• New FAFSA Requirements

    There is a new requirement for New Hampshire students to graduate high school. For the Class of 2024 going forward, students will be required to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or sign a waiver opting out. 

    What is the FAFSA? The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a form to apply for federal financial aid for college and/or training, including grants, work-study, and loans. The FAFSA is also used by colleges, some trade/vocational schools, and scholarship programs to determine eligibility for aid such as scholarships. It is FREE to complete and does not obligate the student or parent/guardian to anything. 

    The 2024-25 FAFSA opened on December 31, 2023. The form got an overhaul for this year. The new FAFSA has fewer questions to answer, a new tool for importing tax information, new formulas for calculating aid, and some new terminology. Students and parents will now need to create their studentaid.gov accounts a few days before filling out the FAFSA. (If you’ve filled out the FAFSA before, you can use the same studentaid.gov account you have already created.)

    Colleges won’t gain access to the information until the end of January/beginning of February, so don’t panic – there’s time to get it done in the New Year. In fact, we’re expecting the studentaid.gov site to experience some technical difficulties and slowness at the beginning, so it might be better to wait until late January or February. 

    To accommodate your schedules and support as many students and families in completing their FAFSAs as soon as possible under this compressed time frame, Granite Edvance (formerly NHHEAF) is: 

    · Offering virtual evening appointments. Check out their scheduling page to find an appointment that works for you from 5-8pm. They are still keeping their daytime hours, too! Go to www.calendly.com/graniteedvance  

    · Providing regional FAFSA filing events in partnership with community colleges. Stay tuned to learn when they will be at a campus nearby! 

    Watch the latest video How to Create Your studentaid.gov Account.

    FAFSA Waiver: If you are not planning on attending college, please fill out and return the attached FAFSA Waiver Form to the school counseling office. 

    Note: The FAFSA is one step in applying for financial aid. Some colleges require additional forms, too.

    Why is it relevant to me?

    Do you want to know all the options you have for how to fund your future? The ONLY way to know for sure if you qualify for any need- OR merit-based aid is to file a FAFSA.

    The FAFSA is how to figure out all the options available to you and learn more about them. It’s still your choice to select which options you want – or don’t want.

    Students in New Hampshire left $7.9 million in Pell Grants on the table by not completing the FAFSA in 2022 (NCAN). 

    If you don’t file a FAFSA, you DEFINITELY will not receive any financial aid – because you haven’t applied for it!

    Does the FAFSA obligate me to anything?

    Not at all! Remember, it’s your choice if you use financial aid available to you. You don’t have to accept loans, grants, or scholarships.

    How do I fill it out? Access the FAFSA form: https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/filling-out 

    Resources to help along the way:

    I’m still thinking of opting out. What now?

    If you choose not to file the FAFSA, you may sign a waiver from the NH Department of Education indicating that you opt out from the requirement. The waiver may be signed by the student if they are 18 years old or older; otherwise, the parent/guardian signs. Mrs. Kovaliv, school counseling coordinator will provide more information about where to submit the waiver once you’ve signed.
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  • File your FAFSA

    FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This form is used to determine the amount of money a family is expected to contribute to the price of attending a postsecondary institution. The results of the FAFSA are used in determining student grants, work study, and loan amounts.

    It is time to file FAFSA for all students attending college next year!  

    NHHEAF Has been assisting WLC families for years, is a great free resource to our families and everything is virtual this year so you do not have to drive to Concord!

    Need help filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)?  Please contact Karen Collins, our NHHEAF representative: kcollins@gsmr.org to schedule a free appointment.

    Keep in mind that due dates are different for all colleges regarding when they want each students FASFA turned in.

    Each January parents of students sttending college must fill out the FAFSA form, for the following school year.  Listed below are three different options to filling out the FAFSA.  

    The NHHEAF Network Organizations

    The NHHEAF Network Organizations are comprised of three active 501(c)(3) nonprofit agencies — New Hampshire Higher Education Assistance Foundation (NHHEAF),Granite State Management & Resources (GSM&R) and New Hampshire Higher Education Loan Corporation (NHHELCO). Located in Concord, New Hampshire, the funds generated by the Organizations’ loan operation make its charitable mission possible as earnings are reinvested in programs and services that benefit citizens of our State.

    Granite State Management & Resources’ Mission: 
    Attract and develop talented and dedicated professionals in order to provide superior personalized service to individuals and education industry partners. We recognize that the quality of ongoing services is dependent upon our maintaining a sound financial base and secure infrastructure. Towards that end, we are committed to the ongoing evaluation of current services and the development of new programs which better serve our various constituencies and contribute to the strength of our organization and fulfill our nonprofit purpose.