Financial Aid

Start the FAFSA^® form at fafsa.gov

Check your FAFSA Deadlines! These can be found HERE. Some states and schools run out of financial aid early and have limited funds. So, don’t wait until the last minute to apply! 

Start the FAFSA

• If you are the student: Select “I am a student and want to access the FAFSA form.” Then, log in using your FSA ID. 
• If you are the parent: Select “I am a parent filling out a FAFSA form for a student.” After selecting the parent role, you will need to provide your child’s name, their date of birth, and their Social Security number. 

Choose which FAFSA form you’d like to complete:

• 2022–23 FAFSA form if you will be attending college between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023. 
• 2023–24 FAFSA form if you will be attending college between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024.  
• Both: If you will be attending college during both time periods and haven’t completed your 2022–23 FAFSA form yet, complete it first, wait one to three days until the form processes, and then go back and complete the 2023–24 FAFSA form. 

Tip: If you see the option to complete a “renewal” FAFSA form, choose that option. When you choose to renew your FAFSA form, your demographic information from the previous year will repopulate into your new application, which saves you some time.

Remember to Create a Save Key

Unlike the FSA ID, you can share the save key. A save key is a temporary password that allows you and your parent(s) to “pass” the FAFSA form back and forth. It also allows you to save the FAFSA form and return to it later. The key is especially helpful if you and your parent are not in the same place. 

Fill out the Student Demographics section.

The Student Demographics section includes your name, date of birth, etc. If you either completed the FAFSA form in the past or logged into the FAFSA form with your FSA ID, most of your personal information will prepopulate to save you time. Make sure you enter your personal information exactly as it appears on your Social Security card. (That’s right, no nicknames.)

Parents: Remember that the FAFSA form is the student’s application and not yours. When the FAFSA form says “you” or “your,” it’s referring to the student (unless otherwise noted). Pay attention to whether you’re asked to provide student or parent information.

List the schools that will receive your FAFSA^® information.

In the School Selection section, add every school you’re considering, even if you haven’t sent your application or received an acceptance letter.

School Code for Clinton College: 004923 

You can add up to 10 schools at a time. If you’re applying to more than 10 schools, you have a few options to add more schools to the FAFSA form.

Answer the dependency status questions.

In the dependency status section, you’ll need to respond to a series of specific questions to find out whether you’re a dependent or independent student. The answers to these questions will determine whether you need to provide parent information on the FAFSA form.

• The U.S. Congress sets the dependency guidelines. They are different from the guidelines the IRS uses. 
• Even if you live on your own, support yourself, and file taxes on your own, you may still be considered a dependent student for federal student aid purposes. If you are a dependent student, you’ll need to report information about your parent(s).
• If you are an independent student, you won’t have to provide parent information, and you can skip the next step.

Fill out the Parent Demographics section.

Your parent(s) will need to provide basic demographic information. Remember, it doesn’t matter if you don’t live with your parent(s); you still must report information about them if you are a dependent student. 

Start by figuring out who counts as your parent on the FAFSA form. 

Provide your financial information.

Next, you and your parent(s) (if applicable) will provide financial information. This step is incredibly simple if you use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT). The IRS DRT allows you to import your IRS tax information into the FAFSA form with just a few clicks. Also, using this tool may reduce the amount of paperwork you need to provide to your school. So, make sure to use it, if you’re eligible. 

Sign and submit your FAFSA form.

You’re not finished with the FAFSA form until you (and your parent, if you’re a dependent student) sign the form. The quickest and easiest way to sign your FAFSA form is online with your FSA ID. 

Note: If you (the student) logged in to the FAFSA form with your FSA ID at the beginning, you won’t need to provide it again on this page. But, if you’re a dependent student, your parent will still need to sign it before you can completely submit the form. 

Sign and Submit Tips:

• If you or your parent forgot your FSA ID, you can retrieve the account username and password. 
• Make sure you and your parent don’t mix up your FSA IDs. This is one of the most common errors we see. This mistake is why it’s extremely important for each person to create his or her own FSA ID and not share it with anyone. 
• Make sure the parent who is using his or her FSA ID to sign the FAFSA form chooses the right parent choice from the options. 
• Here’s what you should do if you get an error saying that your FSA ID information doesn’t match the information provided on the FAFSA form. 
• If you have siblings, your parent can use the same FSA ID to sign FAFSA forms for each child. Your parent can also transfer his or her information into your sibling’s application by choosing the option provided on the FAFSA confirmation page.