®
FAFSA Tip Sheet Filing the FAFSA & Getting Financial Aid

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) is the most important application you must complete in order to qualify for almost all types of financial aid including federal, state, local, and private grants and scholarships.

How to Apply

Visit studentaid.gov/fafsa, or download the myStudentAid app to complete and submit your application for FREE.

Free

FAQs

Why complete a FAFSA?

The U.S. Department of Education (USDE) uses the information provided on your FAFSA to determine your eligibility for
aid from federal student financial assistance programs. In Pennsylvania, the FAFSA is used to determine PA State Grant eligibility. Schools also use FAFSA data to award their own financial aid.

What are the deadlines?

What do I need to file my FAFSA?  Your Social Security number
 Your driver’s license number, if you have one (optional)  Your alien registration number, if you are not a U.S. citizen  Your W-2 forms
 Records of other untaxed income received, including workers’ compensation, child support, payments to tax-

deferred pension, and savings plans, etc.

Financial aid deadlines vary by school, state, program of study, and more. To ensure that you are considered for all financial aid programs, the FAFSA should be filed by the earliest application deadline date for each school you are considering
attending. Check with your school for details.

 Your federal income tax return and schedules from the prior-prior year (For example, if completing the 2022-23

FAFSA, use 2020 income tax return information.)

 Your current bank statements and records of stocks, bonds, 529 plans, and other investments.

You must complete a new FAFSA Application each year. For PA State Grant applicants, the FAFSA deadlines are:

MAY 1 – For students attending colleges, universities, and college-transferable programs (excluding community colleges) and for all renewal students

AUGUST 1 – If you plan to enroll in a community college, a Business, Trade, or Technical school, a Hospital School of Nursing, an “Open-Admission” institution (visit PHEAA.org for a list of these schools), or a non-transferable 2-year program

What is the IRS Data Retrieval Tool?

If you complete your FAFSA online, you have the option of retrieving your income and tax data from the IRS and having it
automatically transferred into your FAFSA.

 A personal email address (not a school email address) If you are a dependent student, you will also need:

 Your parent’s Social Security number
 Your parent’s income and financial records (as listed above)  Parents date of marriage/remarriage – month/year
 Parents date of separation/divorce – month/year

What is a Federal Student Aid account username and password (FSA ID)?

When you create an account at studentaid.gov the username and password (also referred to as an FSA ID) you create will be used to log in to and sign the FAFSA. If you are a dependent student, both you and one of your parents must have your
own account with a username and password.

Remember to Use the Correct Tax Information

If you plan to attend college from
	You can submit the FAFSA from
	Using income & tax information from
	
July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022
	October 1, 2020 - June 30, 2022
	2019
	
July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2023
	October 1, 2021 - June 30, 2023
	2020
	
July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024
	October 1, 2022 - June 30, 2024
	2021

1.
	
4.

2.
	
5.

3.
	
6.

Note the Schools You Have Applied To

For purposes of federal student aid, it does not matter in what order you list the schools on your FAFSA. However, PA State Grant awards will be made for the first college listed on the FAFSA form.

To change the schools listed on the FAFSA, log in to studentaid.gov, or call 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) TTY (Hearing Impaired) 1-800-730-8913

File Your PA State Grant Application

The easiest way to file your PA State Grant application is right from the link on your FAFSA confirmation page (highlighted on the right). If you miss this link, you will need to wait approximately 3-4 days after your FAFSA is submitted and apply at PHEAA.org.

Once Your FAFSA is Processed

You will be notified that your FAFSA has been processed and you can view or print your Student Aid Report (SAR) from your My FAFSA page. You may receive an email with a link to My FAFSA after your FAFSA has been processed or you can log in to My FAFSA at studentaid.gov/fafsa. Check your SAR for any errors and if you do find mistakes, you will need to make necessary corrections online within My FAFSA at studentaid.gov/fafsa, or by mail on your paper SAR.

Your FAFSA will be shared with the schools that you listed on the FAFSA and with PHEAA to determine eligibility for the PA State Grant. Schools send out notifications about financial aid eligibility to students once you have been accepted to the school. Your schools may require other forms for you to fill out for school specific programs. Contact your postsecondary schools for more information about financial aid eligibility.

Do you Have Changes in Your Circumstances? If your family’s income is less this year than what you reported on the FAFSA, reach out to the financial aid staff at your school for assistance. You can also report other changes in your situation such as high medical expenses, separation or divorce, etc. Please contact PHEAA PA State Grant staff for assistance with reporting changes in your circumstances at 1-800-692-7392 (TTY: Dial 711, for hearing impaired).

To learn more about the financial aid process, visit PHEAA.org.

These materials have been developed and paid for by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA). The information contained in this document is believed to be accurate at the time of printing. Copyright © PHEAA, 2021. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

RG-FAFPE 061421