When Is the FAFSA Deadline for 2019 Federal and State

When Is the FAFSA Deadline for 2019 Federal and State SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips To be considered for federal financial aid, you must complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Most states, colleges, and universities also use the FAFSA to award other types of institutional financial aid, including state- and college-sponsored financial aid, such as grants, educational loans, and work-study programs. If you don’t get your FAFSA submitted by the deadline, you might be missing out on free money. Don’t do that. Make sure you know all the applicable federal, state, and college deadlines. Get that money! In this article, we'll discuss when you should submit the FAFSA and how to ensure you don't miss any important deadlines. We'll also explain the financial aid process after you submit your FAFSA. When Are Federal FAFSA Deadlines? You can file a FAFSA for the 2018-2019 school year anytime between October 1, 2017, and June 30, 2019. Online applications must be submitted by midnight Central Time on June 30, 2019.Any corrections or updates must be submitted by midnight Central Time on September 14, 2019. For the 2019-2020 school year, you can file anytime from October 1, 2018, to June 30, 2020.Once again, applications must be submitted by midnight Central Time on the final date. Corrections or updates must be submitted by September 12, 2020. If you're applying to college this year (meaning you'd start in fall 2019), you should submit your FAFSA as soon as possible- definitely by summer- to meet state and college deadlines and to maximize the amount of aid you can receive. When Are State FAFSA Deadlines? FAFSA deadlines vary for each state to be eligible for state-sponsored financial aid. Generally, state deadlines have remained the same from year to year. A number of statesask students to submit their FAFSA as soon as possible after October 1, 2018. Then, financial aid will continue to be awarded until state funds are depleted. Thus, it's essential to submit your FAFSA early if you live in one of these states. Below, I have listed all the state deadlines for the FAFSA for the 2019-2020 school year. The dates are for 2019 unless otherwise noted. As previously mentioned, these deadlines tend to stay the same each year. This information was taken directly from the FAFSA website. Alabama Check with your financial aid administrator. Alaska Alaska Performance Scholarship - June 30. For priority consideration, submit application by date specified.Awards made until funds are depleted. Alaska Education Grant - As early as possible after October 1, 2018. Awards are made until funds are depleted. American Samoa Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required. Arizona Check with your financial aid administrator. Arkansas Arkansas Challenge - June 1 by midnight Central Time. Workforce Grant - Check with your financial aid administrator. Higher Education Opportunity Grant - June 1 by midnight Central Time. California March 2 (postmarked by) for many state financial aid programs. Cal Grant also requires submission of a school certified GPA by March 2. Applicants are encouraged to obtain proof of mailing their GPA and to retain a copy of their GPA form. For additional community college Cal Grants - September 2 (postmarked). Colorado Check with your financial aid administrator. Connecticut February 15 by midnight Central Time. For priority consideration, submit application by date specified. Additional forms may be required.Contact your financial aid administrator or your state agency. Delaware April 15 by midnight Central Time. District of Columbia May 1 For DCTAG, complete the DC OneApp and submit supporting documents by May31. Federated States of Micronesia Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required. Florida May 15 (date processed) Georgia Check with your financial aid administrator. Guam Check with your financial aid administrator.Additional forms may be required. Hawaii Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required. Idaho Opportunity Grant - March 1 by midnight Central Time. For priority consideration, submit application by date specified. Additional forms may be required. Contact your financial aid administrator or state agency. Illinois As soon as possible after October 1, 2018. Awards are made until funds are depleted. Indiana Frank O'Bannon Grant- April 15 by midnight Central Time. 21st Century Scholarship- April 15 by midnight Central Time. Adult Student Grant- As soon as possible after October 1, 2018. Awards are made until funds are depleted. Workforce Ready Grant- As soon as possible after October 1, 2018. Iowa July 1 by midnight Central Time. Earlier priority deadlines may exist for certain programs. Additional forms may be required. Kansas April 1 by midnight Central Time. For priority consideration, submit application by date specified. Additional forms may be required. Contact your financial aid administrator or your state agency. Kentucky As soon as possible after October 1, 2018. Awards are made until funds are depleted. Louisiana July 1, 2020 (July 1, 2019 recommended) Maine May 1 by midnight Central Time. Marshall Islands Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required. Maryland March 1 by midnight Central Time. Massachusetts May 1 by midnight Central Time. For priority consideration, submit application by date specified. Michigan March 1 by midnight Central Time. Minnesota 30 days after term starts by midnight Central Time. Mississippi MTAG and MESG Grants - September 15 by midnight Central Time. Additional forms may be required. HELP Scholarship - March 31 by midnight Central Time. Additional forms may be required. Missouri For priority consideration, submit by February 1. Applications are accepted throughApril 1 by midnight Central Time. Montana Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required. N. Mariana Islands For priority consideration, submit by midnight Central Time on April 30. Additional forms may be required. Nebraska Check with your financial aid administrator. Nevada Nevada Promise Scholarship- April 1. Additional forms may be required. Awards are made until funds are depleted. Silver State Opportunity Grant - As soon as possible after October 1, 2018. Awards are made until funds are depleted. All other aid - Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required. New Hampshire Check with your financial aid administrator.Additional forms may be required. New Jersey 2018-19 Tuition Aid Grant recipients -- April 15 by midnight Central Time. All other applicants - September 15 by midnight Central Time for fall and spring terms; February 15, 2020, by midnight Central Time for spring term only. New Mexico Check with your financial aid administrator. New York June 30, 2020, by midnight Central Time. Additional forms may be required. North Carolina As soon as possible after October 1, 2018. Awards are made until funds are depleted. North Dakota As soon as possible after October 1, 2018. Awards are made until funds are depleted. Ohio October 1 by midnight Central Time. Oklahoma As soon as possible after October 1, 2018. Awards are made until funds are depleted. Oregon OSAC Private Scholarships- March 1. Additional forms may be required. Oregon Promise Grant- Contact your state agency. Additional forms may be required. Oregon Opportunity Grant- As soon as possible after October 1, 2018. Awards are made until funds are depleted. Palau Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required. Pennsylvania All first-time applicants enrolled in a community college; business, trade, or technical school; hospital school of nursing; designated Pennsylvania Open-Admission institution; or non-transferable two-year program - August 1 by midnight Central Time. All other applicants - May 1 by midnight Central Time.Additional forms may be required Puerto Rico Check with your financial aid administrator. Rhode Island Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required. South Carolina Tuition Grants - June 30 by midnight Central Time. SC Commission on Higher Education Need-based Grants - As soon as possible after October 1, 2018. Awards are made until funds are depleted. South Dakota Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required. Tennessee State Grant - February 1. Eligible prior-year recipients receive priority, and all other awards are made to neediest applicants until funds are depleted. Tennessee Promise - February 1 (date received). State Lottery - Fall term: September 1 by midnight Central Time; spring summer terms (date received): February 1, 2020, by midnight Central Time (date received). Texas As soon as possible after October 1, 2018. Texas public colleges - January 15. For priority consideration, submit application by date specified. Additional forms may be required. Texas private colleges - Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required. US Virgin Islands Check with your financial aid administrator.Additional forms may be required. Utah Check with your financial aid administrator. Awards are made until funds are depleted. Additional forms may be required. Vermont As soon as possible after October 1, 2018. Awards are made until funds are depleted. Additional forms may be required. Virginia Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required. Washington As soon as possible afterOctober 1, 2018. Awards are made until funds are depleted. West Virginia PROMISE Scholarship - March 1. New applicants must submit additional information at www.cfwv.com. Contact your financial aid administrator or state agency. WV Higher Education Grant Program - April 15. Wisconsin Check with your financial aid administrator. Wyoming Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required. When Are College FAFSA Deadlines? Most institutional deadlines for the FAFSA are between January and March for the following academic year.Some schools have deadlines as early as the second week in January. Make sure to check with the colleges you're interested in attending about their deadlines. You should also ask whether the deadline is for when the college must receive the FAFSA by, or for when the FAFSA must be processed by. Timeline After Submitting the FAFSA Generally, threedays after you submit your FAFSA, you'll receive your SAR,orStudent Aid Report, electronically. If you don't provide an email address, you'll receive your SAR by mail in seven to 10 days. The SAR summarizes your FAFSA information and gives a dollar amount for your expected family contribution for the next academic year.Your expected family contribution is used by colleges to calculate the amount of aid you're eligible to receive. Make sure all the information is correct on your SAR and submit any corrections if needed. Note thatyou might need to submit additional forms or documentation to financial aid officesif colleges ask you to do so. Some colleges require forms in addition to the FAFSA for financial aid. Typically, between March and April, you'll receive financial aid award letters from the colleges that accepted you. Normally, you'll get them with your acceptance letters or a couple weeks after. In your financial aid award letters, you'll find out how much financial aid you'll get and what your aid will consist of between loans, grants, and work-study.From your award letters, you can determine your out-of-pocket expenses for each school. Generally, you have to commit to the college you're going to attend by May 1. Between May and September, you can apply for supplemental aid to cover your cost of education, if needed. Your parents may borrow up to your cost of education minus your financial aid through the Federal PLUS loan. You may borrow up to your cost of education minus your financial aid through many private student loan programs. Finally, between May and September, if you receive a Federal Stafford Loan, you should complete the Master Promissory Note, which acts as a contract between you and your lender, saying that you agree to the terms of the loan and will repay it. Your school might provide this form to you or tell you where to complete it online. Tips to Help You Meet FAFSA Deadlines It is imperative that you submit your FAFSA by the appropriate deadline. If you don't do this, you could lose out on tens of thousands of dollars to help pay for your education. Your best bet is tosubmityour FAFSA early on- within the first couple weeks of October. This will ensure you don't miss any deadlines and will be eligible for all federal, state, and college financial aid. However, I know some of you like to procrastinate, sohere are some tips to help you stay on track: Start a financial aid folder to keep all your financial aid documents organized.Doing so will save you time and help you out, especially considering the fact that you must file a FAFSA every year you apply for financial aid! Make a note of the earliest deadline (state, federal, or college) you need to know on a calendar. Set a notification on your phone a week or two before this deadline, too. In September, start looking at the FAFSA with your parents and get together any documentation you might need for it. Encourage your parents to prepare their income tax returns as soon as possible after January 1 since you might need their returns for financial aid purposes. Regardless of whether or not your parents plan on paying for your college education, most studentswill be considered dependents for FAFSA purposes. If you have a good counselor at your high school, try to meet with her regularly. Many counselors excel at making sure their students submit all applications and forms in time. This guy might be able to help you get your FAFSA submitted on time. What's Next? College is super pricey these days, making it crucial to apply for financial aid.Learn aboutthe importance of the FAFSA and financial aid in our guide tohow much college costs. Looking for more financial tips? Then check out our expert guides onhow to get a student loan and the best jobs for teens. 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