Get FREE Help Applying for College Financial Aid!

FAFSA Day is a non-profit, volunteer-driven program providing free assistance to students and families seeking to complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).

If you have questions about completing the FAFSA, please call us weekdays at (800) 449-6332 (9:00 am – 4:00pm) or email fafsaday@gmail.com.

The goal of the FAFSA Day is to help students complete the 2023-2024 FAFSA application as they apply for college. Financial aid professionals from colleges and organizations across Massachusetts are ready and available to answer questions and walk you and your family through the application process. Below are scheduled FAFSA Day online events held on ZOOM, where an advisor will meet with you personally in a breakout room.Their personal attention, along with their knowledge and experience, are here to help you check-off the FAFSA from your college application to-do list.

1

The College Deadline

The first due date comes from colleges themselves. Spoiler alert! It’s typically early. College deadlines vary from school to school, but they usually come well before the academic year starts. If you’re applying to multiple colleges, look up each school’s FAFSA^® deadline and apply early. 

Many college FAFSA due dates have priority deadlines, which means you need to submit your FAFSA form by that date to potentially receive the most money from the college. Many colleges have this date clearly marked on their financial aid webpages. If you can’t find it, call the school’s financial aid office. 

If you’re worried about gathering information to complete the FAFSA form in time to meet this deadline, don’t be. For the 2023–24 FAFSA form, you can apply beginning Oct. 1, 2022. You’ll need to use your 2021 tax information.

Didn’t think it could get any easier? The Oct. 1 launch date coincides with many college application deadlines, so we recommend submitting admission and federal aid applications at the same time. If you haven’t figured out where you’re applying yet, don’t worry! You can still submit the FAFSA form. Just list any school you’re considering, even if you’re not sure whether you’ll apply. You can always add schools to or remove schools from your FAFSA form later. 

2

The State Deadline

The second deadline is set by your home state. Make sure to check your state’s deadline. Some states have hard deadlines, while others suggest dates to make sure you get priority consideration for college money.  

Many states have limited funds, so their FAFSA deadlines may be quite early. If your state’s deadline is “as soon as possible after Oct. 1,” you should get your FAFSA form submitted ASAP. 

3

The Federal Deadline

This last deadline comes from us, the U.S. Department of Education, aka the FAFSA folks. Our only time limit is that each year the FAFSA form for that particular academic year becomes unavailable after June 30.

FAFSA FAQ

What is the FAFSA? Before each year of college, apply for federal grants, work-study, and loans with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form. Your college uses your FAFSA data to determine your federal aid eligibility. Many states and colleges use FAFSA data to award their own aid. After submission, you’ll receive your Student Aid Report (FAFSA, 2021). Check out Ms. Erikson’s FAFSA module on Canvas for more resources /assistance

Who is eligible to apply for FAFSA? At minimum, you must: Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen (including a U.S. national or permanent resident) and have a valid Social Security number; more information about FAFSA eligibility.

How do I fill my FAFSA? The first step of completing the FAFSA is creating an FSA ID 🡪 create your FSA ID here.
**once the FSA ID is created, it takes 24-72 hours to process before you can start your FAFSA**

• Both the student and a parent (JUST ONE PARENT) need FSA IDs.

Once the FSA is created and active, students may begin to fill out their FAFSA 🡪 log-in here.

To fill out the FAFSA for 2023-2024, you will need the following documents:

• 2021 federal tax returns
• W-2 forms or other records of income for 2021 and 2022
• Records of untaxed income for 2021 and 2022
• Bank statements
• Mortgage information

Who can help me fill out the FAFSA?
There are a number of people at FHS who can help you and your student complete the FAFSA.

• Ms. Erikson in the College & Career Center—make an appointment with Ms. Erikson
• The MetroWest College Planning Center – make an appointment with the MWCPC

How do I apply to more than 10 schools on my FAFSA application? To apply to more than 10 schools on your online FAFSA application, please click on this link for step-by-step directions.

The FAFSA asked me about the Selective Service System—what is that? Men who register with Selective Service remain eligible for federal student financial aid, state-funded student financial aid, federal employment, state employment, job training under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, security clearances, and U.S. citizenship for immigrant men. For more information, see Why Register. Selective Service accepts early registrations as young as 17 years and 3 months.
**The Selective Service System has not now, or in the past, collected or shared any information which would indicate a man's immigration status, either documented or undocumented. 

The FAFSA asked me if I’m interested in ‘Work Study’—what is that? Federal Work-Study provides part-time jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay education expenses. The program encourages community service work and work related to the student’s course of study—learn more here.

CSS Profile

What is the CSS Profile?
The CSS Profile is an online application that collects information used by nearly 400 colleges and scholarship programs to award non-federal aid. (For federal aid you must complete the FAFSA, available Oct. 1 at fafsa.ed.gov.) Some colleges may require the CSS Profile from both biological/adoptive parents in cases of divorce or separation (CSS Profile, 2021).

• Check out Ms. Erikson’s CSS Profile module on Canvas for more resources / assistance.

What schools require the CSS Profile? The CSS Profile is required by a number of colleges/universities. Here is a full list of institutions that CSS Profile for the 2022-2023 school year.

When does the CSS Profile become available and what are the deadlines? The CSS Profile becomes available for students on October 1st of students senior year (e.g. if a student will begin college in the fall of 2021, the CSS Profile opens on 10/1/2021 for the 2022-2023 school year. The CSS Profile deadline typically aligns with the deadlines at each individual school that requires it.

How do I fill out my CSS Profile? The CSS Profile is completed through the College Board. Here is a step-by-step tutorial for completing the CSS Profile. To fill out this year’s CSS profile, you will need the following documents—see the CSS Profile guide:

• 2021 federal tax returns
• W-2 forms or other records of income for 2021 and 2022
• Records of untaxed income for 2021 and 2022
• Bank statements
• Mortgage information

Does the CSS Profile cost money? YES—it is $25 to submit the first CSS application, and $16 for each additional school. If you qualified for a SAT fee waiver through the College Board, you can also get fee waivers to submit your CSS Profile—check here to see if you quality for a fee waiver.