Apply for Financial Aid
FAFSA Start Date Delayed for 2025-26 School Year
The U.S. Department of Education announced on August 27, 2024, that the 2025-26 FAFSA will be available for students and families by December 1, 2024.
The FAFSA deadline for the 2025-26 school year is June 30, 2026.
The FAFSA was expected to return to an October 1 start date for the 2025-2026 school year. However, recent announcements indicated that it will only be available as a testing/beta launch on October 1, and the full release of the 2025-2026 FAFSA will not occur until on or before December 1, 2024.
| Semester | What FAFSA? | What Tax Year to use? |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2024 | 2024-25 Application opens December 2023 | 2022 |
| Spring 2025 | 2024-25 Application opens December 2023 | 2022 |
| Summer 2025 | 2024-25 Application opens December 2023 | 2022 |
| Fall 2025 | 2025-26 Application opened October 2024 | 2023 |
| Spring 2026 | 2025-26 Application opened October 2024 | 2023 |
| Summer 2026 | 2025-26 Application opened October 2024 | 2023 |
Note: Financial aid is NOT automatically renewed each year. Students must reapply each year to be considered for financial assistance. FAFSA results received prior to July 1 will be considered for priority aid (SEOG and college Work Study). Scholarship applications received by March 15 will receive priority processing as well.
Additional Note: Classes taken that are not required in the student's major will not be covered by federal financial aid.
Southern State Community College School Code = 012870
Overview of the Financial Aid Process
Need assistance in paying for college? These steps will help you apply for federal student aid by completing the FASFA and for financial aid at Southern State.
Step 1 – Create a Federal Student Aid ID
The FSA ID - a username and password - has replaced the Federal Student Aid PIN and must be used to log in to certain U.S. Department of Education websites, this change effects our current students as well as new students. Your FSA ID confirms your identity when you access your financial aid information and electronically signs Federal Student Aid documents. If you do not already have an FSA ID, you can create one when logging in to:
For further information on creating an FSA ID watch this video:
For further information refer to the link:
Step 2 – Gather Required Info to Apply
The following information is required for the completion of the FAFSA:
- Student’s social security number and a household parent’s social security number and birth date (if dependent)
- Student’s driver’s license number
- Federal income tax information for student, student’s spouse (if married) or parents, if student is dependent:
- The 2024-2025 FAFSA form asks for 2022 tax information
- Untaxed income received in the household for the last completed calendar year (child support, veteran’s benefits, social security, etc.)
- Information on any investments or assets (not including the home)
Step 3 – Complete the FAFSA
All students must complete and submit the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) after the close of each tax year in order to have eligibility determined for federal, state and some types of institutional financial aid. Apply at:
- Select "Start Here".
- Enter your personal required information.
- Select the appropriate academic year for processing.
- Answer all of the questions.
- In the income area, select the option to retrieve you and your spouse’s or you and your parent’s income tax data pulled into the FASFA directly from the IRS 1040 form (otherwise the student will need to request a copy of their tax transcript from the IRS).
For additional information on filing the FAFSA, visit https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/filling-out.
Step 4 – Complete a Southern State Scholarship Application
Southern State offers several types of scholarships for our new and returning students that can be applied for online. Learn how at:
Financial Aid for Senior Citizens
Southern State offers discounted tuition to senior citizens. To apply, complete the following form and submit it to the Office of Financial Aid.
