What is the FAFSA?
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) determines a student’s eligibility for need-based federal and state financial aid for college, which may include grants, scholarships, work-study, and loans. It is administered by the U.S. Department of Education.
Completing your FASFA is as important as completing your college application, and it’s free to apply. We highly recommend you complete your FAFSA as early as possible to ensure you receive the maximum amount of aid available to you.
To ensure that the schools you are interested in can create your award package, your application must include the school codes of the colleges and universities you are considering attending.
GovState’s school code is 009145.
Please Note: If you are an Illinois resident but are ineligible for federal aid as an undocumented student, you can still apply for state assistance. The Retention of Illinois Students & Equity (RISE) Act became law in January 2020. Find out whether you should complete the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid instead of the FAFSA.
Why do the FAFSA or Alternative Application?
- 1) The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the most important step in the “Financial Aid equation.” If a student wants to be considered for federal and state aid (which may include grants, scholarships, work-study, and loans), the FAFSA must be completed. Often other aid (institutional and external) requires a FAFSA to be completed as well.
- 2) It's Money for College! Filing a FAFSA automatically qualifies you for low-interest federal student loans of at least $5,500 a year, provided you have not reached borrowing limits. Don't lose money you are entitled to.
- 3) More Money for College! Illinois MAP grants are tied to completion of the FAFSA or Alternative Application. Grants are education dollars that you don’t have to pay back. This year’s MAP recipients are eligible to receive up to $8,400. As always, MAP is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. If you wait to apply, the money could run out, so fill out your FAFSA/Alternative Application as soon as you can.
- 4) Graduate Earlier! Students can now graduate sooner by taking summer classes. Learn more about summer financial aid.
- 5) It's Easy. How easy? Find out how easy.
What's required for the FAFSA?
- • If you do not already have one, make sure to create your StudentAid.gov account - and remember your username and password so you can access and submit your FAFSA form each year. (What if I forget my FSA ID?)
- • Learn more about the documents you may need to fill out the FAFSA form.
- • Determine your dependency status and whether your parent(s) or spouse will be required to contribute information on your FAFSA form.
- • If you're a dependent student, use the Who's My FAFSA Parent? wizard to identify which parent(s) will be a required contributor on your form.
- • If your parent(s) or spouse will need to contribute to your form, make sure each contributor creates their own StudentAid.gov account. All users/contributors must have an FSA ID and password to fill out the FAFSA, even those without a Social Security Number (SSN).
- • If you are required to add contributors to your FAFSA, you will need to know their full legal name, date of birth, Social Security Number (if they have one), and email address to add/invite them.
FSA ID Information
- • What is an FSA ID? An FSA ID is a username and password that you must use to log in to certain U.S. Department of Education (ED) websites. Your FSA ID identifies you as someone who has the right to access your own personal information on ED websites such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
- • Who needs an FSA ID? Beginning with the 2024-2025 FAFSA, all contributors (student, student's spouse, and/or parent) must have their own FSA ID.
- • How do you get an FSA ID? If you do not already have one, make sure to create your StudentAid.gov account - and remember your username and password so you can access and submit your FAFSA form each year. If your parent(s) or spouse will need to contribute to your form, make sure each contributor creates their own StudentAid.gov account.
- • What if I don't remember my FSA ID or am not sure if I have one? To retrieve a forgotten FSA ID or password, visit the StudentAid.gov log-in page, then select either the "Forgot My Username" or "Forgot My Password" button.
- • Please note: Processing your FSA ID can take up to 5 business days, so we recommend creating it at least a week before you start your FAFSA!
Important Note: All Contributors must provide consent to have their federal tax information (FTI) transferred directly from the IRS to the FAFSA. If consent is not provided by all parties, you will not be eligible for federal financial aid. In previous years, transferring IRS data was optional; beginning with 2024-2025, it’s required. What Does It Mean to Provide Consent and Approval on the FAFSA?
When should I do the FAFSA or Alternative Application?
The FAFSA or Alternative Application needs to be completed annually, and the earliest date it is available is October 1. There are no national deadlines, but Illinois declares an arbitrary deadline each year, to determine eligibility for the state MAP Grant. Students are encouraged to complete their FAFSA as early as possible to maximize their chances at getting the most aid.
Information Sessions for the FAFSA/Alternative Application
Do you need help understanding and navigating the new FAFSA or Alternative Application? Join the GovState Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships at one of these virtual information sessions, where financial aid professionals will walk through the FAFSA/Alternative Application process, and make sure you understand what is required of you to complete your FAFSA/Alternative Application and maximize your opportunities for financial aid for the upcoming school year.
Information sessions for the 2025-2026 FAFSA/Alternative Application are To Be Determined.
Please Note: These information sessions will provide an overview of the FAFSA/Alternative Application, but will not be a hands-on workshop. If you are looking for an opportunity to complete your FAFSA or Alternative Application with Financial Aid staff on-site, check out our FAFSA/Alternative Application Completion Workshops!
Completion Workshops for the FAFSA/Alternative Application
Please join the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships for one of our FAFSA/Alternative Application Completion Workshops! These workshops offer students an opportunity to get started on the FAFSA or Alternative Application with Financial Aid staff on-site to assist with any questions! Spanish assistance will also be available on select dates.
Workshops for the 2025-2026 FAFSA/Alternative Application will be offered on the following dates:
Monday, December 2, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. The Cube, D2430E*
Thursday, December 5, 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. The Cube, D2430H
Tuesday, December 10, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. The Cube, D2430E
Friday, December 13, 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. The Cube, D2430E*
Monday, December 16, 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. The Cube, D2430E*
Thursday, December 19, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. The Cube, D2430E
Tuesday, January 7, 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. The Cube, D2430B*
Friday, January 17, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. The Cube, D2430B
Wednesday, January 22, 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. The Cube, D2438
Monday, January 27, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. The Cube, D2430D*
Tuesday, February 4, 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. The Cube, D2430D*
Wednesday, February 12, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. The Cube, D2430D*
Thursday, February 20, 3 p.m. - 4 p.m. The Cube, D2430D
Friday, February 28, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. The Cube, D2430D
*Spanish assistance provided / Asistencia en español será disponible durante estos días.