Applying for Aid
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Whether you are a new undergraduate, new transfer student, or new graduate student, you only need one form to apply for financial aid at UMass Amherst - the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly called the FAFSA. We use the FAFSA to determine your eligibility for federal, state and University aid programs.
Everyone is eligible for some form of financial aid so we urge you to apply as soon after January 1 as possible and before our priority filing date of March 1. Be sure to list the University of Massachusetts’s School Code, 002221, on the FAFSA. The FAFSA form is available in English and Spanish.
Through the FAFSA on the Web, the U.S. Department of Education Web site, you can complete and submit your application online. The online FAFSA will walk you through the application process with three sections:
- Before Beginning a FAFSA: This section delineates the steps you need to take and the documents you need to gather before filing out the application. It includes a FAFSA worksheet, information on school codes, how to apply for a PIN, and FAFSA deadline dates.
- Filling Out a FAFSA: This will guide you through the process of filling out the application itself, with questions about your school plans, your financial information, and more. It allows you to save your FAFSA and continue working later, as well as sign your FAFSA electronically with your PIN.
- FAFSA Follow-up: This section allows you to check the status of your submitted FAFSA, make corrections to a processed FAFSA, add or delete a school code, and view and print your Student Aid Report.
Your Personal Identification Number (PIN)
When you apply for financial aid you should also apply for a Personal Identification Number (PIN). Parents of dependent students will need a PIN as well. You can apply for a PIN from within FAFSA on the Web or at the Federal Student Aid PIN Web site.
The PIN serves as your electronic signature and provides access to your personal information in various U.S. Department of Education systems. It is like the Personal Identification Number (PIN) that gives you to access your bank accounts. Anyone who has a valid Social Security Number and is a U.S. Citizen or eligible non-citizen may apply for a PIN. Because you can use your PIN to sign your financial aid documents, you should keep it in a safe place. Do not give or entrust it to anyone, even if that person or organization is helping you fill out your FAFSA.
After completing a FAFSA on the Web application, you and your parents (if you are a dependent student) will need to sign your application. The FAFSA cannot be processed without these signatures. Using a PIN to sign your application electronically is by far the fastest and most reliable way to sign your application. However, you can print, sign and mail in a signature page, or provide signature(s) on your paper Student Aid Report (SAR).
Your PIN will stay the same from year to year and you will not need to apply for a new one. You will be able to use it to access and electronically sign your FAFSA each year that you apply for financial aid.
