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Guide to the FAFSA Deadlines for 2021-2022
How will you pay for college? That’s a question on a lot of high school students’ minds. A majority of college students qualify for financial aid. The first step in securing it is completing and submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This important, legal document will be used by federal and state governments and colleges to determine your eligibility for different types of aid. It’s imperative that you don’t miss key dates, so we’ve listed all the federal and state deadlines, as well as information about next steps. The FAFSA is used to determine your eligibility for federal aid, as well as your state and college aid in most cases. It’s essentially a legal contract between you and the government saying you’ll apply the award toward your education. After you submit it, you’ll receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) detailing aspects of your award like your Expected Family Contribution, or the amount your family will be expected to pay toward your education. Most students’ financial aid awards are a combination of federal grants, loans, scholarships, and work-study. For the students planning to start college in the 2021-2022 academic year, the federal deadline for submitting the FAFSA is June 30, 2021 (June 30, 2021 for the following academic year). Corrections or updates must be submitted by September 11, 2021 (September 10, 2022 for the 2021-22 academic year). All deadlines are at 11:59 pm CT. Bear in mind, however, that most colleges have individual deadlines for completing the FAFSA. In many cases, they will advise you to do so as soon as possible. Check with any college to which you’re applying for deadlines. Alaska Performance Scholarship: June 30, 2021 for priority consideration (Awards will be made until funds are depleted.) ArFuture Grant (fall term): July 1, 2021 (midnight CT) ArFuture Grant (spring term): January 10, 2022 (midnight CT) Cal Grant: must also submit school-certified GPA by March 2, 2021 Additional community college Cal Grants: September 2, 2021 (postmarked) Noncitizens who don’t have a Social Security card or have an SS card issued through the DACA program are advised to fill out the California Dream Act Application (click the link to complete and contact the California Student Aid Commission or your financial aid administrator for more information. Contact your financial aid administrator or state agency for more information. Additional fors may be required. DC Tuition Assistance Grant: must submit the DC OneApp and supporting documents May 31, 2021 (priority consideration) Contact your financial aid administrator or your state agency. Additional forms may be required. Monetary Award Program renewal deadline: Visit isac.org Workforce Ready Grant: As soon as possible after October 1, 2020. Frank O’Bannon Grant: April 15, 2021 (midnight CT) 21st Century Scholarship: April 15, 2021 (midnight CT) Earlier priority deadlines for some programs. Additional forms may be required. Additional forms might be required. Contact your financial aid administrator or your state agency. HELP Scholarship: April 30, 2021 (midnight CT) April 1, 2021 (midnight CT; general) Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms might be required. Additional forms may be required. Nevada Promise Scholarship: March 1, 2021 (Awards are made until funds are depleted. Additional forms might be required.) All other aid: Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required. All other applicants: Fall and spring terms: September 15, 2021 (midnight CT) Spring term only: February 15, 2022 (midnight CT) OSAC Private Scholarships: March 1, 2021 (Additional forms might be required.) Oregon Promise Grant: Contact your state agency. Additional forms might be required. May 1, 2021 (midnight CT): All other applicants Additional forms might be required. Tuition Grants: June 30, 2021 (midnight CT) All other awards are made to neediest applicants. Awards are made until funds are depleted. Tennessee Promise: February 1, 2021 (midnight CT) State Lottery for fall term: September 1, 2021 (midnight CT) State Lottery for spring and summer terms: February 1, 2022 (midnight CT) Additional forms might be required. Private and two-year institutions may have different deadlines. Check with your financial aid administrator. Other programs: Check with your financial aid administrator. Awards are made until funds are depleted. Additional forms might be required. If you are ineligible for federal aid but who meet state financial aid program and residency requirements, complete the Washington Application for State Financial Aid instead of the FAFSA form. Contact the Washington Student Achievement Council or your financial aid administrator for more information. WV Higher Education Grant Program: April 15, 2021 WV Invests Grant: April 15, 2021 (priority) Learn more about financial aid programs offered in your state. You can check the status of your FAFSA online at fafsa.gov or on the myStudentAid app. Generally speaking, it takes 3-5 days to process your application, although it could take a bit longer, especially if you submitted your forms by mail. If you see that your application is marked “Processed Successfully,” you don’t need to do anything else. You may also find that further action is required, in which case you’ll need to contact your school. Review your SAR, which you should receive three days to three weeks after submitting your FAFSA. If you notice any errors, be sure to correct them as soon as possible (online or by mail). This report contains your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), and other information, but it won’t tell you about the specific awards you’ll receive from individual colleges. The schools you list on your FAFSA to which you’re accepted will send you an award letter informing you of your aid eligibility. The timing of these letters depends on the individual college. Ultimately, you’ll compare offers while making the decision about which college to attend. In some cases, you may even be able to leverage and negotiate offers. For more information, read 5 Things To Do After You Fill Out the FAFSA. Looking for more help navigating the financial aid and college application process? We’ll help you do this and more — all on our free college admissions platform. You can even find out your real chances of acceptance to more than 500 schools. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account to get started!
What is the FAFSA Used for?
National FAFSA Deadlines 2021-2022
State FAFSA Deadlines 2021-2022
State
2021–2022 Academic Year Deadlines
Alabama
Check with your financial aid administrator.
Alaska
Alaska Education Grant: As soon as possible after October 1, 2020 (Awards are distributed until funds are depleted.)
Alberta
American Samoa
Check with your financial aid administrator. You may need to submit additional forms.
Arizona
Check with your financial aid administrator.
Arkansas
Academic Challenge: July 1, 2021 (midnight CT)
California
Many state financial aid programs: March 2, 2021 (postmarked)
Colorado
Check with your financial aid administrator.
Connecticut
Priority consideration: February 15, 2021 (midnight CT)
Delaware
April 15, 2021 (midnight CT)
District of Columbia
Priority consideration: May 1, 2021
Federated States of Micronesia
Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms might be required.
Florida
Processed May 15, 2021
Georgia
Check with your financial aid administrator.
Guam
Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required.
Hawaii
Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required.
Idaho
Opportunity Grant: March 1, 2021 (midnight CT; for priority consideration)
Illinois
As soon as possible after October 1, 2020 (Awards are made until funds are depleted.)
Indiana
Adult Student Grant: As soon as possible after October 1, 2020 (Awards are made until funds are depleted; additional forms necessary for new applicants.)
Iowa
July 1, 2021 (midnight CT)
Kansas
April 1, 2021 (midnight CT; priority consideration)
Kentucky
As soon as possible after October 1, 2020 (Awards made until funds are depleted.)
Louisiana
July 1, 2022 (July 1, 2021 recommended)
Maine
May 1, 2021 (midnight CT)
Marshall Islands
Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms might be required.
Maryland
March 1, 2021 (midnight CT)
Massachusetts
May 1, 2021 (midnight CT; priority consideration)
Michigan
March 1, 2021 (midnight CT)
Minnesota
30 days after the start of the term (midnight CT)
Mississippi
MTAG and MESG Grants: September 15, 2021 (midnight CT)
Missouri
February 1, 2021 (midnight CT; priority consideration)
Montana
December 1, 2020 (priority consideration)
N. Mariana Islands
April 30, 2021 (midnight CT; priority consideration)
Nebraska
Check with your financial aid administrator.
Nevada
Silver State Opportunity Grant: As soon as possible after October 1, 2020 (Awards are made until funds are depleted.)
New Hampshire
Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms may be required.
New Jersey
2021–22 Tuition Aid Grant recipients: April 15, 2021 (midnight CT)
New Mexico
Check with your financial aid administrator.
New York
June 30, 2022 (midnight CT) Additional forms might be required.
North Carolina
As soon as possible after October 1, 2020 (Awards are made until funds are depleted.)
North Dakota
As soon as possible after October 1, 2020 (Awards are made until funds are depleted.)
Ohio
October 1, 2021 (midnight CT)
Oklahoma
As soon as possible after October 1, 2020 (Awards are made until funds are depleted.)
Oregon
Oregon Opportunity Grant: As soon as possible after October 1, 2020 (Awards are made until funds are depleted.)
Palau
Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms might be required.
Pennsylvania
August 1, 2021 (midnight CT): All first-time applicants enrolled in a community college; business, trade, or technical school; hospital school of nursing; designated Pennsylvania Open-Admission institution; or nontransferable two-year program
Puerto Rico
Check with your financial aid administrator.
Rhode Island
Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms might be required.
South Carolina
SC Commission on Higher Education Need-based Grants: As soon as possible after October 1, 2020 (Awards are made until funds are depleted.)
South Dakota
Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms might be required.
Tennessee
State Grant: February 1, 2021 (prior-year recipients)
Texas
January 15, 2021 (priority consideration)
U.S. Virgin Islands
Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms might be required.
Utah
Regents’ Scholarship: February 1, 2021; December 4, 2020 (priority)
Vermont
As soon as possible after October 1, 2020 (Awards are made until funds are depleted.) Additional forms might be required.
Virginia
Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms might be required.
Washington
As soon as possible after October 1, 2020
West Virginia
PROMISE Scholarship: March 1, 2021 (New applicants must submit additional forms. Contact your financial aid administrator or your state agency.)
Wisconsin
Check with your financial aid administrator.
Wyoming
Check with your financial aid administrator. Additional forms might be required.
What To Do After You Submit Your FAFSA
