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Through the FAFSA, students are considered for federal education loans that feature low fixed interest rates, extended repayment periods and flexible payment options. In addition, New College students are considered for the federal Pell Grant, while full-time traditional undergraduate students are also considered for state and university grants. Eligibility for grants is based on family size, income, and assets, so not all students qualify.

FAFSA Filing 

The 2025–26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now available.  

The 2026-27 opens October 1. The priority deadline application is January 15 for new freshmen and new transfer students, and March 1 or continuing undergraduates.

How to Complete the FAFSA

Step 1

Get a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID from the U.S. Government

The FSA ID is a user-selected username and password that will allow you to:

• Complete and sign the FAFSA electronically
• Check the results of your FAFSA and make corrections to the application online

Since the FSA ID is user-specific, parents must request their own FSA ID in order to sign the FAFSA.

Step 2

File Your FAFSA

Make sure to submit the FAFSA which corresponds to the school year you'll be attending. For example, students starting in Summer 2025 or Fall 2025 should submit the 2025–2026 FAFSA.   Students starting in Summer 2026, or Fall 2026 should submit the 2026-2027 FAFSA.  Make sure to list St. Edward's federal school code, 003621, in the school release section of the application.

Step 3

Monitor the Status of Your FAFSA

After you've filed your FAFSA, you can , or you can call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 800-433-3243 and use their automated response system. St. Edward's generally receives the results of your application within three days after it has been processed. If you do not receive a response from the Department of Education within two weeks of submitting your FAFSA, contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center for assistance.

In addition to submitting the FAFSA, you also need to apply and be accepted to St. Edward's to receive your financial aid offer.

Cómo Presentar el Formulario FAFSA® 2025–26
How To Submit a 2025–26 FAFSA® Form in Spanish

What is verification?

If you are selected for verification, you are not alone! About 30% of FAFSA filers are selected for the verification process.

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) randomly selects students for verification. ED requires schools to collect documentation to check the accuracy of the FAFSA information. If selected, the verification process must be completed before financial aid can be disbursed. 

Please note: If a correction is made to a FAFSA, it could be selected for verification even if the original application was not.

A federally mandated process to confirm the accuracy of data provided by selected applicants on the FAFSA. To complete the verification process, the student, their parent(s), or spouse, if applicable, are required to provide certain documents to the school for review. If the documentation the student provides the institution doesn't match what was reported on the FAFSA, verification can result in changes to the student's financial aid eligibility, and/or financial aid offers.

When selected for verification, the student will be notified through their FAFSA and/or SEU email, as well as through their student portal, , where they are directed to resolve outstanding financial aid requirements.  Students should upload the required verification documentation through the. We encourage students to submit outstanding requirements by July 1 for proper and timely processing of their financial aid.

Please note: When uploading or submitting any documents to our office, we ask that you list the student’s full name and St. Edward’s ID number in the top right corner of the document. Failure to provide this information will lengthen processing time and may prevent us from processing your document entirely. 

Important Tips for Completing the Verification Process

• Complete all requested forms in full: Do not leave any questions blank. All questions must have an answer even if it is a "0".
• Be sure the required signatures have been provided. Signatures should not be typed.
• Submitting your FAFSA early and completing verification is required before aid can be applied to the student’s account. The FAFSA for the upcoming academic year opens annually on October 1st.
• During peak periods, please allow extra time for processing your verification documents.
• Once verification begins, you may be asked to submit additional documentation. If this occurs, an email will be sent to the student's SEU email account and all requested documents can be viewed on the portal.

Special and Unusual Circumstances (Professional Judgment)

We recognize that the FAFSA may not always accurately reflect your financial situation. Although considerations for specific situations are limited, we may be able to give additional consideration for situations.  The FAFSA Simplification Act distinguishes between different categories of professional judgment by amending section 479A of the HEA.

• Special Circumstances refer to the financial situations (loss of a job, etc.) that justify an aid administrator adjusting data elements in the COA or the EFC  calculation.
• Unusual Circumstances refer to the conditions that justify an aid administrator adjusting a student’s dependency status based on a unique situation (e.g., human trafficking, refugee or asylee status, parental abandonment, incarceration), more commonly referred to as a dependency override.

Special Circumstance Appeals will be considered after you receive your initial award notification for the current aid year. Special circumstance considerations may require the counselor to verify tax documents. In addition, other documents pertaining to the circumstance may be required. Submitting a special circumstance request does not guarantee an adjustment will be made to your aid offer.

Please contact your Student Financial Aid Counselor to see if your situation falls under a circumstance that can be considered. If approved, any additional funding awarded may only be available for the academic school year for which the special circumstance is approved. Special circumstances must be reviewed annually.

Examples of Special Circumstances/Professional Judgment Considered

• Loss or reduction of income (layoff, illness, forced reduction of hours, temporary employment, etc.)
• Catastrophic medical or dental expenses
• Death, divorce, or separation of parents or spouse
• Non-recurring payments received during the FAFSA tax year that will not be repeated
• Loss of benefits, such as unemployment, disability, social security, veterans, child support, or alimony

Examples of Special Circumstances/Professional Judgment NOT Considered

• Increase of standard living expenses.
• Purchasing material items such as a car, home appliances, vacations, second homes, etc.
• Reduction of assets. Changes in assets will be reflected in the following year's FAFSA.
• Credit issues, line of credit changes, previous student loan debt, etc.
• Medical bills paid by health insurance or that will be reimbursed by health care coverage.

None of the Above

• My situation is unique and does not include the above situations.

The Special Circumstance Appeal form is available by request only. If you feel you have a special circumstance, contact your Student Financial Aid Counselor for further guidance.

Unusual Circumstances (Dependency)

When determining a student’s unusual circumstances, or in verifying homeless or foster youth statuses, schools must ensure that any supporting documentation they collect is adequate to substantiate the student’s— and, as applicable, the parent's or spouse’s— circumstances.  If you feel you have an unusual circumstance, contact your Student Financial Aid Counselor for further guidance.