FAFSA

What is FAFSA?

The Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the most important document for determining if you’re eligible for financial aid — money to help you pay for education and training beyond high school. The easiest way to file the FAFSA is online at FAFSA.gov.

After you file your FAFSA, your college will be able to tell you which scholarships and grants you could receive as well as how much money you can borrow in federal loans. To find out more about the FAFSA, including what kinds of state financial aid is available, check out Learn More Indiana’s FAFSA guide for Hoosiers.

Contact Learn More Indiana and get connected with specialists who can answer your questions.

Students will be able to start filing the 2023-24 school year FAFSA starting October 1, 2022. On Sept. 14, 2015, President Obama announced significant changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA^®) process that will impact millions of students. Starting with the 2017­–18 application cycle, the following changes will be put in place:

• Students will be able to submit a FAFSA^® Students will be able to file a 2023–24 FAFSA as early as Oct. 1, 2022. The earlier submission date will be a permanent change, enabling students to complete and submit the FAFSA as early as October 1 every year.

• Students will use earlier income information. Students will be required to report income information from an earlier tax year. For example, on the 2023-2024 FAFSA, students (and parents, as appropriate) will report their 2021 income information, rather than their 2022 income information.

• Some colleges and universities may use this early application for making estimated award packages for students, but not all colleges. Students should contact the schools they are interested in attending or visit their college web sites to determine filing deadlines.

Helpful Websites:

High school seniors and their parents will need to obtain their Federal Student Aid IDs or FSA IDs before completing the FAFSA. This is the electronic signature for the FAFSA: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/filling-out/fsaid

INvestEd is a free resource for Hoosier students and parents looking for help with college planning and financial aid. At INvestEd, they help families understand how to fund college wisely to help minimize potential education debt. Here is the link to their website: https://www.INvestEdIndiana.org