• FAFSA 

    • The new 2021-22 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) (including the ready-to-use IRS Data Retrieval Tool) is now available.
    • Even if your state and school deadlines aren't for a while, you should complete the FAFSA form as soon as possible because some states and schools run out of financial aid early and have limited funds.
    • Don't wait until the last minute to apply!
    • Make sure you have all the information and documents you need to submit your application. This includes Social Security numbers, income tax returns, bank statements, and more.

     

    Colleges and universities use the FAFSA to determine if a student is eligible for grants, work-study, and loans. These are not available without filling out the FAFSA. Eligibility is based on financial need and the cost to attend college. Financial need is based on W-2's and income tax information from the previous year. It is best to fill it out as early as you can because some aid is first-come, first served.

    The U. S. Department of Education's Office of Federal Student Aid provides: 
       Grants, free money that does not have to be repaid,
       Loans, a real loan (like a car or home loan) that needs to be repaid with interest, and
       Work-Study Jobs, an opportunity to earn money to help pay your education expenses.

     
    Pay attention to the deadlines! There are federal and state deadlines, and your colleges may also have a deadline. Check with your school to see if they have a deadline. Don't miss out on money because you were slow.
     
    Filing Options
     
     Other FAFSA Filing Options - FAFSA on the Web - Federal Student Aid

    You may choose any of these three methods to file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA):

    • to apply online (Recommended) or
    • Complete a PDF FAFSA (Note: PDF FAFSAs must be mailed for processing) or
    • Request a paper FAFSA by calling us at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) or 334-523-2691. If you are hearing impaired, contact the TTY line at 1-800-730-8913.

     

    Complete a PDF FAFSA

    Select the school year for which you are applying for financial aid. For example, to be considered for federal student aid for the 2021-2022 award year, you can complete a 2021-2022 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)between now and Midnight Central Time, June 30, 2021. Any corrections or updates must be submitted by midnight Central Time, September 11, 2021. If you plan to attend college between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022, click The 2021-2022 School Year (July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022). If you are applying for a summer session, check with your college to verify which application you should complete.

    The PDF FAFSA is available for you to print and fill out manually or is screen-fillable. Screen-fillable means you can enter your data on the screen before printing. If you choose this option you will not be able to save your data to your PC.