Federal and State Aid (FAFSA)
Apply for Federal and State Aid (FAFSA)
The first step is to submit the 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Apply now at FAFSA.gov.
Before you apply:
- If you don't already have one, create an FSA ID on the Federal Student Aid
- Have all of your contributors, including your parents or spouse, create an FSA ID if they do not already have one.
SCHOOL CODE: 004937
- Steps to Apply for Financial Aid at JSCC
- To apply for federal aid, complete the application by clicking here: FAFSA APPLICATION
You can watch this video for help with completing the FAFSA: FAFSA Tutorial - USE PRIOR-PRIOR YEAR TAX INFORMATION: Students and parents will report income information from the prior, prior year. For example, when completing the 2024-2025 FAFSA, 2022 income information should be used.
- How to Create Your FSA ID
- Who is a Contributor when I fill out the FAFSA?
- Am I a Dependent or Independent Student?
- Undocumented Students
- How to Check the Status of Your Financial Aid and Awards by Logging in to jWeb
With the launch of the new FAFSA, the Department of Education strongly encourages students and contributors to complete the FAFSA form online, rather than submitting and sending paper forms in the mail.
To mail a Paper FAFSA, print and complete the form (24-25 FAFSA), make a copy of pages 7 through 20 for your records. Then mail the original of pages 7 through 20 to: Federal Student Aid Programs, P.O. Box 70204, London, KY 40742-0204.
Choose a student category below that fits you to explore more information on getting started.
Verification: Some students are selected each year by the federal Department of Education for a process called Verification. Students selected for verification must complete additional forms and submit additional documents to qualify for financial aid. Check your jWeb and your JSCC email often to see if you have been selected for verification, and complete all requirements as soon as possible. You will receive an email if you have been selected for verification or you have missing requirements to be reviewed for financial aid. The majority of our verification forms can be completed online. You can review your account for missing requirements by logging into to your jWeb account. Once you log into your student account, select the “Student One Stop” tab, then click on Financial Aid > Eligibility > Student Requirements. Be sure to select the current award year from the drop-down menu. You will be provided with a link to complete any missing requirements. Once all forms and documents have been received, the verification process can take 2-4 weeks to be completed.
Special or Unusual Circumstances: There are sometimes unique situations that may impact your federal student aid eligibility. If a change in your financial situation has occurred or if you have unusual circumstances that prevent you from including parent information on your FAFSA, you may be eligible to request a professional judgment. Unusual circumstances may include a documented history of abuse, abandonment, and/or a harmful situation that can be supported by court documents and/or statements by a third party. Petitions based on self-sufficiency alone are not valid. Consideration for a dependency override will be on a case-by-case basis.
Potential Reasons for a professional judgment include but are not limited to:
Unusual Circumstances
- Request a change in dependency status
Special Circumstances
- Loss or reduction of income, assets, benefits, or one-time taxable income
- Divorce (student or parent)
- Death of a parent or spouse
To request a professional judgment, the student should contact the financial aid office for instructions and will be required to submit the following documents.
- Professional Judgement form online (link provided by the financial aid office)
- A detailed letter explaining the student’s special or unusual circumstances
- Tax documents
- Documentation of circumstances
Starting in 2024-25 students who are classified as Dependent on the FASFA but do not provide parent information will be assigned a “Provisional Independent” status. Students will receive an estimated SAI (Student Aid Index) and an estimate of eligibility for federal student aid but must work with their Financial Aid Office to determine final dependency status and eligibility for aid.
Students who wish to have their dependency status reviewed should contact the Financial Aid Office to discuss an Unusual Circumstance Appeal. A staff member will discuss your situation and the types of supporting documentation that may be required to review your appeal.
Unaccompanied Homeless Youth
Regardless of their age, students who are unaccompanied and homeless, or self-supporting and at risk of being homeless, qualify for a homeless youth determination. These students will be considered Independent on the FAFSA and are not required to provide parent information. Circumstances that qualify are:
- Unaccompanied—When a student is not living in the physical custody of a parent or guardian.
- Homeless—Lacking fixed, regular, and adequate housing.
- At risk of being homeless—When a student’s housing may cease to be fixed, regular, and adequate. For example, a student who is being evicted or has been asked to leave their current residence and has been unable to find fixed, regular, and adequate housing.
Students who have not been certified by one of the following individuals/agencies should contact the Financial Aid Office to discuss their circumstances:
- Your high school or school district homeless liaison
- The director of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- The director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program
If you are unsure whether you would be considered homeless or at risk of homelessness, please contact the Financial Aid Office and a staff member will talk with you about your circumstances.