How to Apply for Financial Aid

Free Application for Federal Student Aid

 

To receive financial aid, you must apply for it. Applying for admission to a college or university is not enough.

• What is the FAFSA?
• Completing the FAFSA
• 2024-25 FAFSA completion resource page 
• 2025-2026 FAFSA completetion resource page
  Find resources for students and families to make one-on-one appointments, locate contact information and more. In addition, funding is available for organizations to grow student support capacity through the ECMC Student Support Strategy, and organizations receive free support to co-host a student FAFSA completion event with College Possible staff.

 

What is the FAFSA?

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is used to determine how much a student and their family is expected to contribute for the student's education. The difference between the total cost of attendance and the family contribution is your financial need.

After your need is determined you will receive a "financial aid offer" from the colleges you have applied to for you to review. This offer consists of any Federal Pell Grants, Minnesota State Grants, North Star Promise and any other financial aid offered by colleges and universities you are eligible to receive. Your financial aid may also be supplemented with loan and work study funds.

• Your eligibility to receive a Minnesota State Grant and North Star Promise is determined by completing a FAFSA. Results are automatically sent to Minnesota colleges. Some colleges and universities have opted to utilize an Online Student Eligibility Questionnaire as a way to document students have Minnesota resident status for postsecondary education purposes. Students who list a school that uses the Online Student Eligibility Questionnaire on their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will receive an email from aid@mnaid.minnesota.gov or mnaid@nelnet.net. These are legitimate email addresses associated with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education and the administration of state financial aid programs.
• Some scholarships offered by colleges may require separate applications through the campus financial aid office. See scholarships offered by Minnesota colleges.

Completing the FAFSA

The most important advice about completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is to READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. Follow directions carefully as you complete your application; any errors will cause delays in processing or even the loss of financial assistance. You can find a detailed explanation of what is required when completeing the FAFSA on the Federal Student Aid site.

You can complete the FAFSA:

• Online using FAFSA on the Web.
• Or, by completing a paper application. Download a PDF FAFSA.
• The FAFSA is also available in Spanish.

Be aware of financial aid application deadlines to not miss out on receiving student aid awards. Keep in mind that each school may have its own financial aid deadline as well.