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Cash for College – Students and Families

Congratulations on taking steps to continue your education after high school.  Now make sure you that you don’t leave money on the table to pay for it. 

The first step is completing your financial aid form, or FAFSA.  Most Alabama high school seniors qualify for Pell Grants of up to $6,345. Pell Grants do not need to be paid back and can be used at both academic and technical education at two- and four-year colleges and universities.

 How can I pay for college?  

What is the FAFSA?  

  • The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, determines the amount of financial assistance the government and colleges can offer you to help pay for educational programs after high school. 
  • The 2026-27 FAFSA will open October 1, 2025. 
  • Complete your FAFSA as soon as possible to maximize aid. 
  • By completing the FAFSA, it also assists in determining your eligibility for grants, scholarships, work-study jobs, and low-interest loans. 

Who needs to create a FSA ID? 

  • The student needs to create a FSA ID. 
  • The parent or guardian (contributor) of a dependent student needs to create an FSA ID. The contributor will be identified once the student begins the FAFSA. 
  • Beginning August 2025, all users who create a StudentAid.gov account with a Social Security number (SSN) will have their accounts verified immediately. 
  • The student and contributor(s) must have a personal email address that they can use to receive correspondence pertaining to their FAFSA. It is suggested that email addresses affiliated with schools and/or places of employmentnot be used. 

What if I don’t have a Social Security Number? 

Students must have a Social Security Number (SSN) to be eligible for federal aid. However, parents do not need an SSN to contribute to the FAFSA. Parents who do not have an SSN should complete the following steps to create their account with Federal Student Aid:

  1. Indicate that you do not have a SSN when creating an FSA ID.
  2. Answer knowledge-based identity verification questions.
  3. If you are unable to answer the questions, FSA will automatically assign case number which will be sent via email. This case number will be used when completing an attestation form and submitting documentation to verify identity (see acceptable documentation below). 
    • Provide one (1) of the following documents to establish identity: 
      • U.S. Driver’s License 
      • U.S. State/City Identification Card 
      • Foreign Passport 
    • OR One (1) set of documents to establish identity:
      • Municipal Identification Cards + utility bill 
      • Community ID + utility bill 
      • Consular Identification Cards/Matricula Consular + utility bill 

I need help completing the FAFSA!   

Web

I submitted my FAFSA. Now what?   

  • Click here to learn more about what happens after submitting a 2025-26 FAFSA. . ‎
  • Review your Student Aid Report and make necessary corrections.
  • Check to see if you were selected for verification. If you were selected for verification, it does not mean you did anything wrong.  It just means that your college’s financial aid office must confirm some of the information on your financial aid form. You will probably need to submit additional documents to verify what’s on your FAFSA.
  • Need to update the information you submitted? Some information can be updated on the application. Other information should be updated through the Financial Aid Office of the school you plan to attend.
  • Got your financial aid package from your school but need to request a change? Check out SwiftStudent, a tool that helps you write a financial aid appeal letter.

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