Students and families can now apply for financial aid starting on October 1 as the college application process gets underway, rather than waiting until January as previously been the case.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is available online and allows many students to automatically import their families’ tax information. Additionally, with new changes being made for this year’s application, students can use their families’ tax information from two years ago to complete it.
Learning about financial aid eligibility earlier in the college application and decision process will enable students and families to determine the true cost of attending college — taking available financial aid into account — and make more informed decisions as they are searching for, applying to, and choosing colleges.