Student Financial Aid Application Process (FAFSA)

The priority deadline date for campus based aid is March 1st of each year.  March 1st is the date by which your Financial Aid file and all required documentation is complete.

• If you are a new or transfer student, you must submit an Application for Admissions and any required documents to the University.  Select a Program of Study/Major, and indicate it on your Application for Admissions.  Complete and send any and all Transcript Requests required by the Office of Admissions.

• Request a Personal Identification Number (PIN) at http://pin.ed.gov. Signatures must be provided before your FAFSA can be processed.  You and one of your parents (if you are a dependent undergraduate student) can sign your FAFSA electronically with your assigned PIN's.

• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  The FAFSA should be completed after January 1st, as soon as your tax information is available.  You must reapply each academic year for financial aid.  Austin Peay State University's federal school code is 003478.

• Within 2 weeks, you should receive your Student Aid Report (SAR) Information Acknowledgment in the mail and/or email.  Your SAR summarizes the information you reported on your FAFSA.  Review the SAR for accuracy.  If corrections need to be made, you should make the corrections using FAFSA on the Web and your assigned PIN.

• If you mail in the FAFSA, it will take approximately 4 to 6 weeks for you to receive a copy of the Student Aid Report (SAR) in the mail.  Review the SAR for accuracy.  If corrections need to be made, you should make the corrections on the SAR and mail it to the address indicated on the SAR.

• If you do not receive a copy of your SAR within 6 weeks, you will need to contact the Federal Processor at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) to follow up on your FAFSA.

• The information you receive on your SAR will be submitted to the schools listed on your FAFSA electronically.

• If the US Department of Education has selected your FAFSA application for verification.  Click here for Verification.

• Beginning April 15th of each year, award packages will be processed.  Award notifications will be sent to the student's APSU email account.  Students who meet the priority deadline date will have their awards packaged first.

• Award notifications indicate the types of Financial Aid programs that you have been awarded as well as the tentative amounts.  You must indicate which awards you choose to accept or reject.  If required, sign and return the Authorization Form to our office.   You have fourteen (14) days after the date printed on the award notification to accept your award.  If you do not respond within the fourteen (14) days and you were offered funds from any campus based aid programs, the offered award will be cancelled.

• If you choose to accept any stafford loan, you may be required to complete the Entrance Interview* and Master Promissory Note* (MPN).

*The Entrance Interview and Master Promissory Note is required for all new students to APSU.