As 2012 draws to a close, it’s time to start thinking about applying for financial aid for the next school year. The best place to begin is with the FAFSA.

Why the FAFSA?

The FAFSA is used to evaluate your eligibility for the following:

• Federal student financial aid – grants, loans and work-study
• The State of Missouri’s college aid programs
• Missouri State University’s need-based programs

All college-bound high school students and adults, and currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students are encouraged to complete the FAFSA.

Completing the FAFSA

The federal government starts accepting the FAFSA – or Free Application for Federal Student Aid – on January 1.

You will need the following documents to complete your application for 2013-14:

• Your social security number
• Your driver’s license
• Current bank statements and any investment records
• Your 2012 Federal Income Tax Return, 2012 W-2 forms and other records of money earned
• Your parent’s 2012 Federal Income Tax Return (if a dependent student)
• Your 2012 untaxed income records
• Your alien registration or permanent registration card (if you are not a U.S. citizen)
• A PIN to sign your FAFSA electronically

The FAFSA can be completed online. You will need to provide Missouri State’s federal school code: 002503.

Your FAFSA requires the most recent tax return documents, so you will need to file your taxes prior to beginning the application process or use the tax information you have available and submit a correction once you have filed your taxes for the current year.

Deadline

You should complete the FAFSA by the priority deadline of March 31, 2013. We recommend submitting your application in February as the deadline for the General and Departmental Scholarship Application is March 1, 2013.

More information

For more information, visit the How Do I Apply for Financial Aid? page or contact our office at 417-836-5262.