Applying for Aid

FAFSA Simplification

In the federal government’s effort to simplify the financial aid process, you will see a new FAFSA for 2024-2025; this is part of what is known as FAFSA Simplification. We are learning more about these changes in real time and will do our best to bring you updates as we have them.

To start, we have provided a lot of great information below on how to complete the FAFSA and maximize your financial aid eligibility at Mizzou.

We recommend using Mizzou’s Net Price Calculator (NPC) to estimate your financial aid to attend Mizzou. Our NPC is updated to match this year’s FAFSA, so it can provide you with an early, accurate estimate of the federal, state, and Mizzou-specific need-based grants and scholarships that you qualify for.

To maximize financial aid opportunities at Mizzou, students should complete two applications every year by the published priority deadline:

  1. Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®)
  2. General MU Scholarship Application through ScholarshipUniverse

You must complete the FAFSA to be considered for federal, state, and Mizzou financial aid programs that are based on financial need, including:

  • Grants
  • Scholarships
  • Federal Work Study funds
  • Student Loans

The FAFSA is currently open to complete for the 2024-25 Academic Year. We recommend you submit the FAFSA as soon as possible to maximize your aid opportunities at Mizzou. The FAFSA deadline for state and Mizzou-specific need-based aid is April 1.

Get ready to file:

Step 1

Learn about applying for financial aid with the FAFSA form

  • The FAFSA is the first step to securing financial aid to help you pay for college
  • The information you provide on the FAFSA is used to determine your eligibility for need-based financial aid from federal, state, and Mizzou programs
  • Watch this 2-minute video to learn how the FAFSA works:
Step 2

Determine who your “Contributors” are on the FAFSA.

  • Contributors are people who need to complete information on the FAFSA. This does not mean they have a financial obligation to pay for your education.
  • Contributors provide consent and approval to have their federal tax information transferred directly from the IRS into the FAFSA, then sign it.
  • Contributors could be…
    • You (the student)
    • Biological or adoptive parent
    • Parent’s spouse (a step-parent)
    • Student’s spouse
  • Learn more about what a contributor is in this 2-minute video:
Step 3

Set up access to your studentaid.gov account — this is called your Federal Student Aid ID or “FSA ID”.

You must complete this step at least three days before attempting to complete the FAFSA. Do it now so you’re ready!

  • Your FSA ID is a username and password that gives you access to your student aid account
  • Go to studentaid.gov and follow the instructions to create your account
  • If you’ve filled out the FAFSA before, you already have an FSA ID. Check your account and reset your password if you don’t remember it.
  • Watch this quick video to review the FSA ID setup process:
Step 4

Gather information and documents you need to complete the FAFSA form:

  • Having this info ready to go ahead of time will help you avoid delays
  • For each of your contributors (see step 1), you will need:
    • Name
    • Social Security Number (SSN)
    • Date of birth
    • Email address
  • Each contributor must provide consent on the FAFSA to allow their tax info to be automatically shared from the IRS
    • If a contributor refuses to provide consent, you will be ineligible for need-based financial aid programs
  • Other helpful documents contributors might want to gather to ensure accuracy:
    • Tax returns
    • Records of child support received
    • Current balances of savings and checking accounts
    • Net worth of investments
    • Net worth of businesses and farms
  • Watch this two-minute video on gathering info for the FAFSA:
Step 5

Watch a recording of our FAFSA info webinar and sign up to attend a FAFSA Frenzy event to help you and your family get ready to complete the form.

2024 FAFSA Info Events

  • FAFSA Frenzy: want in-person, step-by-step help to complete the FAFSA? Find a FAFSA Frenzy event near you!
  • Webinar: How to complete the FAFSA | January 4 | Watch a recording of this event below!

Remember, you must complete the FAFSA each year by Mizzou’s priority deadline to receive the most consideration for financial aid opportunities.   

Mizzou’s Federal School Code on the FAFSA is 002516.


Info from December 2023 In-Person Events

If you attended one of our in-person educational events throughout the state of Missouri in December of 2023, you likely entered to win the scholarship door prize. Details on the scholarship criteria are available below.

Scholarship prize: One winner from each in-person FAFSA event will be chosen at random to receive a one-time, one-year scholarships of $500 if they meet the following criteria:

  • Attend an in-person FAFSA info session in December
  • Submit the FAFSA by February 1, 2024
  • Are admitted to Mizzou and enroll full-time as a degree-seeking undergraduate student for Fall 2024

The winner will be notified via email in their Mizzou application and via their financial aid offer notification in April 2024. The award will be applied as $250 for the Fall 2024 semester and $250 for the Spring 2025 semester.

Important Dates

For the 2024-2025 academic year

Dec. 1, 2023 - Scholarship deadline for first-time college students

Feb. 1, 2024 - Scholarship deadline for current & transfer students

March. 1, 2024 - MU's recommended FAFSA submission date

Apr. 1, 2024 - FAFSA submission deadline

More dates