Kean University and the Office of Financial Aid are dedicated to educating and helping students through various financial programs, to make the process easier and to make Kean an affordable university. One of the outlets students can use is the 2018-2019 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is now available for students to complete at fafsa.ed.gov 

It is important for all college students to submit a FAFSA to see if they are eligible for financial assistance. The Office of Financial Aid wants students to understand that it is free to complete, and it is necessary for most forms of financial aid. Nearly everyone who applies for student aid receives some form of aid, regardless of any circumstance. 

The FAFSA became available on Oct. 1, and the U.S. Department of Education uses the FAFSA to determine a student's eligibility for either state or school eligibility. 

The FAFSA is a form that students and parents fill out in order to be awarded financial aid in forms such as federal grants, loans, scholarships and work-study.

It is essential for students to apply for FAFSA for so many reasons. One being that students can finance their college education through need-based federal and state grants, scholarships, federal work study and low- interest Federal Direct Stafford Loans.  

• Grants are awarded to students that show they have financial need and most don't require payment.
• Loans are a source of aid for students that must be repaid, usually with interest after they have graduated or stopped attending school.
• Scholarships are awarded to students based on special talents, skills or high academic achievement.
• Federal Work-Study allows students to work and earn money in order to pay for school and other necessities such as books.

Students can benefit from the FAFSA by executing the following steps:

• Creating a FSA ID and complete the FAFSA application.
• Use the code 002622 for Kean University in order for Financial Aid to receive FAFSA applications electronically.
• If selected for verification, submit the required documents and students can check their verification progress on KeanWise. 

Reasons why students should apply as soon as possible:

• It is also recommended that students fill out a FAFSA as soon as possible because students who applied earlier can get a better advantage such as access to specific scholarships.
• A better chance at state and school financial aid
• Better scholarship eligibility: some scholarships have early deadlines

 The deadline for the 2017-2018 FAFSA applications are as followed:

• Federal deadlines must be submitted by midnight June 30, 2018.
• Kean University priority deadline is April 15, 2018.

If students wish to continue their education into the following school year, considering the FAFSA application is a step toward financial and academic success. 

Students can contact financial aid by email at finaid@kean.edu,calling 973-737-3190 or stopping by the office.