Continuing University Students
- You can file your FAFSA beginning October 1 each year, and we encourage you to do so as soon as possible, but be aware that these changes may not affect the timeline for continuing students to receive their financial aid packages. As in previous years, you should receive your package in early to mid-June.
- The main advantage to you in filing earlier will be to give you more time to complete any needed paperwork so that your application will be ready for the completion of your financial aid package in late spring. The deadline for completing your FAFSA for PHEAA State Grant consideration will not change and is still by May 1 for PA residents.
- Filing earlier or later will not change the amount of aid you will receive. Filing earlier, however, will allow you more time to respond to additional document requests and to work on options for any outstanding balance due in the Fall semester.
- Applications for Parent Plus Loans and/or private/alternative loans will not need to be completed any earlier and we still recommend waiting until after May 1 to complete and submit these applications.
- If you have been selected for verification in the past, you’ll be glad to hear that this new system makes verification simpler. If selected for verification for the academic year, most applicants should be able to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (IRS DRT) beginning October 1, because tax information from the previous year should be processed and ready to use via the DRT. This streamlined process will cut down on the amount of additional information you have to submit to us and eliminate wait times for things like tax transcripts, allowing you to more easily receive your financial aid package on schedule.
