FAFSA Simplification
In 2020 Congress passed the FAFSA Simplification Act to streamline and make the financial aid process easier overall for students and families. The number of questions on the FAFSA is being nearly cut in half and the terminology is being simplified. Learn more about the upcoming changes.
As an extension of the University’s commitment to share important information on financial aid, we offer this reminder to all returning students and their families: Be sure to complete your financial aid application without delay. The FAFSA must be submitted every year to obtain financial aid.
Key FAFSA points to keep in mind:
- Your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) should be filed no later than February 1, Rider University's priority filing date. Students whose applications are received after this date will be considered for federal, state, and institutional aid resources only on a funds available basis.
- You must transmit your FAFSA to Rider University. Rider’s federal school code is 002628.
- The FAFSA form asks for financial information, including information from tax forms and balances of savings and checking accounts. Learn more about the documents you'll need to fill out the FAFSA.
- Students are encouraged to complete the FAFSA online using the U.S. Department of Education’s secure website. You'll need to create a FSA ID (user name) and password to electronically sign your FAFSA. If you are a dependent student, your parent will also need to sign using a separate FSA ID and password. Full instructions and help are available online.
- Attention New Jersey residents: Look carefully at the confirmation page immediately upon completion of the online FAFSA. If you are prompted to apply for NJ state-based financial aid, click on the link and answer the additional required questions.
With your FSA ID and password, you can return to the FAFSA website, later on, to check on the status of your application, review results of your processed FAFSA and submit corrections.
Questions
If you need help completing the FAFSA, please contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243. If you would like to talk to a Financial Aid Counselor about your FAFSA please email [email protected], call us at (609) 896-5360 or join us on Zoom (our preferred contact method).