The Free Application For Student Financial Aid (FAFSA) is an online application available for students who plan to attend college the following fall. If you are in your senior year of high school and intend on starting college in the fall semester after your high school graduation, you should complete and submit your FAFSA during your senior year of high school. Usually, the FAFSA is available to complete on Oct. 1; the release date for the 2024-2025 FAFSA is estimated to be December 2023. This is only temporary. After the 2024-2025 aid year, the FAFSA will return to its usual availability. Transfer students can also follow this timeline, filing the FAFSA in advance of transferring from one college to another.
The FAFSA asks for basic information, such as your name and Social Security number, as well as details about your financial situation, mostly via your family's federal tax return. After you submit your FAFSA, you will receive confirmation of the submission and processing by the US Department of Education. This includes a student's Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which often helps students and their families make decisions as they choose a college.
As new students apply and are accepted to Alvernia, the Office of Student Financial Planning creates an individual aid package, which is then mailed to applicants. These mailings typically begin in November.
The deadline for accepted students to decide on where to attend is May 1 each year. If you have questions about filing your FAFSA, please contact us in the Student Financial Services Office at 610-796-8201 or email us with your questions. We also recommend Alvernia's FATV, a helpful library of financial aid videos to enhance your knowledge of the financial aid process.
