Students who completed their FAFSA form and Financial Aid Profile by today’s deadline have an advantage over those who chose to procrastinate.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is used to qualify students for grants, loans and other forms of college aid.
This year, administrators say students who applied by today’s priority deadline will have the opportunity to receive all of the aid they qualify for, while students who waited to apply might not.
“We strongly encourage students to apply on time,” said Phil Asbury, deputy director for scholarships and student aid at UNC.
“Apply by the date to be available for all type of aid offered.”
Undergraduate students have to fill out both the FAFSA and Financial Aid Profile by the deadline to receive the most possible aid, he said.
The profile is used by the University to award non-federal student aid, Asbury said.
He said the University would still process applications after the deadline, but the further from the deadline an application is submitted, the less aid a student will receive.
This is because while federal loans are processed throughout the year, money that institutions are able to give is limited. So if a student waits too long, they might not receive all of the aid they would have qualified for, he said.