The UF deadline for completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is today. Students must complete the application by the university’s deadline to be considered for need-based university aid for the 2012-2013 academic year.
Last year, the Florida Legislature made filing a FAFSA a requirement for Bright Futures scholarships, which will not be able to disperse a student’s award to UF until the state has received the student’s FAFSA.
Rodlee Ritter, an assistant director with UF’s Office for Student Financial Affairs, said the university distributes its limited funds for student need-based aid on a first-come, first-served basis. She also said UF could run out of money before accommodating all the eligible applicants who turned in their applications close to the deadline.
“If all the money’s gone when we get to that group of students, it’s gone,” she said. “It’s always better to apply as soon as possible.”
The deadline for federal aid is June 30, 2013.
Although Blake Spruill, 20, said he doesn’t think he’ll receive any federal or UF aid, he said he plans to complete a FAFSA so he can renew his Bright Futures scholarship.
He said he won’t enjoy the process, though.
“I’ve never really liked filling out forms,” the architecture junior said. “The length of it is pretty bad and there’s a lot of fine print.”
