Click to view the Financial Aid 101 information.
Financial Aid Awareness
The FAFSA is being revamped this year and will not be released until December (an exact date has not been given). FASFA is being revamped, but it will not be ready for October 1. The government is hoping for December 1. The new version will replace EFC with SAI (Student Aid Index) and be easier to complete.
PHEAA Virtual Financial Aid Night
Wednesday, November 15, 2023
6:30 PM
Please join a representative from PHEAA (the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency) for a virtual Financial Aid Night from the comfort of your home. This presentation will provide an early understanding of the financial decisions students need to make concerning higher education. Participants will have the opportunity to enter questions in the Q & A section at any time, as well as at the end of the presentation.
Registration information will be available closer to the event.
In-Person FAFSA Completion Workshop
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
6:30 PM
This is an opportunity for families to complete the FAFSA with the help of Amy Sawdey, our partner at PHEAA. Registration information will be provided closer to the event.
Applying for the FAFSA
FAFSA starts October 1st. Are you ready?
To make informed college decisions, it’s imperative that families know as soon as possible how much aid they're eligible for. Please click on the link below for information.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) may seem like a lifetime away if your student is not a senior, but there are many reasons to keep it on your radar for students who may pursue post-secondary education.
The FAFSA is available for students to complete after October 1 of the senior year. Some families may not qualify to receive aid, but there are several advantages to filing the FAFSA, anyway:
- You’ll have a better chance at state, federal, and school-based aid.
Some colleges require students to file the FAFSA for merit scholarships. The deadline for filing the FAFSA in Pennsylvania is May 1. However, it is strongly recommended you file well before May 1 as the state has a limited amount of aid and dispense money based on when an application was submitted – so they may run out of money.
- You will be better able to compare financial aid packages.
If you complete the FAFSA and indicate what schools you’ll be applying to, state and federal aid will be the same across schools (unless you are looking out of Pennsylvania, then state aid may not be available).
- Scholarship eligibility.
Some scholarships not related to colleges, look at your FAFSA. Make sure you qualify for all scholarships by filing the FAFSA.
- Sometimes, filing a FAFSA shows a college that you are really interested in them.
If you file the FAFSA and indicate schools, the colleges sees that and might think you are a serious candidate and more likely to enroll.
- Qualifying for lower interest loans.
Even if you don’t think your family will qualify for aid, filing the FAFSA can give you access to lower rate loans (including the Parent PLUS loan).
Additional Resources
Click here to read more on the FAFSA Tipsheet.