Free Application for Federal Student Aid

The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It is a form used to determine your eligibility for federal financial aid, including grants, loans, and work-study programs. You should fill it out to access financial assistance for your education.

he FAFSA application is currently open for students and families to complete for the 2025-2026 academic year.

You'll need your Social Security number, asset information, and a list of schools you're interested in attending. You will also need to give approval to have the IRS information imported into your FAFSA to qualify for federal student aid.

You can obtain a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID at fsaid.ed.gov. You need it to electronically sign your FAFSA and access other federal student aid websites.

No, grants, such as the Pell Grant, do not need to be repaid. They are typically awarded based on financial need.

For incoming students, our dedicated admissions counselors will walk you through the entire FAFSA process and answer any questions you may have.

Since the Department of Education is now asking for "prior-prior year" income tax information for the FAFSA, it is very likely that you will have filed the necessary tax return before you complete your FAFSA. As the IRS Data Retrieval Tool is no longer available, the student/parent must approve the transfer of the income data from the IRA to qualify for federal student aid.

There are a series of questions that are asked on the FAFSA that determine if a student will be considered independent or dependent. These questions also determine whether or not parent information should be included on the FAFSA. If the student answers yes to any of these questions, the FAFSA will define them as an “independent” student, and they will be instructed not to provide parental information on the FAFSA. However, Concordia may need to request additional documents to verify and determine the student's dependency status. If Concordia determines the student is not independent, the student will be instructed to correct the FAFSA and include parental information.

The 2025-2026 questions are:

Were you born before Jan. 1, 2002?
Are you a graduate or professional student?
Are you a veteran?
Are you a member of the Armed Forces?
Are you an Orphan?
Are you a Ward of the Court?
Are you someone with legal dependents other than a spouse?

The Student Aid Index (SAI) is an eligibility index number that is used to determine how much federal student aid a student can receive. Our Student Financial Services office uses the SAI to determine whether or not a student will be eligible for need-based aid, non-need-based aid, or a combination of the two.

Please retain the Student Aid Report (SAR) for your records. It does not need to be sent to Concordia, as the Department of Education provides us with this information. Check your SAR to see if you have been flagged for Verification. If so, contact your Admissions Counselor (incoming students) or Student Central (current students) to discuss the required documentation. Also, review your SAR for errors. If any are found, log in to your FAFSA, make the appropriate correction(s) and re-submit your FAFSA.

If your financial situation changes after submitting a FAFSA, please contact your Admissions Counselor (incoming students) or Student Central (current students). Depending on the situation, you could qualify for a Special Circumstance. Each situation is unique, and more information would be needed to determine if your financial situation has changed. The Special Circumstance allows revisions, based on professional judgment by the Financial Aid office.

Under the previous FAFSA regulations the net worth of farms or businesses with less than 100 employees were exempt from the FAFSA calculations. However, under the new FAFSA Simplification Act, that exemption has been removed.