As a public university, The Florida State University offers a premium education at an affordable price. However, the costs may still break your budget. Financial aid and scholarships can help reduce your costs, but the key is to be informed and apply early.

FSU offers two types of financial assistance: need-based and merit-based. The Office of Admissions automatically considers admitted students for academic merit-based scholarships. There is no separate application. In order to apply for need-based financial aid, applicants should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the appropriate academic year. FSU makes the process simple—with the exception of summer aid, no applications other than the FAFSA are required.

Here are some hints to make the financial aid process go smoothly:

Apply early for…

• Financial Aid—The first day that you can submit the FAFSA for the new academic year is January 1.
• Admission—Once FSU has received your financial aid data from the federal government (they’re the ones who process your FAFSA), they can make an award—unless you haven’t yet been admitted.

Apply online. The FAFSA is available online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Be sure to note that the FSU institution code is 001489.

Keep up with the paperwork! Once your FAFSA is processed by the government, you will be sent a document called a Student Aid Report (SAR). It’s important that you check your SAR for accuracy, because that’s the data FSU will use in determining your eligibility for need-based aid.

For more information on university financial aid, visit the FSU Office of Financial Aid Web site. Visit Scholarships for additional information about scholarships available to FSU students.

NOTE: The Bright Futures scholarship program now requires students to repay tuition funds for any class dropped after the drop/add period ends. The Bright Futures Web site has details about the repayment requirement.