3 Types of FAFSA® Deadlines

At the Educational Opportunity Center we’d like to point out a few vital deadlines involving Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form. Please be aware by submitting your FAFSA form late, you might be forfeiting $$$ that can help you pay for college or delaying your preferred start semester for college.

Below are the 3 FAFSA Deadlines to pay close attention to:

1. The College Deadline

The first type of deadline comes from colleges themselves.

You can find Trident Technical College’s important dates here. 

TTC’s School Code is: 004920

However, deadlines vary from school to school, but they usually come well before the academic year starts. If you’re applying to multiple colleges, be sure to look up each school’s FAFSA deadline and apply by the earliest one. 

If you’re overwhelm and not sure where to start gathering information to complete the FAFSA form in time to meet this deadline then don't hesitate to contact the Educational Opportunity Center! We can help you with the FAFSA process and college application. Please call us today - 843.722.5509!

You can apply as early as Oct. 1 (instead of Jan. 1 as you may have done in the past). This earlier submission date will give you more time to complete the FAFSA form before college deadlines approach, which means more time to compare schools. You’ll use earlier (2018) tax information, so there’s no need for estimates. These launch dates coincides with many colleges and gives you wiggle room to think about what college you plan on attending. You can start to fill out the FAFSA form and add the school codes later on, especially if you are waiting on acceptance. 

2. The State Deadline

The second deadline is determined by your home state. 

You can check your state’s deadline here. 

Some states have firm deadlines and other states have suggested deadlines to make sure you get priority consideration for college money. Many states may have early FAFSA deadlines due to limited funds. If your state indicates “As soon as possible after Oct. 1, 2019” than It’s recommended to submit your FAFSA ASAP! The sooner you apply the better your chances are. If you miss the deadlines the payout is often less if you do get aid. Start your FAFSA form today by making an appointment with us!

3. The Federal Deadline

Lastly, the third deadline comes from, the U.S. Department of Education (FAFSA). Each year the FAFSA form becomes unavailable on June 30, which is at the end of the academic year it applies to.

For example,

The 2020–21 FAFSA form (which was made available on Oct. 1, 2019) will vanish from fafsa.gov on June 30, 2021, because that’s the end of the 2020–21 school year.

Additionally, if you want to be eligible for scholarships or state aid then you need to help the college out by getting your information in by its deadline. Many outside scholarships and state aid programs need to see your FAFSA information before they will consider your application.