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 - FAQs

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.
1. - Example for the 2026-27 Academic School Year:
    The FAFSA form must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Central time (CT) on June 30, 2027. Any corrections or updates must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CT on Sept. 14, 2027.

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?

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 - where to go

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.
  - 2026-2027 FAFSA PDF
    This should only be used if you cannot complete the online version. This will take longer to process.
  - 2025-2026 FAFSA (PDF)

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.

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.

TIMELINE of fafsa - Processing

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 the student's aid report to determine how much it 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.

completing the fafsa - Video assistance

The Basics

FAFSA Overview

How to Fill Out the FAFSA

Who is a contributor on the 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 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?

Types of assistance

- The US Department of Education’s website defines federal student aid as “financial aid from the federal government to help you pay for education expenses at an eligible college or career school. Grants, loans, and work-study are types of federal student aid.” You must complete the FAFSA to apply for this aid.
- There are various types of assistance you may qualify for when filling out the FAFSA: Grants, Work Study, & Loan Programs

GrantS

- You must complete the FAFSA to be considered for this aid.

(Image supplied by ECMC.org)

Federal Pell Grant

Pell Grant funding is awarded to students with “exceptional need” and who have not yet earned a bachelor’s, graduate, or professional degree. Pell Grant funding amounts can change on an annual basis, but the maximum amount is currently set at $7,395 for the 2024-2025 award year. It is important to note that your student’s Pell Grant funding amount (if eligible) is determined by your student’s SAI, cost of attendance as determined by the college and program of study, enrollment status, attendance plans for the academic year, and other factors provided in the FAFSA form. In addition to the annual maximum award amount above, some students may also be eligible to receive additional Pell Grant funding during a summer term of attendance. Eligible students may receive Pell Grant funding for up to roughly six years of full-time undergraduate college enrollment.
Note: Pell Grant funding does not “run out” during a given award year.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

While not all schools participate in the FSEOG program, many schools award to students anywhere between $100 and $4,000 per year in FSEOG funding. Like the Pell Grant, FSEOG funds are distributed to students with exceptional need and who have not yet earned a college degree. Unlike the Pell Grant, specific eligibility criterion for FSEOG funding is determined by each institution.
Note: FSEOG funds may run out; schools are provided a set amount of funding each year, and no additional awards can be made once the funding has been utilized.

Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant

In order to be eligible for a TEACH grant, students must be enrolled in a TEACH Grant eligible program at a participatory school, meet certain school and federally defined academic achievement requirements, receive TEACH Grant counseling, and sign an agreement to either “serve or repay”. Eligible students may receive TEACH Grant funding up to $4,000 per year while enrolled in a program of study that is required to begin a teaching career. A student must agree to serve as an elementary or secondary school teacher in a low-income serving school for four years and must complete the four years of service within eight years of degree completion.
Note: A number of schools do not participate in this program.

Key Takeaways

Your student must complete the FAFSA annually to determine federal grant eligibility.
Several factors are considered in determining federal grant eligibility, but exceptional financial need is the most common factor.
Your student’s college financial aid office will be able to assist you in determining your student’s federal grant eligibility.

PELL GRANT

New rule effective July 1, 2026:
A new federal law establishes an SAI threshold for Pell Grant eligibility.
Eligibility cut-off:
You are ineligible for a Pell Grant if your SAI equals or exceeds two times the maximum Pell Grant award for the year.
2026-27 threshold: For the 2026-27 award year, the SAI limit is $14,790.
The maximum Federal Pell Grant for the 2025-26 award year is $7,395. The minimum award amount is about $740.
The official maximum Federal Pell Grant amount for the 2026-2027 award year has not been definitively set by Congress, as it depends on annual appropriations. The amount is typically announced in early 2026.

Work Study

To be considered for Federal Work-Study, you must complete the FAFSA and indicate on your form that you are interested in being considered for a work-study job. You should then follow up regarding next steps with your financial aid office.
Money earned while attending college.
Does not have to be repaid.

(Image supplied by ECMC.org)

LOAN PROGRAMS

- To receive federal student loans, you must first complete the FAFSA. You will also be required to sign a Master Promissory Note (MPN), which explains the terms and conditions of your loan(s). Contact the college you will be attending for information about how to sign the MPN. Loan repayment begins 180 days after you leave college or drop below half-time enrollment.

(Image supplied by ECMC.org)

FEDERAL DIRECT LOAN LIMIT AMOUNTS

- Limits are dependent on dependency status, academic year, and student type.
- Recent legislation has capped federal load limits for master's and doctoral degree programs at $20,500 per year and $100,000 in total. This is subject to change.

(Image supplied by ECMC.org)

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.

Updated: 05/03/2026

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