Department of Higher Education

Nearly 200 events and activities to offer free assistance in Missouri

Students and their families can receive free help completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at 195 FAFSA Frenzy events this year. Events will be held October through January at locations across the state.

Filing a FAFSA is often the first step students must take to apply for 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 help students overcome barriers associated with applying for student aid. The events assist students and their families with an important part of the college-planning process,” said Zora Mulligan, Missouri commissioner of higher education. “Students should file a FAFSA as early as possible to find out about available financial aid to help them pay for college and to make informed decisions about where they want to attend.”

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 2019-20 FAFSA became available Oct. 1, 2018.

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, more than 130 of Missouri high schools are hosting private FAFSA Frenzy events to assist their students.

Students should submit a FAFSA every year they plan to attend college. The FAFSA is the primary form used to determine eligibility for most types of federal and state financial aid, including grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study, as well as financial assistance offered by colleges and universities.

When attending an event, FAFSA Frenzy participants should bring:

• 2017 W-2 forms

• Copies of their 2017 tax forms

• Social Security number

• Student and parent FSA IDs (Students and parents should apply for separate FSA ID usernames and passwords at https://fsaid.ed.gov 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 22,600 Missouri students since FAFSA completion events began in 2004. Anyone with FAFSA knowledge that is interested in assisting at a FAFSA Frenzy event this year should visit dhe.mo.gov/ppc/fafsafrenzy.php.

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