Students must file a FAFSA by Feb. 1 to meet Access Missouri priority deadline
The priority deadline for the Access Missouri Grant Program – the state’s largest student financial aid program – is quickly approaching. Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly known as the FAFSA, by Feb. 1 to be guaranteed a grant award if they meet all eligibility requirements.
Students completing the FAFSA after Feb. 1 but before the April 1 final deadline could still receive a grant if funding is available. However, early submission of the FAFSA is encouraged because funds are limited.
The grant is the state’s only student aid program based on financial need.
“Thousands of students and their families use the Access Missouri Grant to help pay for college every year,” said Zora Mulligan, Missouri Commissioner of Higher Education. “Filing a FAFSA is a critical step toward making college more affordable.”
More than 42,000 Missouri students received funding through the program during the 2017-18 academic year. The average grant award was $652 for students attending a public two-year college and $1,709 for students attending a public four-year college or university, State Technical College of Missouri, or private and approved virtual school.
Maximum grant amounts are determined primarily by available state funding and the number of students eligible to receive the grant each year. Specific award amounts are based on students’ financial need, the type of college they attend, and other financial aid they receive.
Students must file a FAFSA every year they are in school to be eligible for most federal and state financial aid programs, including the Access Missouri Grant Program.
The first step to file a FAFSA is to obtain an FSA ID – a username and password needed to sign and submit the FAFSA electronically. More information about obtaining an FSA ID can be found at fsaid.ed.gov. Students can file the FAFSA online at https://studentaid.gov or by downloading the new myStudentAid app. There are still some FAFSA Frenzy events planned around the state to help students file.
For more information about the Access Missouri Grant, including all eligibility requirements, visit dhe.mo.gov/ppc/grants/accessmo.php.
About the Missouri Department of Higher Education: The department seeks to build Missouri’s future by degrees and coordinate higher education policy that fosters a quality postsecondary system. More information about MDHE can be found at https://dhe.mo.gov or find us on Facebook and Twitter @MoHigherEd.