Rogers State University encourages all current and future RSU students to complete their 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to help unlock potential financial aid assistance, such as financial aid packages, scholarships, grants and more.
Scheduled to open by Dec. 31, 2023, the FAFSA should be completed by all new and returning students who will be attending RSU during the 2024-25 academic year.
Rogers State University’s Office of Financial Aid is dedicated to helping students achieve their educational goals by providing the best financial information available and reviewing options based on the students’ financial status and needs.
One of the most important means by which the financial aid office achieves this is through the FAFSA.
Information provided on the FAFSA is used to determine how much financial aid a student is eligible to receive to help pay for college, giving the applicants potential access to federal financial aid, such as grants and work-study programs, as well as the option to use available federal Direct Loans.
According to RSU Interim Director of Financial Aid Jason Reavis, many students underestimate their financial need or assume they don’t qualify for financial aid, but it’s critical for every student – whether they be a high school senior entering college or a returning RSU student – to complete the FAFSA.
“FAFSA is the basis for a lot of RSU’s scholarships and endowments, and the earlier it’s done, the better, as some scholarships and endowments are awarded on a ‘first come, first serve’ basis,” Reavis said. “Even if a student doesn’t expect to receive federal funds, it’s still important for them to complete their FAFSFA because they could be eligible to receive aid.”
On Dec. 27, 2020, Congress passed the FAFSA Simplification Act, which offered a major redesign of the processes and systems used to award federal financial aid. These changes are taking effect this year.
“Changes that have been made (to FAFSA) were made in an effort to help more students to get grants,” Reavis said. “They’re changing the way the form was supposed to work in a way that could give more students the PELL grant. What they’re wanting people to do is to create their own FAFSA ID, and they’re requiring more people to have them than before. Previously, only one parent was required, and it may now require two parents, depending on the student’s circumstance. If a student is married, their spouse will also be required to have a FAFSA ID – that’s new.”
Other changes to previous years’ FAFSA processes include a reduced number of questions; all who enter their information on FAFSA must give the U.S. Department of Education consent to access their federal tax information from the IRS, even if they didn’t file a tax return; parental information used on the FAFSA will be from the parent who provided the most financial support in the previous 12 months; and more.
Total cost to attend Rogers State University ranges between $8,999 to $10,361 per semester for Oklahoma residents, considerably less than total costs relative to other Oklahoma universities. By completing the FAFSA, students become eligible for federal grants, making their RSU education even more affordable.
Ultimately, the most important thing for students to do is to complete the FAFSA as soon as possible, Reavis said.
“I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for our students – all of our students – to complete their FAFSA as soon as possible,” he said. “Students should never assume that they’re not eligible for financial aid. They’ll never know what they’re eligible for unless they apply.”
RSU and other universities will not start to receive electronically-submitted FAFSA results until February 2024, and 2024-25 paper FAFSAs will not begin to be reviewed and processed by the Department of Education, also, until February 2024.
Priority deadline for 2024-25 filings is March 1, 2024, with the final deadline being mid-October 2024. Students completing the FAFSA for attendance to Rogers State University must use the school code 003168.
Additionally, RSU TRIO Student Support Services will host FASFA workshops this spring to answer questions about applying and assist students in the process. Dates will be announced later.
For more information about applying for FAFSA, visit https://studentaid.gov or https://startwithfafsa.org.