Financial aid assistance

Can I still apply for financial aid assistance in September or October to help pay for 2009 spring classes?

You can submit the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) any time until June 30, 2009.

Some types of federal aid are available all year long, and your eligibility and the amount of any potential award are not affected by when you apply. The best known of these are the Pell Grant and the Stafford Loan.

Other forms of aid are distributed by the financial aid office from a limited pool of funds. These forms of aid go to the students who apply before the school and/or the state's "priority aid deadline". The aid deadlines differ from state to state, but they're generally all in March, April, May and sometimes June.

The best known forms of aid that are not available throughout the year are institutional grants, Federal Work-Study, state grants and FSEOG grants.

So, yes - you can still apply - even after October - for spring semester aid, but you will have missed out on forms of aid that could have increased the amount of available assistance.

I hope that helps - good luck!