Financial Aid for College

Financial Aid Calendar

If your child is applying for financial aid for college, here is a calendar highlighting the important tasks to be done during senior year of high school. The dates are generally relevant for students applying regular decision.

September	October	November
Create a timetable of financial aid deadlines for each college Obtain an FSA ID at fafsa.ed.gov as a prerequisite for submitting the FAFSA online (only need to do this once) Obtain a username and password at collegeboard.org as a prerequisite for submitting the CSS Profile online	Gather last two years of tax returns for parent and student Complete and submit the FAFSA as soon as possible after October 1 Complete and submit the CSS Profile if student is applying to college early action or early decision	Research college and private scholarships and gather supporting materials (students may be considered for college scholarships automatically when they apply)
December	January	February
Complete and submit the CSS Profile if student is applying regular decision Complete additional college-specific aid forms, if any	Complete and submit private scholarship applications Review Student Aid Report (SAR) from FAFSA showing your expected family contribution (EFC)	Verify that all required federal and college financial aid forms have been submitted, and submit any additional documents as requested Continue to complete and submit private scholarship applications
March	April	May
Watch for college acceptances; if acceptance contains offer of merit aid, make sure to understand requirements of any merit scholarships Receive financial aid award letters from colleges detailing financial aid package; read each award letter carefully Watch for notifications from private scholarship sources	Compare financial aid awards by comparing out-of-pocket costs at each college as well as total overall costs Decide on a single college! Sign and return financial aid award letter	Contact financial aid office to confirm all paperwork is in Notify financial aid administrator of any changes in circumstances that may affect your family's ability to pay EFC
June	July	August
High school graduation!	Student signs student loan promissory notes, if applicable Student receives federal student loan counseling, if applicable	Congratulations! Off to college!