Financial Aid

Free application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
If your son or daughter is planning on attending a 2 or 4 year college or university, you should complete a FAFSA form.  What is FAFSA?  It is the form that the federal government uses to determine your eligibility for federal aid, including grants, work-study, and loans.  How does it work?  Using the information you supply on the FAFSA, the federal processor determines your expected family contribution (EFC)—the amount of money your family can contribute to your college costs.  Your prospective college then applies a simple equation to decide how much financial aid you will need.  Filing online is recommended and strongly encouraged.

How do I fill it out?
Visit www.fafsa.ed.gov to complete the FAFSA.  If you want a paper copy to use as a guide, use the pre-application worksheet.  To have a completed FAFSA for your records, click “print” before you click “submit” at the end of your FAFSA.  When you complete an electronic FAFSA, you will be required to provide both a student and a parent signature, which means you have to sign the form electronically.  To sign the FAFSA electronically, both the parent and student are required to sign with a PIN number.

How do I get a PIN?
Students and parents can obtain a PIN at www.pin.ed.gov and click on “apply for a PIN” at the bottom of the page.  You can choose to receive your PIN via email or regular mail.  You will need to submit your name, date of birth and social security number.  Both the student and the parent each need a PIN number.

The personal identification number (PIN) is the code that the U.S. Department of Education uses to identify you online.  A PIN allows you to (1) electronically sign your FAFSA to speed up the process, (2) check the status of your electronic FAFSA, and (3) make corrections to your personal information online.

For questions about FAFSA on the web or about your PIN, call 1-800-4-FED-AID.

What information or forms will I need to complete the FAFSA?