Financial Aid Information

What is the FAFSA?

The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is used by colleges/universities (including community colleges) and private organizations to award both federal and non-federal aid to students. This includes loans, grants, scholarships, and federal work study. This form must be completed to apply for and receive any type of federal aid. This form is done every year and is required for students to be eligible for any type of federal financial aid. It is also required if a student wishes to be eligible for any financial aid from the State of Maryland.

It is important to note that while a parent's financial information is used on the FAFSA, it does not make the parent liable to provide money toward a student's post-secondary education. Also note that the FAFSA is not the direct source of money, but the application determines eligibility. The colleges/universities create the financial aid package offering loans, grants, scholarships, and work study.

Completing the FAFSA:

1. Create your FSA ID: https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch ( Students and parents/guardians both need their own FSA ID using a different/unique email address. The ID will serve as your electronic signature).
2. Make sure your social security number was provided on your college application. This is required for colleges to be able to import your student aid information. If you overlooked this, please reach out to each college individually to find out how to get it added.
3. Complete the 2026-2027 FAFSA application: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

FAFSA Deadlines:

• The Maryland State deadline to file your FAFSA is March 1st
• Most colleges have their own deadline, often much earlier than March 1st, so be sure to check with each school you've applied to

• Every contributor - anyone (student, student's spouse, a biological or adoptive parent, or the parent's spouse) who's required to provide information on the FAFSA form - will need an FSA ID to access and complete their section of the online form.
• All contributors must provide consent and approval to have their federal tax information transferred directly into the student's FAFSA form via direct data exchange with the IRS. If any contributor doesn't provide consent and approval, submission of the FAFSA form will still be allowed. However, a Student Aid Index (SAI) will not be calculated and the student won't be eligible for federal student aid.
• Students will be able to list up to 20 colleges on their online FAFSA form and 10 colleges on the FAFSA PDF.
• The FAFSA needs to be completed within 45 days of starting or the entire application will be deleted.
• Pell Grant eligibility has been expanded to include more students.
• Parents do not need a social security number to create an FSA ID.

If you do not think your family will qualify for federal aid, we still encourage you to complete the form. Many scholarships, including merit-based opportunities and delegate or senatorial scholarships, require a completed FAFSA.

If you think you will be attending CCBC, you should still complete the form. Both the county and state College Promise Programs require a completed FAFSA.

If you think you will be heading straight to work or joining the military/police/fire/EMS service, you should still complete the form. Life happens and plans can change. It’s better to have a “Plan B” in place and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

If your parents do not have a social security number, you should still complete the form. There will be changes to the new FAFSA application to help!

For state scholarship and grant considerations, students can create their MDCaps (Maryland College Aid Processing System) portal account. This must be done to be eligible to receive any aid from the State of Maryland. This is created in addition to their FSA ID or federal account. To be eligible, the FAFSA must always be completed by March 1st and the student must list at least 1 Maryland public university or CCBC on their FAFSA. To view and claim financial aid awards, students must log into their MDCaps account.

Money awarded by the State of Maryland in the MDCaps portal must be claimed in a short amount of time or the award money will disappear and not be reinstated. Students should use their personal email addresses to create the account so that they will receive emails when money is dispersed.

Maryland State Delegate and Senatorial Scholarships will also often be listed through MDCAPS. Each Delegate and Senator are able to create their own scholarship applications, requirements and deadlines. Students should find out who their elected officials are by following the link below and entering their home address. From there, they can contact the offices of the appropriate officials for application details. Anything shared with the Carver Center Counseling Office, will be shared through Schoology regarding Delegate and Senatorial Scholarships.

Undocumented students (without a social security number), are still eligible to apply for state aid through the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) One App. Eligible students must first create an MDCAPS account and then complete the online application through the MDCaps portal.

After completing and submitting the FAFSA, colleges listed on the FAFSA will use the information provided to see if you qualify for institutional need-based financial aid. Also after completing the FAFSA, students will automatically be considered for various Maryland state grants and scholarship programs.

Students will be notified via email if they have been awarded any of the following aid from the FAFSA:

• Pell Grant
• SEOG Grant
• Work Study eligibility
• Student Loans

This notification typically occurs 1-3 days after the FAFSA is successfully processed.

Students will be notified via email if they have been awarded any of the following aid through MDCaps:

• Educational Assistance Grant or Guaranteed Access Grant
• Community College Promise Scholarship
• Academic Common Market notification (this only applies to students who qualify for the ACM at an out of state institution. For more information, visit: https://www.sreb.org/academic-common-market)

Deadlines vary, as does the notification process

Students must accept their award online through their MDCaps account. They will have a short window to accept or decline. Failure to accept the award within the timeframe will result in the award being cancelled and not reinstated.

Students are encouraged to monitor their "Check Application Status" in MDCaps to verify if any additional information is needed to claim their award. If additional information is needed, they must submit all required documents by the deadline.

A list of various Maryland Grants and scholarships can be found here:

https://mhec.maryland.gov/preparing/Pages/Important-Scholarship-and-Grant-Deadlines.aspx

What is the CSS Profile?

The CSS profile is an online application used by select colleges and scholarship programs to award non-federal institutional aid. It is completed through the CollegeBoard website, and students use the same username and password that they created for a PSAT, SAT or AP account.

The CSS Profile is free for domestic undergraduate students whose family income is up to $100,000. The fee for the initial application is $25. Additional reports are $16. Payment may be made via credit or debit card.

To complete the 2026/2027 application form, students will need their most recent tax returns, W-S forms and other records of current year income, records of untaxed income and benefits, assets, and bank statements.