skip to main content

Applying for Financial Aid

All seniors who are considering attending college or a career school in the Fall of 2017 should begin filling out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on October 1, 2016. Learn more about the FAFSA ↓

Suggested Timeline

Intended for current seniors with plans to enroll in a college or career school in the Fall of 2017.

Prior to October 1 of Senior Year

  • Create your unique Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID. This will be a student’s log-in for the duration of their application process.
  • To start the FAFSA, gather all parental tax information from the previous tax year. For 2016 applications, students can use their parent’s 2015 tax information.

It’s recommended that all families visit the Federal Student Aid website (ver en Español) and review the various resources on college preparation and financial aid. In addition, their YouTube channel has short videos on all aspects of the financial aid process.

Starting on October 1

Federal Student Aid

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Students can begin filling out their FAFSA on October 1, 2016

The FAFSA is an application from the U.S. Department of Education that helps students obtain funding to attend either a college or career school. This free application will determine a student’s eligibility for more than $150 billion dollars in financial aid in the form of grants, work-study funds, and loans.

First time applying for Aid?

Create your FSA ID

Already have an FSA ID?

Start filling out your FAFSA
Have 2015 tax information ready. Students can use their parent’s 2015 tax information.

Additional videos and resources on the FAFSA

Nonfederal Student Aid

Maryland College Aid Process System (MDCAPS)

The Maryland College Aid Process System (MDCAPS) is a log-in portal managed by the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) that provides students with a unified place to apply for scholarships. MDCAPS also allows students to accept or decline financial awards, monitor to see if the MHEC has received their FAFSA, and submit help requests directly to MHEC staff.

Read more on the mhec.maryland.gov →

College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile

Students can begin filling out their CSS Profile on October 1, 2016

The College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile, maintained by CollegeBoard, is required by nearly 300 colleges, universities, professional schools, and scholarship program to apply for a wide variety of nonfederal student aid.

Find out more from CollegeBoard →