FAFSA: What You Need to Know

Senior year is exhilarating and deadline-driven. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is one deadline you don't want to miss if you're considering enrolling in a college or university for the fall of 2024. Students will access grants, scholarships, work-study programs, and federal student loans by completing the FAFSA process.

"FAFSA is one of the most important steps students and their families can take to pay for college as most students receive some type of financial aid. The U.S. Department of Education uses the FAFSA to determine your eligibility for federal student aid, including low-cost loans, grants, and work-study. The FAFSA may determine your eligibility for state and school aid as well. Anyone who plans to attend college should submit the FAFSA, so apply even if you don't think you qualify as you don't want to leave free money behind," said Mary Harris, PVSchools lead counselor. 

Here's what parents and students need to know about FAFSA:

• If you need assistance throughout the process, text Help to the Benji Chatbot at 602-786-8171. Benji is specifically designed to help parents, students, and educators get quick answers to a wide variety of FAFSA questions.
   

• When you complete the FAFSA, colleges use the information to see if you are eligible for all types of financial aid. There is no income cutoff to qualify for federal student aid. All eligible students qualify for some financial aid, whether grants, work-study, loans, or scholarships.
   

• FAFSA is free, and you can file it online at FAFSA.ed.gov. The FAFSA application process should only take about 30 minutes to complete. There are two steps you must complete to submit your student FAFSA application. You will use your FSA ID to log into FAFSA. Creating an FSA ID will take up to three days to process, so don't wait until the last minute. If you are a dependent student, your legal parent will need to create an FSA ID.

  • Step 1 - Create a FAFSA ID for you and your student

    •  For more information on FSA IDs and how to create one, visit our College and Career Services page

  • Step 2 - Student completes the FAFSA application with the parent

  •  You will use prior year financial information. For example, the 2024-2025 FAFSA you complete this fall will be for the 2024-2025 school year. You will use a completed 2022 income tax filing for your student's FAFSA Submission.
     

• FAFSA becomes available in December and is open until June 30. Don't wait for these deadlines because most states are now giving out money on a first-come-first-serve basis. This means if you wait too long, you will miss out on thousands of dollars in financial aid.
   

• Arizona Universities Priority Dates:

  • March 1, 2024 – Arizona State University

  • April 1, 2024 – Northern Arizona University

  • April 1, 2024 – University of Arizona

• Join PVSchools for the annual District-Wide FAFSA Night on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. for FAFSA support and additional information. Sign up for FAFSA Night 2024

View the 12th-grade FAFSA Checklist or Learn more about FAFSA.