Colleges on your list will require the FAFSA, and may also require the CSS Profile or another college-specific application, to apply for college financial aid.
If you’re applying for college financial aid, research the financial aid requirements for every school on your list by checking each college’s financial aid website for details. Make sure you submit your financial aid applications before your earliest deadline (which could be as early as November of the student’s senior year). Below we have the details on the application process.
FAFSA®
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the most important application for financial aid, as it’s required by all colleges and universities. You can visit fafsa.gov to complete the application for no fee. It typically becomes available on October 1st of each year, but will not be available until approximately December 1, 2024 for families completing the 2025-26 FAFSA. To complete the FAFSA, both the student and a parent will need an FSA ID, which can be obtained online at any time and should be secured a few days before you plan to start the FAFSA. When you complete the FAFSA, you’ll list the schools that should receive your application, and 1-3 days after you submit it, your FAFSA will be electronically delivered to those schools. If you need assistance with the FAFSA, take advantage of FAFSA Day, a free resource for Massachusetts families. You can also view our webinar, Understanding the FAFSA, and read our article, What is the FAFSA?.
CSS Profile®
The CSS Profile is required by roughly 200 colleges, universities, and scholarship organizations. Schools and other groups use the CSS Profile to determine the distribution of their own financial aid funds. The CSS Profile becomes available each year on October 1st. More information is available in our What to Know about the CSS Profile webinar and in our article, What is the CSS Profile?. To complete the application, visit the CSS Profile website.
College or University Financial Aid Application
Some colleges require their own financial aid application in addition to the FAFSA. To find out if a college on your list has an additional application, contact the school’s financial aid office.
Information Required on Financial Aid Applications
Your applications for financial aid will request information about parent income and assets, student income and assets, family size, and number of children attending college. More information about the specific questions on each financial aid application can be found in the webinars mentioned above.
Deadlines
The financial aid deadline is the date by which a student applicant should submit all required applications for financial aid. It is usually before you even know you’re admitted! It can be found on the college’s website, usually on the financial aid page. The financial aid deadline at most schools for students applying through the regular college admission process is usually in February or March, but it’s best to submit the applications as soon as possible after they become available, as some colleges do award financial aid on a first-come, first-served basis. It’s crucial that you meet each college’s deadline for financial aid in order to maximize your eligibility for grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study. A late application could cost you thousands in financial aid.
After You Apply
What happens after your applications for financial aid are submitted? Read about the next steps in the process in our article, After You Apply: The Financial Aid Process.
Merit Aid
The information above applies to the process for need-based financial aid, which is the majoirty of financial aid available and distributed based on finances. However there’s another category of aid that is merit-based, which is awarded based on student credentials (academic, musical, or athletic). The process to apply for merit-based aid is separate than need-based, and may require a separate applicaiton or other necessary steps. The deadline for merit-based aid may also occur before the main financial aid or admissions deadline. Check with each college’s admissions office for merit-based iad details.
