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The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The Office of Scholarships & Student Aid
Free Application for Federal Student Aid
Title IV Code Number: 002974
Who completes the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)?
All undergraduate, graduate and professional students who apply for financial aid through the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid must complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). The FAFSA is the only application form required for graduate and professional aid applicants. Undergraduates must complete the PROFILE form in addition to the FAFSA
What does the FAFSA determine?
The form collects basic information about the financial circumstances of the student and family so that eligibility for federal aid programs can be determined.
What types of aid does the FAFSA determine?
A student who completes this document will be considered for Federal Pell and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (undergraduates only), Federal Work-Study jobs (undergraduates) and Work-Study Graduate Assistantships, Federal Perkins and Stafford Loans, and the Health Professions programs in dentistry and pharmacy.
Where can a FAFSA be obtained?
UNC-Chapel Hill prefers that students complete the FAFSA on the Web at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Otherwise, the FAFSA may be obtained from high school counselors, from college financial aid offices, and in person at the UNC Office of Scholarships and Student Aid. The FAFSA must be submitted to the federal processing agency after January 1. There is no fee for processing the FAFSA.
What is the priority deadline for the FAFSA?
Timing of financial aid award notices is dependent on the date the student's financial aid file becomes complete. The Office of Scholarships and Student Aid will give priority to students whose FAFSA data (and, if required, PROFILE data) is in the Office by March 1 and who supply any additional requests for information in a timely manner. A student's financial aid file is not complete until all of these required conditions are met. Only those students whose FAFSA data (and, if required, PROFILE data) is received in the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid by March 1 and who respond to additional requests for information in a timely manner can expect to have funds delivered at the beginning of the school year. In order for FAFSA data and PROFILE data to be in the Office by March 1, students should apply online or mail the paper application(s) by February 15.
What are the advantages to meeting the priority deadline for the FAFSA?
Scholarships, grants, lower-interest loans, and funds for campus jobs are limited and can usually be offered only to students who meet the March 1 priority deadline.
What if a student or parent has not completed their tax return by February 15 in relation to completing the FAFSA?
A student should complete the forms to meet the priority filing date even though the federal tax returns have not been filed and estimated data about the previous tax year income must be reported.
If an entering student has not been accepted by February 15, should they complete the FAFSA?
An entering student should not wait for notification of admission, but should file the necessary forms by the priority deadline. Usually, only loan and federal grant funds can be offered to late applicants, and it may not be possible to provide funds to late applicants until after classes begin.
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