Financial Aid Priority Date

While there is no deadline to apply for financial aid, students who submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as well as any required documents by the dates listed below will be protected from de-registration while their award is being processed. Students who do not submit required information by the dates shown below will be awarded their financial aid as they become complete. However, these students may need to pay or sign up for EZ-Pay while they wait for their financial aid to be awarded.

The Financial Aid Priority Dates are as follows:

2024-2025

2025-2026

In order to meet the Financial Aid Priority Date listed above, a student must:

• Submit the FAFSA by the date listed above for the semester for which they are applying; and
• Submit any documentation required to complete their financial aid file by the document date listed above for the semester for which the student is applying.

Students who have submitted their completed FAFSA and all other requested documentation by the aforementioned dates will have their file reviewed before the start of the semester or will have their classes protected from de-registration. Students who do NOT meet the Financial Aid Priority Date are still able to apply for financial aid. However, they will be responsible for setting up an EZ Pay Installment Plan or paying for their classes in full by the payment deadline, while they wait for their financial aid award to be processed.

Once students submit their FAFSA, they do NOT need to submit another FAFSA for that academic year. Students who have submitted their FAFSA and all other required documents by the aforementioned date, as well as those who have received their financial aid award letter, are considered to have met the Financial Aid Priority Date.

Summer 2025

The Financial Aid Priority Date for Summer 2025 is March 14, 2025 to receive the FAFSA and HFC Summer 2025 Financial Aid Application (available in January) and April 4, 2025 to receive all other required documents. In order to meet the Priority Date, students must:

• Submit the 2024-2025 FAFSA (if not already received by HFC during the Fall or Winter semesters). The FAFSA must be received by HFC by March 14, 2025;
• Submit the Summer 2025 Financial Aid Application by March 14, 2025; and
• Submit any requested documentation needed to complete a Financial Aid file by April 4, 2025.

Students who have submitted the FAFSA and all other requested documents by the aforementioned dates to the Office of Financial Aid will have their file reviewed before the start of the next semester of classes or will have their classes protected from de-registration. Students who do not meet the Financial Aid Priority Date are still able to apply for financial aid. However, they will be responsible for setting up an EZ Pay Installment Plan or paying for their classes in full by the payment deadline, while they wait for their financial aid award to be processed.

If it has been determined that a student is not eligible to receive financial aid funding for the semester (usually due to having used up all of their eligibility during the Fall and Winter semesters), they will be notified via an email sent to the student’s Hawkmail.

In addition, if it is determined that a student is not eligible to receive financial aid funding for the Summer semester, they will be responsible for all charges on their account. If all charges are not paid, they may be subject to de-registration for failure to pay by the posted deadlines.

NOTE: It generally takes 3-5 days from the time students submit their FAFSA for our office to enter it into our system. Students need to be sure to plan ahead as we must have received their FAFSA and all required documents by the Financial Aid Priority Date in order to protect them from the de-registration process. The website for students to submit their FAFSA is https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa and the HFC school code is 002270.

For questions regarding the Financial Aid Priority Date, please email finaid@hfcc.edu.