FAFSA

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the form used by virtually all two and four-year colleges, universities and career schools for the awarding of federal student aid. You must complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to apply for federal student aid as well as most state and college financial aid programs. FAFSA on the Web is the quickest and easiest method of applying; however, a FAFSA may be submitted by completing the paper form (paper copies of the FAFSA are available in English or Spanish from your high school or local library.

When completing the FAFSA, you'll need to provide the Federal School Code (Title IV Code) for each school that you'll be applying. You can obtain the School Code for a particular institution by doing a search on College Kingdom or reviewing the Federal School Code List. Please note, some school's have more than one code (for different locations or programs) so you should check with the school for the appropriate code to use.

You can download and print a copy of the 2008-09 FAFSA on the Web Worksheet if you plan to use FAFSA on the Web to apply for financial aid for the 2008-09 award year. The questions are listed in the same order as they appear on the Web site. You can also download and print a sample FAFSA form for use in the preparation of your paper application. Please note that the FAFSA form provided in this format is for informational purposes only. Applications received using this form will not be accepted.

If you're not sure how to answer a question on the FAFSA form or you have a unique family situation, see Completing the FAFSA. It explores the purpose of FAFSA questions and discusses how information should be reported in some unusual cases.

Based on the results of the FAFSA application you'll receive a Student Aid Report (SAR). The SAR will summarize the data on your application and list your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). School's you identified with the Federal School Code will use the EFC to award your financial aid. You'll receive an award notification from the school that lists the amount and types of aid in your financial aid package.

If you want to begin exploring your financial aid options and get an early start on the financial aid process, consider FAFSA4caster. You and your family will receive an early estimate of eligibility for federal student aid and when you're ready to apply for aid, much of the information that you enter in the FAFSA4caster will populate your FAFSA on the Web application.