Financial Aid & FAFSA

Money with a little graduation cap
  • Use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form to apply for financial aid for college or graduate school. 

    Many states and colleges set priority deadlines by which you must submit the FAFSA form to be considered for the aid programs they administer. There is also a federal deadline each academic year

    Millions of dollars in financial aid monies are available to help fund your education after high school. Financial aid awards come in various sources such as: grants, scholarships, loans and/or work study. 

    These funds may come on a first come first serve basis.  

    All high school seniors are encouraged to submit a FAFSA. Check out the Top 5 Reasons to Complete the FAFSA  and The FAFSA Pipeline!

FAFSA Live

  • We host live FAFSA sessions, where we complete the FAFSA step-by-step.  

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FAFSA Step-by-Step

FAFSA How-to-Guide

  • How can I get FAFSA help?

    • School Counselors and BRACE Advisors are available to assist families with the application process.
    • Check out the College & Career Toolkit! Recorded sessions are posted every week, INCLUDING the FAFSA Live events. You can watch and complete the FAFSA step-by-step, at your own pace.
    • Call the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) at 1-800-433-3243 or visit the Federal Student Aid Help Center
    • Meet Wyatt℠, your personal FAFSA assistance chatbot. Wyatt is an artificial intelligence, designed to help students complete the FAFSA
    • The National College Attainment Network has an amazing FAFSA Resource Library, all virtual.

  • What do I need to complete the FAFSA?

    Start with the FAFSA Cheat Sheet!

    Then make sure you have:

    1. Student & parent(s) social security numbers                           
    2. Parent(s) drivers’ license number                                            
    3. Student and parent(s) 2021 tax records for the 2023–24 FAFSA form
      • 2020 tax records for the 2022-2023 FAFSA form                           
    4. Student and parent(s) records of assets. This includes savings and checking account balances, as well as the value of investments such as stocks and bonds and real estate (except the home in which your family lives).
    5. List of schools you are interested in attending

  • Who is my 'Parent' when completing the FAFSA?

    This questions can be confusing for a lot of students.

    This poster might help you figure that out. For more questions, speak to your BRACE Advisor.

  • What is a Financial Aid Award Letter?

    • After a college accepts you, you'll receive a letter outlining how much the school will cost and what kind of financial aid package you'll receive for one year. All financial aid award letters do not look the same, but they contain the same general information:

      • Grant, Scholarships, Work-study, Federal student loans
      • Cost of attendance (COA), an estimate of what you can expect to pay for tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and personal expenses for one year.
      • Expected Family Contribution (EFC), an index number that colleges use to determine financial aid eligibility.
      • The remaining amount, or funding gap, that you’ll have to make up from other sources.

  • How do I get Scholarships?

    • The FAFSA is not a scholarship application and will only offer grants, loans, and work study options.  For scholarships, please visit Naviance Student to find millions of local and national scholarships.    

      Also, all students should complete the Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA), which is the application for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarships.  In addition to Bright Futures, there are several other scholarships through this same application. 

FAFSA for HEART Program

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Contact Information

  • College, Career, & Life Readiness

    600 SE Third Avenue - 13th Floor

    Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301

    Phone: 754-321-2119

    Fax: --

    TTL: --

    Phone: --

    Carol Lopez

    Supervisor