FAFSA: How to Apply & Key Dates (2026–27)
Each year, students and parents of undergraduate dependent students wishing to apply for federal grants, loans, and work-study must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA):
- For information on the 2026–27 FAFSA, please visit our 2026–27 FAFSA page.
- The priority consideration date for limited need-based funds is . OSFA aims to release Estimated Financial Aid Offers for incoming first-year students in mid-December.
- OSFA strongly encourages ALL Georgia resident students to complete the GSFAPP application for Zell Miller and HOPE Scholarships at gafutures.org (opens in a new tab) . This will allow state scholarships to be awarded even if there are issues with the FAFSA.
The FAFSA can also be used to apply for the HOPE Scholarship and the Zell Miller Scholarship, but remember the FAFSA must be completed each Award Year.
- UGA’s Federal School Code is 001598.
FAFSA Application Steps
Step 1: Get Your Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID
Create your FSA ID at studentaid.gov (opens in a new tab) .Step 2: Complete Your FAFSA
- Before starting the FAFSA, we strongly encourage students and parents to review the U.S. Department of Education’s helpful information on filling out the FAFSA (opens in a new tab) .
- Once you are ready to begin the FAFSA:
- Go to studentaid.gov (opens in a new tab) and click Start Here.
- Once you log in with your Federal Student Aid ID, select the
appropriate aid year:
- For information on the 2026–2027 FAFSA covering Fall 2026, Spring 2027, and Summer 2027, please visit our 2026–27 FAFSA Information page.
Step 3: Review Your FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS)
- After you have submitted your FAFSA, watch for your FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS) (opens in a new tab) from the U.S. Department of Education. Look over your FSS carefully, make sure you didn’t make a mistake on your FAFSA form, and make corrections to your FAFSA data if necessary.
Step 4: Provide Additional Documentation if Requested
- Often the Department of Education requires schools to obtain
additional information from you to complete your FAFSA. If additional
information or documentation is needed, UGA OSFA will send an email to
your UGAMail account directing you to log in to Athena to access your
unsatisfied financial aid requirements and view the information needed. Some examples of items that could be requested are:
- Documents needed for theVerification of FAFSA information >.
- Proof of U.S. Citizen or Eligible Non-citizen status.
- Documents needed to confirm or clarify conflicting FAFSA information.
- Proof of independent student > status.
- Often the Department of Education requires schools to obtain
additional information from you to complete your FAFSA. If additional
information or documentation is needed, UGA OSFA will send an email to
your UGAMail account directing you to log in to Athena to access your
unsatisfied financial aid requirements and view the information needed. Some examples of items that could be requested are:
Step 5: Receive Your Financial Aid Offer
Once all of your financial aid requirements are satisfied, and if you meet the Basic Student Eligibility Requirements, OSFA will be able to award you the federal financial aid for which you are otherwise eligible.
See Your Award Status to access your Application Status on Athena, or your Awards on Athena.