Financial Aid: Priority filing deadline

On October 1, 2017, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2018-2019 academic year became available to complete online at FAFSA.gov.

Students, both returning and prospective, who wish to apply for financial aid should submit the FAFSA and all requested verification items by George Mason University’s priority filing date of March 1. It is never too early to start this process by having conversations with your student over winter break. It is important for students and families to ensure they are completing the FAFSA accurately and on time. See below for more information on the priority filing deadline and resources designed to guide students and families through the filing process.

What is a priority filing date?
Due to the increasing number of financial aid applicants at George Mason University, combined with a limited amount of state and institutional aid available, the priority filing date is used to determine who will be considered eligible to receive such awards. To ensure that your student is considered for these types of aid, please encourage your student to submit their FAFSA and all verification items requested by the Mason Office of Student Financial Aid prior to the March 1 deadline.

What if my student needs help completing the FAFSA?
There are many tools available to assist both students and families with completing the FAFSA. For example, on Mason’s Office of Student Financial Aid website there are videos with step-by-step instructions to assist with the process. Also, you can visit studentaid.ed.gov/sa for more helpful information to assist your student when completing the FAFSA.

Kim Shumadine
Associate Director, Compliance & Operations
Financial Aid Office