We try to make applying for financial aid as simple as possible. Monmouth University uses only the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as its application for all aid programs; we do not require or accept the College Board’s CSS Profile. The FAFSA must be completed for each year in which you want financial aid and can be filed on or after October 1 each year. Please note – due to the changes being made to the 2024-25 FAFSA it will not be available until December 2023.
Monmouth doesn’t have a deadline for filing the FAFSA, but there are some types of aid that are limited and are awarded on a “first come, first served” basis – you’ll want to get your FAFSA done sooner rather than later in order to be considered for those awards.
Steps to complete the FAFSA
Create a Studentaid.gov Account
Create a username and password (also called an FSA ID) that will be used to access and “sign” your FAFSA electronically. Students and parents of dependent students will need to have one. You’ll need your Social Security number, mobile phone number and/or email address. The FSA ID is also used throughout the financial aid process to e-sign loan documents and manage student loan accounts.
Tip: Parents who created an FSA ID as a student themselves or for an older student do not need to create another one. The same parent FSA ID can be used on FAFSAs for multiple students in the family.
Gather your documents
You will need your tax filing filing status and select information from your federal tax return. Child support received during the last full calendar year and receipt of certain federal benefits is also needed. Current bank account balance as well as investment, business and farm net worth may also be needed.
Tip: Income information used on the FAFSA is from two year prior, e.g., 2022 income reported on the 2024-25 FAFSA. Assets and marital status are reported as of the day the FAFSA is completed.
Complete the FAFSA
Dependent students will invite their parent(s) to contribute to their FAFSA if parent information is required. Parent(s) email address is required to send the invite. Students and contributors to the FAFSA must provide consent to retrieve and disclose federal tax information from the IRS for the student to be eligible for federal aid. You will not be able to view the federal tax information retrieved from the IRS.
Tip: Be sure to include Monmouth University in your Select Colleges section of the FAFSA!
Review the FAFSA Submission Summary
Approximately 1-3 calendar days after you complete the FAFSA you will receive a FAFSA Submission Summary. The FAFSA Submission Summary is contains four tabs of information: Eligibility Overview, FASFA Form Answers, School Information, and Next Steps. The Eligibility Overview tab contains the Student Aid Index and an estimate of the student’s federal financial aid eligibility. Review the FAFSA Form Answers tab for accuracy. If any of your answers are incorrect, you can choose to start a correction.
Tip: Print a copy of your FAFSA Submission Summary to keep for your records.
NOTE: Students who reside in New Jersey and are not a United States citizens or eligible non-citizens (aka NJ Dreamers) are ineligible to file the FAFSA, but can file the New Jersey Alternative Financial Application to apply for NJ state grants and scholarships. To file the application, students must meet all of the following criteria:
- Attended a NJ high school for at least three (3) years
- Graduated from a NJ high school or receive the equivalent of a high school diploma in NJ
- Are able to file an affidavit stating that you have filed an application to legalize your immigration status – or – will file an application as soon as you are eligible to do so
More information on the New Jersey Alternative Financial Aid Application is available from the New Jersey Higher Education Assistance Authority (NJHESAA).