FAFSA

Free application for federal student aid (FAFSA)

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is an application that is prepared annually by current and prospective college students in the United States to determine their eligibility for financial aid as determined by parent and student income information. Although you may feel that you do not qualify for financial aid, many grants, scholarships, and most colleges/universities require the FAFSA to be completed. Check out the types of aid FAFSA offers.

Don’t assume you won’t qualify for financial aid or that the process is too hard. Virtually every student is eligible for at least one type of federal student aid, and the only way to receive federal student aid, some state and institutional aid, and some scholarships is to complete the FAFSA.

All seniors are highly encouraged to apply for the FAFSA beginning October 1st of their senior year. See the "FAFSA Deadlines" section below for federal, state, and college priority deadline dates.

FAFSA DEADLINES

Some states, colleges, and universities have their own deadlines to receive FAFSA information for additional, nonfederal aid. Check your college’s website or talk to the financial aid office to see when you must complete the FAFSA to meet these deadlines.

FEDERAL

The application opens on October 1 (annually) and you have until June 30 to complete it.
Example for the 2025-26 Academic School Year: The FAFSA form must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Central time (CT) on June 30, 2026. Any corrections or updates must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CT on Sept. 14, 2026.

STATE

Each state has its own deadline.
Florida: May 15 (annually)

COLLEGE

Each college may have its own deadline. Check with the college(s) you’re interested in attending.

See below for the Florida SUS deadlines. For other colleges and universities, check with the individual college(s) you’re interested in attending. You may also want to ask your college about its definition of an application deadline. Is it the date your FAFSA form is processed or the date the college receives your processed FAFSA data?

FAMU - June 30
FAU - 1/1
FGCU - 6/30

FIU - 3/1
FL Poly - 6/30
FSU - 12/1

New College - 11/1
UCF - 12/1
UF - 6/30

UNF - 10/15
USF - 1/1
UWF

What’s an FSA ID?
The FSA ID is a username and password combination you use to log in to U.S. Department of Education (ED) online systems. The FSA ID is your legal signature and shouldn’t be created or used by anyone other than you—not even your parent, your child, a school official, or a loan company representative. You’ll use your FSA ID every year you fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form and for the lifetime of your federal student loans.

FSA ID

THIS IS THE FIRST STEP IN THE FAFSA PROCESS!

Create an FSA ID
Use this worksheet as a guide to take you through the procedure step by step.

How do I get an FSA ID?
Visit the FAFSA website to create an FSA ID. You’ll need your Social Security number, full name, and date of birth. You’ll also need to create a memorable username and password, and complete challenge questions and answers so you can retrieve your account information if you forget it. You’ll be required to provide either your email address or your mobile phone number when you make your FSA ID. Providing a mobile phone number and/or email address that you have access to will make it easier to log in to ED online systems and allow additional account recovery options. Important: A Social Security number, email address, and mobile phone number can only be associated with one FSA ID. If you share an email address with someone else, then only one of you will be able to use that email address to create an FSA ID.

COST

There is NO COST to complete the FAFSA!
There are companies that will charge you a fee to file your FAFSA, but you can always complete the FAFSA for free on the official government website: fafsa.gov.

COMPLETING THE FAFSA

Go to the official government website to fill out the FAFSA.
Need help filling out your FAFSA?
- - Palm Beach State College TRiO EOC program has multiple events to help walk you through the process.
  - Watch one of the videos below.
Other ways to file include:
- - Paper FAFSA you request, complete, and mail.
    To receive a paper FAFSA, call 800-4-FED-AID (800-433- 3243). If you are hearing impaired, contact the TTY line at 800-730-8913.
  - 2024-2025 FAFSA PDF
    This should only be used if you cannot complete the online version. This will take longer to process.
  - 2025-2026 FAFSA (PDF)

video assistance for the fafsa

FAFSA Overview

How to Fill Out the FAFSA

Who is a contributor on the 24/25 FAFSA?

COMPLETING THE FAFSA

STEP 1:

Create your FSA ID

STEP 2:

Start your FAFSA Form

STEP 3:
Complete the personal circumstances & demographics sections of the FAFSA

STEP 4:

Complete the financials section of the FAFSA

STEP 5:

Select Schools to Include on the 2024-2025 FAFSA

STEP 6:

Review, Sign & Submit

AFTER COMPLETING THE FAFSA

What happens after submitting your FAFSA?

What happens after your FAFSA form has been processed?

Where's my financial aid?

ESTIMATE FAFSA ELIGIBILITY

Use the Federal Student Aid Estimator to determine eligibility for federal student aid and estimate types and amounts of aid you may receive.

TIMELINE of fafsa

The Department of Education says that online FAFSA applications are typically processed within three to five days, and that paper applications are typically processed within seven to 10 days.
After their application is processed, students should receive a copy of their Student Aid Report, which includes their Expected Family Contribution and determines their eligibility for Pell Grants. An applicant’s aid report will be shared with the colleges they listed on their FAFSA application.
After a student has been admitted to a college, colleges use the information on their aid report to determine how much they will provide. Many schools will ask students to verify the information on their aid report, or to complete a College Scholarship Service Profile (CSS) , which is administered by The College Board. The profile is used by hundreds of schools across the country and can help students access their share of $9 billion in non-federal financial aid.

FAFSA TIMELINE FOR SENIORS

October:
- - SENIOR students can begin filing the FAFSA, which is required by most colleges.
  - SENIOR students can complete their Bright Futures Scholarship Application
February:
Many colleges have priority deadlines this month — urge students to apply by the priority deadline.
Late February and March:
Colleges may call you to ask questions about students who may have special circumstances.
End of March:
Admission notifications are mailed.
April:
Students weigh offers of admission and compare aid awards.
May 1:
Students must inform colleges whether or not they are attending and make deposits.

OTHER FAFSA RESOURCES

Call the Federal Student Aid (FSA) Information Center at 800-4-FED-AID (800-433-3243)
Estimate your Federal Student Aid
Check out the Need Help section of the FAFSA
- Click on the owl icon at the bottom of the screen to open up chat options.
Check out one of the many free FAFSA events hosted by TRiO and held at Palm Beach State College
See if your high school is holding a FAFSA event on campus.

Please feel free to schedule a meeting or if you have a question, contact us.

Updated: 11/27/2024

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