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FAFSA Deadlines

State Student Financial Aid Deadlines

State deadlines may be earlier than the federal deadline.
TIP: State forms do not replace filling out the FAFSA. You must fill out the FAFSA to receive federal student aid.
Note: Date received means received by Federal Student Aid unless otherwise indicated.
Remember to apply early before funds run out.

State	Deadlines
Alabama	Check with your financial aid administrator
Alaska	April 15, 2010 @
American Samoa	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Arizona	Check with your financial aid administrator
Arkansas	For Academic Challenge - June 1, 2010 @ For Workforce Grant - check with your financial aid administrator For Higher Education Opportunity Grant - June 1, 2010 (fall term) @; November 1, 2010 (spring term) @
California	For initial awards - March 2, 2010 +* For additional community college awards - September 2, 2010 - date postmarked +*
Colorado	Check with your financial aid administrator
Connecticut	February 15, 2010 #*
Delaware	April 15, 2010 @
District of Columbia	June 30, 2010 @#*
Federated States of Micronesia	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Florida	May 15, 2010 - date processed
Georgia	Check with your financial aid administrator
Guam	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Hawaii	Check with you financial aid administrator*
Idaho	Opportunity Grant - March 1, 2010 @#*
Illinois	As soon as possible after January 1, 2010. Awards made until funds are depleted.
Indiana	March 10, 2010 &
Iowa	July 1, 2010 @
Kansas	April 1, 2010 @#*
Kentucky	March 15, 2010 &#
Louisiana	July 1, 2010 @
Maine	May 1, 2010 @
Marshall Islands	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Maryland	March 1, 2010 &
Massachusetts	May 1, 2010 @#
Michigan	March 1, 2010 &
Minnesota	30 days after term starts @
Mississippi	MTAG and MESG Grants - September 15, 2010 @# HELP Scholarship - March 31, 2010 @#
Missouri	April 1, 2010 @#
Montana	March 1, 2010 #&
Nebraska	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Nevada	Check with your financial aid administrator*
New Hampshire	May 1, 2010 @
New Jersey	2009-2010 Tuition Aid Grant recipients - June 1, 2010 @ All other applications - October 1, 2010, for fall and spring terms @; March 1, 2011, for spring term only @
New Mexico	Check with your financial aid administrator*
New York	May 1, 2011 @+*
North Carolina	Check with your finanacial aid administrator
North Dakota	March 15, 2010 &
Northern Mariana Islands	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Ohio	October 1, 2010 @
Oklahoma	April 15, 2010 @#
Oregon	OSAC scholarship - March 1, 2010 Oregon Opportunity Grant - check with your financial aid adminstrator
Palau	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Pennsylvania	All 2009-2010 State Grant recipients and all non-2009-2010 State Grant recipients in degree programs - May 1, 2010 @* All other applicants - August 1, 2010 @*
Puerto Rico	Check with your financial aid administrator
Rhode Island	March 1, 2010 &#
South Carolina	Tuition Grants - June 30, 2010 @ SC Commission on Higher Education - no deadline
South Dakota	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Tennessee	For State Grant - February 15, 2010 @# For State Lottery - September 1, 2010 @#
Texas	Check with your financial aid administrator*
U.S. Virgin Islands	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Utah	Check with your financial aid administrator
Vermont	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Virginia	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Washington	Check with your financial aid administrator
West Virginia	April 15, 2010 @#*
Wisconsin	Check with your financial aid administrator
Wyoming	Check with your financial aid administrator*

* Additional form may be required. Contact your financial aid administrator or your state agency.
+ Applicants encouraged to obtain proof of mailing.
# For priority consideration, submit application by date specified.
@ Deadline by midnight, Central Daylight Time.
& Deadline by midnight, Central Standard Time.

FAFSA Scams?

Most people wouldn't believe it but did you know there are actually FAFSA scams?  That's right, there are people who claim to get you FAFSA money, will take your personal information and sell it for their gain.  It's similar to identity theft. Beware of these scams and read all about them on the FAFSA site: http://www.fsa4counselors.ed.gov/clcf/scams.html

Did you know?

Thousands of schools, individuals and corporations give out scholarships every year for everything you can think of.  From sports to community service to GPA, you can find a scholarship for just about anything you can think of these days!  http://www.studentscholarships.org is the best free scholarship database around...check it out to search for scholarships based on YOU!

Where can I get information about Federal student financial aid?

Call the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) or 1-800-730-8913 (if hearing impaired) and ask for a free copy of The Student Guide: Financial Aid from the US Department of Education. This toll free hotline is run by the US Department of Education and can answer questions about federal and state student aid programs and applications. You can also write to Federal Student Aid Information Center
PO Box 84
Washington, DC 20044

What's the difference between a Scholarship and a Grant?

S. No.	Scholarship	Grant
1	Scholarships are provided by organizations not necessarily non profit organizations	A Grant is a financial aid provided by non-profit organizations.
2	A Grant is a financial aid provided by non-profit organizations.	Grants are generally tax exempt
3	A student is required to fulfill certain requirements before and after the scholarship is granted, like maintaining a required GPA.	Students are required to provide a details about the project for which grant money was awarded to them.
4	Scholarships are granted to those students who fulfill a specific academic performance, and should apply for the same in order to avail the benefits of scholarship.	For receiving a grant the student/individual/organization is first required to apply to the donor along with the details of the project that requires funding.
5	Scholarships are not necessarily issued by government organizations.	Sometimes, money is given out by government in the form of grants to correct financial imbalance that arise between taxation and spending.
6	Scholarships are specifically granted for gearing up college education.	Grants are given under a variety of circumstances namely financial assistance to students, entrepreneurs, small business people, and victims of natural disaster.
7	While some scholarships are based on gender, others are based on the field of study the student is majoring in.	Grants are generally issued for a cause.
8	After the scholarship is granted, the student is expected to maintain certain level of academic performance to qualify for the scholarship program.	Individuals and organizations receiving grants are required to present a detailed report on the project for which the grant was issued in order to ensure proper utilization of funds given by way of grants.

Great Link!

Below is a link to the step by step process you go through in order to get Federal Student Aid.  With all of the info on the FAFSA government site, I found this link to be very informative and easy to follow: http://www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov/F4CApp/index/what011a.jsf

Welcome!

Hi Everyone,
I'm a strong believer that everyone should have an opportunity to go to college with or without having rich parents.  I didn't attend college myself which is partly why I'm on a mission to show the rest of the world how anyone, from all walks of life, can attend college.  Follow me as we discover the FAFSA, learn about others experience with the FAFSA and figure out how you can go to college!  Welcome to the adventure of your future...