4 FINANCIAL AID ITEMS TO CONSIDER FOR EVERY HOPEFUL COLLEGE STUDENT PURSUING THEIR FIRST CHOICE UNIVERSITY:

Financial aid can make it possible for you to attend college. The aid may even enable your attendance at a university initially thought infeasible. 

– FIRST STEP: APPLY!

– Each year the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) requires a submission at Studentaid.gov.

– For new students (incoming freshmen) the process will be new and exciting!

– Returning college students will need to renew their application annually.

Manage your funding every year. Your FAFSA and financial aid needs to be renewed each year you enroll in college, not only when you apply to enter college. 

– Pay attention to deadlines and important dates!

– Each year the FAFSA has a submitting deadline and form release date.

– For students planning to attend college during the 2025-26 school year, the form release date is December 1, 2024 and the deadline is June 30, 2026.

– Submit the application as soon as possible. Prepare the application before the form is released. Yes, that’s right! You can access the form before the application is released to the public.

– An early submission will give you a head start in 2 notable ways: 

(1) If corrections or additional information is requested by the universities and or the U.S. Department of Education in determining eligibility for student aid, the student can fulfill the request(s) with more time to work with and is notified timelier with alerts by way of email or student’s FSA ID account. 

(2) Universities can provide their financial aid package offer quicker to the student, giving the student more time to weigh out options with other prospect schools.

– Routinely check your email inbox linked to your FSA ID account and your FSA ID account portal for updates and alerts after submitting the application.