Filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
For Spring 2021 or Summer 2021 you will need to complete the 2020-2021 FAFSA.
For Fall 2021, Spring 2022 and Summer 2022 you will need to complete the 2021-2022 FAFSA.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2021-2022 academic year will be available October 1. Students and families will use income tax information from two years prior to complete the application.
If you have additional questions regarding the 2021-2022 FAFSA, please contact us with your question.
Eligibility Requirements
How to Apply for Financial Aid
To review our printable checklist, click here.
Federal Student Aid Identification (FSA ID)
STEP ONE: Apply for your Federal Student Aid Indentification (FSA ID). An FSA ID is comprised of a username and password and can be used to login to certain Federal Student Aid websites, such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This also acts as your electronic signature for Federal Student Aid documents.
If you are a parent and need to electronically sign your child’s FAFSA, you need your own FSA ID. If you have more than one child attending college, you can use the same FSA ID to sign their applications.
If your FSA ID is lost or stolen, you must:
STEP TWO: Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at FAFSA.gov and include our school code (002466) for the academic year in which financial aid is sought. Students who qualify are strongly encouraged to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to import tax information directly to the FAFSA. Using this tool should streamline the verification process should you be chosen.
STEP THREE: Complete any required documents listed in your notification email. Documents for the upcoming academic year are updated by the start date of registration for the fall semester and are available right here at this website under "Forms".
Verification
The Department of Education selects about 30 percent of applications for a process called verification. When an application is selected for verification students must provide HSSU Financial Assistance Office with documentation to verify the information reported on the FAFSA. Student may be required to verify any or all of the following elements.
In addition, when a FAFSA is filed the Department of Education runs a number of matches against other goverment databases. If they fail to match information you have reported you may also need to provide verification items such as.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my income is significantly different than it was in 2019?
If you had significant loss of income, divorce in your family, loss of a family member or other extenuating circumstances not reflected in your 2019 tax return, you must file your FAFSA according to your 2019 tax information and then contact the Office of Financial Assistance. Through a process called professional judgement adjustments may be possible to better reflect your current financial situation.
Will I get my financial aid package earlier if I file earlier?
Incoming students who file a 2021-2022 FAFSA between October 1 and February 1 will receive a financial aid package by the end of February. This will allow more time to review and compare awards before the May 1 admissions deadline.
Enrolled students who file a 2021-2022 FAFSA between October 1 and February 1 will receive financial aid packages as usual in late spring AFTER registration is complete.
If I file by the priority date and I received need-based aid last year, will I receive the same financial aid package again this year?
Many factors can impact whether you receive the same financial aid resources from year to year, including a change in income, number of family members in your household, number of students in college, etc. Institutional funding levels also are subject to change, as are criteria used to award funding each year. Filing by the priority date each year is the best way to position yourself for the most financial aid resources you might be eligible to receive.
How is dependency status determined for financial aid?
The FAFSA asks specific questions to determine your dependency status for financial aid. Generally, dependency determination is based on the following information:
Students who are determined to be dependent must provide parent income data on the FAFSA and a parent must sign the FAFSA using their own FSA ID. Please note that documentation to support any of the above responses may be requested by the Office of Financial Assistance.
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