Financial Aid
When to apply?
The new simplified FAFSA will be available in December 2023 for the 2024-2025 academic year. (The FAFSA typically opens on Oct. 1 each year, but the Department of Education pushed back the upcoming release as it rolls out the new form.)
Once you submit the new FAFSA, you’ll receive your FAFSA Submission Summary, which details the information you included on the application and your SAI. This summary was previously called the Student Aid Report.
Students must submit the FAFSA each year they are in school to unlock federal student loans, grants, work-study, and some private scholarships.
The Cal Grant and Middle-Class Scholarship (MCS) programs has been extended to April 2, 2024.
JUNIORS: The Department plans to open the 2025–26 form to applicants on Oct. 1, 2024.
The information you input on the FAFSA about you and your family’s financial profile will determine your SAI (Student Aid Index). The index will equal the sum of your parents’ available income, your income, and assets.
SAI is used as part of the equation for financial need, which is found by subtracting the Student Aid Index and other financial assistance from the cost of attendance at each school. Your cost of attendance includes tuition, fees, and room and board. The equation essentially looks like this:
Cost of attendance - SAI = financial need
Your financial need doesn't necessarily mean the full amount you’re qualified for. Colleges aren’t required to meet 100% of your financial need with need-based aid like grants or scholarships — and colleges can include loans on your financial aid award letter to meet need. Funding availability for aid, such as work-study, might also be limited at your school.
Need Support?
Don’t know which application to complete?
FAFSA filers are U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens. For more on FAFSA eligibility click here.
CADAA filers are undocumented and nonresident students. For more on CADAA eligibility click here.
Please have the following documents available:
- Your parents and your FSA ID (For FAFSA filers ONLY) or Dream Act Account (For CADAA filers)
- Driver’s License, if you have one
- Social Security Card, if you have one
- Alien Registration Card, if you have one
- ITIN, if you have one
- List of colleges you are interested in to list on the applications
- Most current bank statements
- Any records of untaxed income
- 2022 tax information (1040’s and W2s)
- This includes your parents’ tax information if you are a dependent student.
- Am I an independent or dependent student?
What is a FSA ID? A FSA ID is a username and password that gives you access to Federal Student Aid’s online systems and can serve as your legal signature.
(Only required if you are filling out the FAFSA, CAADA filers will have their own process).