Step 3: Filing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Form
After applying for admission to the institution of your choice, file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible after January 1.
Don't wait to find out where you've been accepted to apply for financial aid. Schools may have different deadlines for admission and financial aid. Be sure to contact your college financial aid office for forms and deadlines.
The FAFSA is the one form every student applying for financial aid must file with the federal government. You can transfer your data from WisconsinMentor directly to the U.S. Department of Education's online FAFSA on the Web, or you can obtain a copy of the FAFSA form from your high school, local college, or complete the form online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
Four to six weeks after filing your FAFSA, you (and each school you designate on the form) will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR). Schools that accept you for admission will use this report to create your financial aid award package. The school will contact you with your award package information.
A note about the Expected Family Contribution (EFC): This is the amount your family may be expected to pay toward college, as determined by the FAFSA. No matter what school you attend, your EFC remains the same. Your EFC helps determine the amount of financial aid needed.