The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (known as FAFSA), is a form that must be filled out annually by current and anticipating university students (both undergraduate and graduate) and sometimes their parents in the United States to determine their eligibility for federal student financial aid (including grants, loans, and work-study programs). In addition, most states and schools use information from the FAFSA to award non-federal aid. The FAFSA consists of numerous questions regarding the student’s finances, as well as those of his or her family; these are entered into a formula that determines the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The amount of the EFC can vary widely, depending on a number of factors; for example, one such factor is whether a student has siblings in college at the time. Other entities, such as the specific college or state of the student, may also use some of these responses to determine if the student is eligible for school or state aid, in addition to federal aid. A Student Aid Report (SAR), which includes a summary of the students financial aid formation and the EFC, is forwarded to the schools listed by the student as well as the student. These schools then use the SAR to determine what financial aid package (if any) to award the student.
| Alabama | Check with your financial aid administrator |
| Alaska | April 15, 2011 @AK Education Grant – same as aboveAK Performance Scholarship – June 30, 2011 @ |
| American Samoa | Check with your financial aid administrator* |
| Arizona | Check with your financial aid administrator |
| Arkansas | For Academic Challenge – June 1, 2011 @For Workforce Grant – check with your financial aid administratorFor Higher Education Opportunity Grant – June 1, 2011 (fall term) @; November 1, 2011 (spring term) @ |
| California | For initial awards – March 2, 2011 ^*For additional community college awards – September 2, 2011 – date postmarked ^* |
| Colorado | Check with your financial aid administrator |
| Connecticut | February 15, 2011 #* |
| Delaware | April 15, 2011 @ |
| District of Columbia | June 30, 2011 @#* |
| Federated States of Micronesia | Check with your financial aid administrator* |
| Florida | May 15, 2011 – date processed |
| Georgia | Check with your financial aid administrator |
| Guam | Check with your financial aid administrator* |
| Hawaii | Check with you financial aid administrator* |
| Idaho | Opportunity Grant – March 1, 2011 @#* |
| Illinois | As soon as possible after January 1, 2011. Awards made until funds are depleted. |
| Indiana | March 10, 2011 & |
| Iowa | July 1, 2011 @; earlier priority deadlines may exist for certain programs. |
| Kansas | April 1, 2011 @#* |
| Kentucky | As soon as possible after January 1, 2011. Awards made until funds are depleted. |
| Louisiana | July 1, 2011 (recommended) |
| Maine | May 1, 2011 |
| Marshall Islands | Check with your financial aid administrator* |
| Maryland | March 1, 2011 & |
| Massachusetts | May 1, 2011 @# |
| Michigan | March 1, 2011 & |
| Minnesota | 30 days after term starts @ |
| Mississippi | MTAG and MESG Grants – September 15, 2011 @#HELP Scholarship – March 31, 2011 @# |
| Missouri | April 1, 2011 @# |
| Montana | March 1, 2011 #& |
| Nebraska | Check with your financial aid administrator* |
| Nevada | Check with your financial aid administrator* |
| New Hampshire | May 1, 2011 @ |
| New Jersey | 2010-2011 Tuition Aid Grant recipients – June 1, 2011 @All other applications – October 1, 2011, for fall and spring terms @;March 1, 2012, for spring term only @ |
| New Mexico | Check with your financial aid administrator* |
| New York | June 30, 2011 @^* |
| North Carolina | Check with your financial aid administrator |
| North Dakota | March 15, 2011 &# |
| Northern Mariana Islands | Check with your financial aid administrator* |
| Ohio | October 1, 2011 @ |
| Oklahoma | March 15, 2011 |
| Oregon | OSAC scholarship – March 1, 2011 &Oregon Opportunity Grant – As soon as possible after January 1, 2011. Awards made until funds are depleted. |
| Palau | Check with your financial aid administrator* |
| Pennsylvania | All 2010-2011 State Grant recipients and all non-2010-2011 State Grant recipients in degree programs – May 1, 2011 @*All other applicants – August 1, 2011 @* |
| Puerto Rico | Check with your financial aid administrator |
| Rhode Island | March 1, 2011 &# |
| South Carolina | Tuition Grants – June 30, 2011 @SC Commission on Higher Education – As soon as possible after January 1, 2011. Awards made until funds are depleted. |
| South Dakota | Check with your financial aid administrator* |
| Tennessee | For State Grant – As soon as possible after January 1, 2011. Awards made until funds are depleted.For State Lottery – September 1, 2011 @# |
| Texas | Check with your financial aid administrator* |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | Check with your financial aid administrator* |
| Utah | Check with your financial aid administrator |
| Vermont | Check with your financial aid administrator* |
| Virginia | Check with your financial aid administrator* |
| Washington | Check with your financial aid administrator |
| West Virginia | April 15, 2011 @#* |
| Wisconsin | Check with your financial aid administrator |
| Wyoming | Check with your financial aid administrator* |
| Texas | Check with your financial aid administrator* |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | Check with your financial aid administrator* |
| Utah | Check with your financial aid administrator |
| Vermont | Check with your financial aid administrator* |
| Virginia | Check with your financial aid administrator* |
| Washington | Check with your financial aid administrator |
| West Virginia | April 15, 2011 @#* |
| Wisconsin | Check with your financial aid administrator |
| WyomingSource: Fafsaonline.com | Check with your financial aid administrator* |
