Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

• File the FAFSA (or Renewal FAFSA) and include Macalester’s code (002358) in the school section.
• Visit studentaid.gov to file the FAFSA online.
  • Federal Student Aid is required to collect signatures from you and a parent (if applicable) to verify the information entered on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).There are three ways to sign:
    • Electronically with an FSA ID
    • By printing, signing, and mailing a signature page after you submit the FAFSA
    • By signing your Student Aid Report (SAR) and returning it in the mail
    • TIP: The application process is faster if you use your FSA ID to sign your application electronically.
      • If you already have an FSA ID you can use it to sign your FAFSA from one year to the next.
      • If you do not already have an FSA ID, you can create an FSA ID.
      • If you have an FSA ID but do not remember your username, click Forgot Username.
      • If you have an FSA ID but do not remember your password, click Forgot Password.
      • Note: The password must be between 8 to 30 characters long. You can use any combination of numbers, uppercase and lowercase letters, and / or special characters.
      • If you are dependent, one of your parents will also need an FSA ID. If your parent does not already have an FSA ID, they can create an FSA ID.
      • Keep in mind that you only have to create an FSA ID once. You can use the same FSA ID each year, speeding up the time it takes for your FAFSA to be processed. Your parents (if you are a dependent student) can use their FSA ID each year, too, and can even use their FSA ID to sign FAFSAs for your siblings.
      • If you do not have a printer or an FSA ID you can select the signature option Submit Without Signatures and submit your FAFSA. Your application will be partially processed without signatures. If you provide a valid e-mail address, you will receive an e-mail reminding you to return to the FAFSA and sign your application electronically using your FSA ID. If you do not provide a valid e-mail address, you will receive a SAR in the mail, within 7 to 10 days. The signatures required will be noted on the SAR. Return the SAR with the signatures to complete the application
• Please do not send a paper copy of your completed FAFSA to the Financial Aid Office. We must receive results from the FAFSA processor.

If you are selected for verification, have a change in family financial circumstances, or will have a sibling enrolled as an undergraduate during the upcoming academic year, you will need to complete additional steps.

Students who have never before applied for financial aid at Macalester must also complete the CSS Profile. If the student’s biological/adoptive parents are separated or divorced, both parents must complete separate CSS Profile applications.

Responses to financial aid applications will be mailed to your home address. We will begin mailing aid awards to returning students in June.