State aid applications besides the FAFSA
Most states read the FAFSA to award their grants, yet some ask for more, and this article lays out the extra forms a state may use. Finding them early keeps a missing page from holding up money the state has set aside.
When the FAFSA is enough
In many states the FAFSA is the only application for need-based state grants. The state agency receives your record and uses it to decide awards. Listing the in-state colleges you are considering on the FAFSA lets each of them see your information too.
States with their own forms
Some states ask for a short state form in addition to the FAFSA, often to collect details the federal form leaves out, such as the college you plan to attend or your high school record. Merit programs and grants for particular careers often have a separate application with its own date.
A few state programs ask students to sign up years before college, in middle school or early high school, and to keep a pledge about grades or conduct. Your school counselor will know whether your state runs one and when sign-up closes.
Merit programs and grants for particular careers often have a separate application with its own date.
A state form for students who cannot file the FAFSA
Some states offer their own aid application for students who cannot file the FAFSA because of immigration status. These forms open state grants to some students who are shut out of federal aid, and the rules on who can apply vary widely from one state to the next.
The state agency explains who can use its form, what documents it asks for and how the information is protected. College aid offices in those states can help you complete it, and the questions you ask them stay part of an ordinary aid conversation.
Forms from the college
Some state grants are handed out by the college from a sum the state provides. The college may then ask for its own form or for documents before it can pay. Read every message in the college portal so a request from the aid office does not sit unanswered.
Steps to take this week
- Ask your state agency whether it needs a form besides the FAFSA
- List in-state colleges on your FAFSA
- Check whether your state runs an early sign-up program
- Read the messages in each college's aid portal
Who decides
Your state's student aid agency
The FAFSA opens most state grants, but some states and colleges ask for a form of their own with its own date.
