Home Page

Filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as the FAFSA^®, is the most important step you can take to get money to help pay for college. All federal financial aid programs, many state aid programs, and some programs offered by individual colleges require students to complete the FAFSA^®. Because the FAFSA^® unlocks so many types of financial aid, students from families of all incomes should complete the FAFSA^®.

The FAFSA^® opens to seniors for the 2021-2022 academic year on October 1st and remains open through June 20, 2022, but the sooner you fill out the FAFSA^® the better so that you don’t miss out on qualifying for aid you are eligible for. Many states and colleges have priority FAFSA^® filing deadlines in early 2021 so make sure you know the deadlines for your state and the colleges you are interested in applying to.

With the College Board Opportunity Scholarships, students who fill out the FAFSA^® will earn a chance at a $1,000 scholarship. If you are ineligible to complete the FAFSA^®, you can still earn a chance at the scholarship on your My Action Plan page.

The College Board will award 200 Complete scholarships every month from October through December 2020 and 100 scholarships every month from January through February 2021.

How to Qualify

You can earn an entry for the Complete scholarship if:

• You submit the FAFSA^®
• You submit the financial aid form for your state (some states have state aid forms that students who are ineligible for the FAFSA^® can complete. Check here and/or talk to your counselor to see if your state has a state aid form you can submit.)
• OR you are legally ineligible to submit both the FAFSA^® and a state aid form.

Once you submit the FAFSA^® or your state’s aid form, log in to the College Board Opportunity Scholarships and confirm that you have submitted on the My Action Plan page. This will earn you one entry in the Complete scholarship drawing.

After reviewing the FAFSA^® eligibility requirements referenced above, if you are legally ineligible to file both the FAFSA^® and your state’s aid form, you can still earn an entry for the Complete scholarship drawing on the My Action plan page.

Get Started

1. Join the College Board Opportunity Scholarships program.
2. Go to My Action Plan and select the Complete scholarship card.
3. If you have submitted the FAFSA^® or a state aid form, or are ineligible to complete both the FAFSA^® or a state aid form, select the “Confirm your qualification” button in the FAFSA scholarship card.

Tips for Completing the FAFSA

• What is the FAFSA^®?

  The FAFSA^® is the free federal form that students complete in order to apply for financial aid for their education after high school, including federal grants, work-study, and loans. Many states and colleges also use the information you provide on the FAFSA^® to determine your eligibility for state and university financial aid, so it’s a critical step toward receiving money for your college education, including for universities, community colleges and vocational or technical schools.

• What will I need to fill out the FAFSA^®?

  To complete the FAFSA^®, you will need:

  • Your Social Security Number
  • Your Alien Registration number (if you aren’t a U.S. citizen)
  • Your federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned. (Note: You may be able to transfer your federal tax return information into your FAFSA^® form using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.)
  • Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable)
  • Records of untaxed income (if applicable)
  • An FSA ID and Save Key so you can save your progress and electronically sign the FAFSA^® form.

To get started, go to www.fafsa.gov or download the myStudentAid app on your phone.

• When should I complete the FAFSA^®?

  You can complete the FAFSA^® starting on October 1, 2020. It is recommended that you fill out the FAFSA^® as soon as you can after October 1 because many states and colleges have deadlines in early 2021 for completing their financial aid applications. Check the Federal Student Aid website to find your state’s deadlines.

  For students in the class of 2021 the Complete the FAFSA scholarship will open in October 2020 after the 2021-2022 FAFSA application becomes available.

• What happens after I complete the FAFSA^®?

  If you submitted your FAFSA^® online, the U.S. Department of Education will process your application within 3-5 days. You’ll then receive a copy of your Student Aid Report (SAR). Review this summary of the information you provided on the FAFSA^® and make sure the information is complete and accurate. Your SAR will be sent to the colleges you listed on your FAFSA^® and will be used to determine your eligibility for federal and nonfederal student aid. If you are selected for the Complete scholarship and you submitted the FAFSA^® or a state aid form, you will be asked to provide documentation that confirms your submission (ex: the FAFSA^® submission confirmation email you received). If you are legally ineligible to complete the FAFSA^® or your state aid form, you won't be required to take further action.

• Where can I get help filling out the FAFSA^®?

  Students participating in the College Board Opportunity Scholarships are eligible to opt-in to free FAFSA assistance by text message delivered the Benefits Data Trust, a nonprofit partner of the College Board. Students who sign up can text their questions to a chatbot that provides easy-to-understand guidance, 24/7. To sign up:

  1. Join the College Board Opportunity Scholarships program.
  2. Go to My Action Plan and select the Complete scholarship card.
  3. Click the link that says “Need help filling out the FAFSA?”
  4. Submit your name and mobile number in the opt-in form.

  Students can also get by visiting the Office of Federal Student Aid’s Help page or calling their hotline at 1-800-4FED-AID.

Dates and Deadlines

You can confirm that you have submitted the FAFSA^® or a state aid form, or that you are legally ineligible to submit both the FAFSA^® and a state aid form, beginning in October 2020 through the end of February 2021.

For students in the class of 2021, the Complete the FAFSA scholarship will open in October 2021 after the 2022-2023 FAFSA application becomes available.

Once you earn an entry for the Complete scholarship, your entry will roll forward into all later Complete drawings. The sooner you submit both the FAFSA^® and your state aid form, or indicate that you are ineligible to submit the FAFSA^® or your state aid form, and indicate it on the My Action Plan page, the better your chances.

Scholarships are awarded every month from October 2020 through February 2021. A new eligibility window starts on the first day of each month and ends at midnight on the last day of the month. The drawing occurs on the first day of the following month.

Drawing Notifications

From October through December 2020, 200 students will be randomly selected on the drawing dates to receive a $1,000 scholarship. 100 of those scholarships will go to students whose families earn less than $60,000 per year.

From January through February 2021, 100 students will be randomly selected on the drawing dates to receive a $1,000 scholarship. 50 of those scholarships will go to students who families earn less than $60,000 per year.

We’ll notify winning students by email to check their results on the My Achievements page.