Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Filling out the FAFSA is the best way to discover financial support. Many students are eligible for scholarships, grants, loans and work-study funds but don't receive them because they don't apply.
Receive Free Money
You can receive free money in the form of scholarships and grants, and get paid to enhance your education through federal work-study programs. By providing better interest rates than private loans, even federal student loans can help you save some money in the long run.
You Most Likely Qualify
Most students qualify for financial aid, and that likely includes you. It doesn't matter if your parents are wealthy – you can still get aid to help pay for college. But you'll never know how much until you apply.
Billions Are Left
Students who don't fill out the FAFSA leave billions of dollars on the table every year. Of those billions, hundreds to thousands could be yours by applying. The sooner you apply, the more money you can receive.
Spend Less Time Working
It's hard to earn a college degree while supporting yourself with a part- or full-time job. After your aid money goes toward tuition, any leftover funds are refunded to you to help with living costs. That means you can work less and learn more.
If your or your family's financial situation has significantly changed or you have other special circumstances, complete and submit the FAFSA as instructed. Then contact our financial aid office to discuss your situation. They may be able to help.
An Easy 21 Minutes Is All It Takes
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) costs nothing to complete and is the easiest way for you to apply for scholarships, government grants, loans, and work-study programs to help pay for college, housing, food and more. Grants, work-study and scholarships come without the financial burden of paying money back, while government loans offer better interest rates and protections than the rest.
The FAFSA is also how you apply for Seminole State scholarships, private scholarships, grants and other financial aid programs.
You must submit the FAFSA every year to receive aid, but the sooner you apply, the more money you can receive! The Office of Federal Student Aid gives away more than $120 billion in financial aid each year, and most students who apply receive some financial assistance.
You won't know how much aid you can get until filling out the application, but it takes less than half an hour to complete.
When Can I Apply?
You should apply as early as you can to get the most aid, but it’s better to apply late than never.
Ready to Apply for Aid?
Create an FSA ID
You will need to create your FSA ID before starting the FAFSA. The FSA ID stands for Federal Student Aid ID and is the username and password for your studentaid.gov account for filing the FAFSA. If you're a returning students, you can log in using your existing FSA ID. If you forget your FSA ID, you can retrieve it at studentaid.gov. If you’re a dependent student, your parental guardian will be providing information on your FAFSA and will need to create an FSA ID as well.
Gather Your Documents
Before applying, you’ll want to gather the following information:
- Your Social Security number
- Your parents’ social security numbers (if you’re a dependent)
- Your driver’s license number
- Your Alien registration number (if applicable)
- Your tax returns and information for you, your spouse if applicable, and your
parents if you are a dependent - Records of untaxed income
- Information on cash, bank balances, investments, and assets
Start Your Application
To apply online, go to fafsa.gov and click “Start Here,” or log in if you’re a returning student. You can also apply by completing a FAFSA PDF application and mailing it in. Note that the paper application will delay the process of determining your eligibility.
The FAFSA is available in English and Spanish.
Complete and Submit Your FAFSA
The FAFSA will ask you questions about your personal information, financial information and parents' information. Answer all the questions that apply to you and skip the ones that don't. Be sure to include Seminole State College of Florida in the list of schools you're interested in, even if you haven't applied yet. Seminole State College's Federal School Code is 001520.
If you need help with a question, use the question mark icon next to it for helpful tips and information. You can also view the FAFSA FAQ Page for help with common questions. For unanswered questions or to dispute your dependency status, contact the Financial Aid Office for guidance.
Once you've finished the application, sign it with your FSA ID and submit it. If you're a dependent, you'll need your parents to sign with their FSA ID as well.
Get Started!
Seminole State’s School Code: 001520
Getting Your Parents to Help With Filing
If you're a dependent, you'll have to include financial information about your legal parents on the FAFSA. Here are some important things to know about your parents' information:
- You can qualify for aid regardless of how much money your parents earn. Filling out the FAFSA makes you eligible for several financial aid options that don’t have income cutoffs. The FAFSA also makes it possible to qualify for government loans that offer better interest rates and protection.
- You can update your information if your financial situation changes. If your or your family’s financial situation has changed (due to coronavirus), Seminole State's financial aid office can work with you to adjust your financial aid. You can also update your FAFSA after submitting it to potentially qualify for more aid.
If your parents have concerns about the FAFSA, these points may help:
- Your and your parents' information is encrypted, private and shared only with the schools and state agencies involved.
- Submitting the FAFSA doesn’t make your parents liable for your education costs.
- The FAFSA takes less than half an hour to fill out.
If your parents are still unsure, our knowledgeable staff are happy to answer their questions.
If you’re an adult student or fall under certain circumstances, then you can submit the FAFSA without your parents' information.
If your parents are unable to provide their information for the FAFSA and you don't fall under one of the special circumstances necessary, you can still submit the FAFSA to receive scholarships, unsubsidized loans and other forms of financial aid.
What Happens After I File?
After applying, you can check your application's processing status online at any time.
Within a few days, you'll be able to access your Student Aid Report (SAR) in your FSA account. The SAR will show your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). Your EFC helps determine how much aid you receive, so make sure all other information on your SAR is correct.
The schools you listed on your application, including Seminole State, will use your SAR to determine the amount of free aid and loans they can give you and if you qualify as a federal work-study.
Visit the Seminole State College Financial Aid Checklist for steps on using and obtaining your financial aid award.