A few things to consider first…

Before you really start any financial aid process, you need to apply for a pin. This allows you personalized access to any financial aid documents or materials and resources available to you.

Contact your financial aid officer if you’ve selected a school and get a list of preparation materials needed to apply for financial aid. Get things together like your social security number, driver’s license, tax information (federal and state) and anything else that the school might require of you. If you have not selected a school or been accepted yet, check with your guidance counselor for this kind of information. They usually have a list of preparation materials to get started.

My next post will consist of a list of documents needed to put together your financial aid packet. Check out the financial aid worksheet as well to help you get prepared.

Work on this over break. 🙂 What else do you have to do? lol

Below you will find the deadline dates for each state. Check them out and verify them with your financial aid officer or guidance office. If you need help with this, let me know.

Application Deadlines

The FAFSA is the federal application for financial aid, but it is also used to apply for aid from other sources, such as your state or school.

TIP: The deadlines for your state or schools may be different from the federal deadlines and you may be required to complete additional forms.

Check with your high school guidance counselor or a financial aid administrator at your school about state and school sources of student aid.

Federal Student Financial Aid Deadlines

The 2010-2011 School Year (July 1^st, 2010 – June 30^th, 2011):

• FAFSA on the Web applications must be submitted by midnight Central Daylight time, June 30, 2011.
• Corrections on the Web forms must be submitted by midnight Central Daylight Time, September 21, 2010.
• Note: Your school must have your complete and correct information by your last day of enrollment in the 2009-2010 school year.

The 2011-2012 School Year (July 1^st, 2011 – June 30^th, 2012):

• FAFSA on the Web applications must be submitted by midnight Central Daylight time, June 30, 2012.
• Corrections on the Web forms must be submitted by midnight Central Daylight time, September 15, 2012.
• Note: Your school must have your complete and correct information by your last day of enrollment in the 2011-2010 school year.

Pay close attention to deadlines!

Ask your school about their definition of an application deadline – whether it is the receipt date and time or the process date and time of the application.

Federal Student Aid considers a FAFSA’s receipt date and time to be when the FAFSA/correction is submitted successfully.

TIP: When you submit your FAFSA, be sure to print out the confirmation page and keep it for your records. Put it in your file folder titled “FAFSA.” It contains a confirmation number with the exact date and time (Central Standard Time) the form was received. You can also choose to have a copy e-mailed to you if you have provided an e-mail address.

Note: Transactions must be completed and accepted by midnight to meet the deadline. If you wait too long to submit your application and it is rejected, you may miss your school’s deadline.

STATE STUDENT FINANCIAL AID DEADLINES:

NOTE: State deadlines may be earlier than the federal deadline.

TIP: State forms do not replace filling out the FAFSA. You must fill out the FAFSA to receive federal student aid.

Note: Date received means received by Federal Student Aid unless otherwise indicated.

Remember to apply early before funds run out.

State	Deadlines
Alabama	Check with your financial aid administrator
Alaska	April 15, 2011 @
American Samoa	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Arizona	Check with your financial aid administrator
Arkansas	For Academic Challenge – June 1, 2011 @ For Workforce Grant – check with your financial aid administrator For Higher Education Opportunity Grant – June 1, 2011 (fall term) @; November 1, 2011 (spring term) @
California	For initial awards – March 2, 2011 +* For additional community college awards – September 2, 2011 – date postmarked +*
Colorado	Check with your financial aid administrator
Connecticut	February 15, 2011 #*
Delaware	April 15, 2011 @
District of Columbia	June 30, 2011 @#*
Federated States of Micronesia	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Florida	May 15, 2011 – date processed
Georgia	Check with your financial aid administrator
Guam	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Hawaii	Check with you financial aid administrator*
Idaho	Opportunity Grant – March 1, 2011 @#*
Illinois	As soon as possible after January 1, 2011. Awards made until funds are depleted.
Indiana	March 10, 2011 &
Iowa	July 1, 2011 @
Kansas	April 1, 2011 @#*
Kentucky	March 15, 2011 &#
Louisiana	July 1, 2011 @
Maine	May 1, 2011 @
Marshall Islands	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Maryland	March 1, 2011 &
Massachusetts	May 1, 2011 @#
Michigan	March 1, 2011 &
Minnesota	30 days after term starts @
Mississippi	MTAG and MESG Grants – September 15, 2011 @# HELP Scholarship – March 31, 2011 @#
Missouri	April 1, 2011 @#
Montana	March 1, 2011 #&
Nebraska	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Nevada	Check with your financial aid administrator*
New Hampshire	May 1, 2011 @
New Jersey	2010-2011 Tuition Aid Grant recipients – June 1, 2011 @ All other applications – October 1, 2011, for fall and spring terms @; March 1, 2011, for spring term only @
New Mexico	Check with your financial aid administrator*
New York	May 1, 2011 @+*
North Carolina	Check with your financial aid administrator
North Dakota	March 15, 2011 &
Northern Mariana Islands	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Ohio	October 1, 2011 @
Oklahoma	April 15, 2011 @#
Oregon	OSAC scholarship – March 1, 2011 Oregon Opportunity Grant – check with your financial aid administrator
Palau	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Pennsylvania	All 2010-2011 State Grant recipients and all non-2010-2011 State Grant recipients in degree programs – May 1, 2011 @* All other applicants – August 1, 2011 @*
Puerto Rico	Check with your financial aid administrator
Rhode Island	March 1, 2011 &#
South Carolina	Tuition Grants – June 30, 2011 @ SC Commission on Higher Education – no deadline
South Dakota	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Tennessee	For State Grant – February 15, 2011 @# For State Lottery – September 1, 2011 @#
Texas	Check with your financial aid administrator*
U.S. Virgin Islands	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Utah	Check with your financial aid administrator
Vermont	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Virginia	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Washington	Check with your financial aid administrator
West Virginia	April 15, 2011 @#*
Wisconsin	Check with your financial aid administrator
Wyoming	Check with your financial aid administrator*

These dates are pretty firm. Follow them and turn everything in on time. Remember if they ask for you to POSTMARK by a certain date, that means you must have it SENT by that POSTMARK date. It needs to be in their hands.

Good luck and post if you have any questions or need further assistance.

Keith Lipke

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Keith Lipke is a careers and college recruiter, coach, mentor and blogger at The Career Closet. His passion is to educate, inspire, and give hope to young people who need it upon their search for the right career and college.