The Missouri State FAFSA priority deadline, February 1, 2018, is quickly approaching. Encourage your student to fill out the 2018-19 FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) as soon as possible. The FAFSA is important for several reasons, as it’s a pathway to receiving several forms of financial aid including grants, loans and work study.
Students will use income information already available to complete the FAFSA. When filling out the 2018–19 FAFSA, students (and parents, as appropriate) will report their 2016 income information, rather than their 2017 income information. This information should be readily available, and use of the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when completing the FAFSA, which is highly recommended, makes the process even easier. Please note that if using the IRS Data Retrieval, the information will transfer successfully, but will be redacted. This step was enacted by Department of Education as an information security measure. You will not be able to see the information that is transferred but we don’t anticipate any issues with this.
Please remember that you do NOT have to pay to fill out the FAFSA. It is a free service! Make sure you use this link, https://fafsa.ed.gov/, to fill out the FAFSA.
The priority deadline for state-funded programs such as the Access Missouri grant is now February 1st, 2018, and MSU’s deadline for limited-availability funding has been moved up to match. The deadline for the General and Departmental Scholarship Application is March 1st. Whether a student wishes to apply for state or federal assistance, it’s important to file early!
Students are encouraged to contact the Office of Student Financial Aid if they have concerns. The office can be reached at (417) 836-5262, by email (FinancialAid@MissouriState.edu), or in person in Carrington Hall, Rm. 101.
Important Resources:
How to Create Your FAFSA ID: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7ihhGk8mCY&index=10&list=PL23B9A23CD8DD82DD
What to Do If I Forgot My FAFSA ID Username: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZkF4ZoZwzc&index=8&list=PL23B9A23CD8DD82DD
What to Do if I Forgot My FAFSA ID Password: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvhBQH266lo&list=PL23B9A23CD8DD82DD&index=9
7 Things You Need Before You Fill Out the 2018-19 FAFSA Form: https://blog.ed.gov/2017/09/7-things-need-fill-2018-19-fafsa-form/
Parent’s Guide to Filling Out the FAFSA form: https://blog.ed.gov/2017/09/the-parents-guide-to-filling-out-the-fafsa-form/?sf63818120=1