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FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid

 

Every single student should apply for financial aid, no exceptions! Don’t fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) alone. Follow the six steps below, and use the videos for further assitance.

 

 

1) Go to www.fafsa.gov. One thing you don’t need in order to fill out the FAFSA? Money! Remember, the FAFSA is FREE when you use the official .gov site: www.fafsa.gov.

 

2) Choose which FAFSA you’d like to complete. The new FAFSA that becomes available on October 1, 2017, is the 2018–19 FAFSA. You should complete the 2018-19 FAFSA if you will be attending college between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019. Remember, the FAFSA is not a one-time thing. You must complete or renew your FAFSA each school year.

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3) Enter your personal information. This is information like your name, date of birth, etc. Make sure you enter your personal information exactly as it appears on official government documents. (That’s right, no nicknames.)

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4) Enter your financial information. All of it. You should use income records for the tax year prior to the academic year for which you are applying. For example, if you are filling out the 2018–19 FAFSA, you will need to use 2016 tax information. If you or your parent(s) haven’t filed your 2016 taxes yet, please do so ASAP. If you have filed your taxes already, you should be able to automatically import your tax information into the FAFSA using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. It makes completing the FAFSA super easy!

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5) Choose up to 10 schools in which you wish to apply, and the necessary information will be sent over to them so they can calculate the amount of financial aid you are eligible to receive. Make sure you include any school you plan to attend so your financial aid awards are not delayed.

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6) Sign the document with your FSA ID. The FSA ID serves as your electronic signature, or e-signature. You’ll use it to electronically sign and submit your FAFSA. If you don’t have a FSA ID, you’ll need to get one. If you have forgotten your FSA ID, you can retrieve it. If you’re considered a dependent student, at least one of your parents will need a FSA ID as well. If you or one of your siblings have completed the FAFSA within the last 18 months, your parent(s) will use the same FSA ID they used before. If not, your parent(s) may need to apply for a new FSA ID.

Click on the image below to access step-by-step videos for filling out each section of the FAFSA (courtesy of The Regents of the University of California). The application takes roughly 30 minutes to complete. Please see a counselor if you need assistance.

Additional Help: http://www.bestcolleges.com/financial-aid/fafsa/

North Carolina Residency Determination

  • Students must now fill out the Residency Determination Service questionnaire to qualify for in-state tuition or to establish eligibility for state grant determination under North Carolina law. 

  • To do so, visit www.ncresidency.org and log in with your CFNC account. Upon completion, you will be given your Residency Certification Number (RCN) which you will enter on all of your North Carolina college applications. 

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