Applying for Federal Financial Aid
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the form used to apply for all federal and many state financial aid programs.
In addition, many schools use the FAFSA to determine if you’re eligible for school–based scholarships.
The easiest way to submit the FAFSA is online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
You can do it completely online if you get a Personal Identification Number (PIN) at www.pin.ed.gov
and use your PIN as an electronic signature. Or, you can fill out the FAFSA online, then print out the signature page and mail that in.
Finally, you can fill out a paper FAFSA, which is available from college financial aid offices. The process is a lot quicker if you do it all online.
Make sure you indicate your interest in a student loan on the FAFSA, even if you expect loans may not be needed. You can always decide to reduce or cancel any award.