Department of Higher Education

Students and their families can receive free help completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid at more than 170 FAFSA Frenzy events set for October through January in communities across Missouri.

Filing a FAFSA is the first step students must take to apply for most financial aid for college. Financial aid professionals, high school counselors and other volunteers provide free assistance and answer questions during the events.

“FAFSA Frenzy is designed to assist families with an important part of the college-planning process,” said Zora Mulligan, Missouri commissioner of higher education. “Helping students apply for financial aid can open the door to many higher education opportunities.”

Students can attend any public FAFSA Frenzy event, no matter where they live, go to school or plan to attend college. The public events – held at high schools, college campuses and community facilities – are open to all high school seniors, current college students and adults interested in attending college.

The 2018-19 FAFSA will be available Oct. 1.

A list of public FAFSA Frenzy sites can be viewed at journeytocollege.mo.gov/pay/file-a-fafsa/fafsa-frenzy/public-fafsa-frenzy-events.

In addition to the public FAFSA Frenzy events, dozens of Missouri high schools are hosting private FAFSA Frenzy events to assist their students.

Students should fill out a FAFSA every year they plan to attend college. The application determines eligibility for most types of federal and state financial aid, including grants, scholarships and loans, as well as financial assistance offered by colleges and universities.

FAFSA Frenzy participants should bring:

• 2016 W-2 forms
• Copies of their 2016 tax forms
• Social Security number
• Student and parent FSA IDs (Students and parents should apply for separate FSA ID user names and passwords at https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm before attending a FAFSA Frenzy event.) 

FAFSA Frenzy is sponsored annually by the Missouri Department of Higher Education, in partnership with the Missouri Association of Student Financial Aid Personnel, the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority and the National College Access Network.

Volunteers have assisted more than 20,000 Missouri students since FAFSA completion events began in 2004.

For more information about the FAFSA Frenzy program, visit journeytocollege.mo.gov/fafsa-frenzy.