There are a few changes effective with the 2017-18 Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

It became available as of Oct. 1, and students and families are now able to submit the FAFSA earlier and use the 2015 income and tax information. When completing the FAFSA, we recommend using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, which imports tax information automatically from the IRS, making FAFSA completion much easier.

CSU’s Office of Financial Aid will start reviewing the 2017-18 FAFSA in early-to-mid November and begin awarding aid to continuing students in early spring. We recommend students monitor their 2017-18 financial aid status in RAMweb, and authorized users may also monitor the status via RAMweb as well, for any required documents or forms we may request prior to awarding financial aid.

You may be asking yourself how this benefits you? Because the FAFSA is available earlier, you may feel less pressure due to having more time to understand your financial aid options and apply for aid before the deadlines.

Please contact CSU’s Office of Financial Aid with any questions: financialaid@colostate.edu, 970-491-6321. Visit us in Centennial Hall, Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.