Financial Aid
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File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) at studentaid.gov. The information in this application is used to determine most of your aid package and should be completed as soon as possible after it becomes available during your senior year of high school.
The 2025-2026 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be available to all students on or before December 1, 2024. The U.S. Department of Education will release the FAFSA in phases, starting with a limited group of students and institutions on October 1, 2024. After the initial release, there will be a one to two-month testing period before the form is available to all students.
What's the FAFSA and how does it work?
Before each year of college or trade school (this year for current high school seniors), students should apply for federal grants, work-study, and loans with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form. Post-secondary schools use your FAFSA data to determine your federal aid eligibility. The completion of the FAFSA usually starts after October 1, but this year a new form is being rolled out in phases. The new FAFSA will be reduced to just 36 questions from 108. The goal is to make the process easier!
Before each year of college or trade school (this year for current high school seniors), students should apply for federal grants, work-study, and loans with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form. Post-secondary schools use your FAFSA data to determine your federal aid eligibility. The completion of the FAFSA usually starts after October 1, but this year a new form is being rolled out in phases. The new FAFSA will be reduced to just 36 questions from 108. The goal is to make the process easier!
Current high school seniors will be completing the
2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
To assist you in better understanding the financial aid planning and application process, listed below are links from Sallie Mae and PHEAA. Additional publications are available on the their websites.
Paying for College Resource...it's like having your own college coach. Financial literacy online presentations. Everything you need to know about scholarships, college admission tips and how to pay the balance.
Need money for college, but confused by financial aid? The Pennsylvania Student Aid Guide has the answers. This guide provides a complete overview of the financial aid process, with information on most of Pennsylvania's financial aid programs and services. Find everything you need to know about paying for higher education.
Scholarships, unlike student loans, don’t have to be repaid and can reduce the cost of college. The more free money, in the form of scholarships and grants, that you find to help pay for college, the less you’ll have to finance.
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.
What is a Federal Student Aid (FSA) Account? An FSA Account is a username and password that you will use to log into certain U.S. Department of Education websites, and electronically sign the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®).
Jonathan Warner
Higher Education Access Partner
Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland Counties
Phone: 717-678-9695
Email: [email protected]
PHEAA.org