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FAFSA & Financial Aid Information

FAFSA completion benefits ALL students:

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid provides more than $120 billion in grants, loans, and work-study funds each year to help pay for college or career school. Visit StudentAid.gov today to learn how to pay for your higher education. The FAFSA must be completed to apply for grants, loans, and work-study. All financial information is kept confidential. Many students are eligible to receive financial aid from the federal government to help pay for college or career school. Age, race, or field of study will not affect eligibility for federal student aid.


Many college/university websites and fafsa.gov provide a financial aid estimator to estimate how much financial assistance students may receive. Financial need increases with college cost and some colleges can cost more than $65,000 a year. Many of these colleges, state agencies, and scholarship foundations require the FAFSA to award scholarships and grants to middle- and upper-middle-class students attending expensive schools. The most generous private colleges, for example, award need-based aid to some students from families earning more than $200,000 a year.  FAFSA is a prerequisite for Direct Unsubsidized Loans, Grad PLUS Loans, and Parent PLUS. These loans are available without regard to demonstrated financial need and have lower interest rates than private loans.


NJAFAA may be an option for some students:
Complete the NJAFAA application if you are not a United States citizen or eligible noncitizen and meet all of the following criteria:

  • Attended a New Jersey high school for at least three (3) years
  • Graduated from a New Jersey high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma in New Jersey
  • Registered for Selective Service (male students only)
  • Are able to file an affidavit stating that you have filed an application to legalize your immigration status or will file an application as soon as you are eligible to do so
 
Many colleges/universities can assist with the FAFSA/NJAFAA applications. We partner with Sussex County Community College & the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) to provide a FAFSA information night in the fall and SCCC also offers FAFSA Workshops to help students and families complete the application.

 

 

Seniors:

As many of you know, the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)  will be available for completion in December.The FAFSA is an online application used to determine eligibility for federal financial aid.  New Jersey also uses the FAFSA to determine eligibility for state grant and scholarship eligibility.  
Students and guardians can now create a necessary FSA ID in order to eventually proceed with the application.  This is an important first step in the process.  Please see the attached link which includes several online Zoom information sessions offered both in English and Spanish in addition to other informative resources.   The FAFSA applies to students who intend to apply to a 4-year college, community college or trade school.