proof of your independence before you can receive federal student aid. If you think you have an unusual circumstance that would make you independent even though none of the above criteria apply to you, talk with a financial aid counselor at the school you plan to attend.

Funding Your Future