Financial Aid
How to Apply for Financial Aid
For questions or to speak with someone in the Financial Aid office please contact 530-282-0202 ext. 603
How to Apply for Financial Aid?
The 2026–27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form is open.
How To Prepare for the 2026–27 FAFSA® Form
- Create a StudentAid.gov account (if you don’t already have one).
- What documents do I need to fill out the FAFSA form?
- Determine your dependency status and whether your parent(s) or spouse will be required to contribute information on your FAFSA form.
- If you’re a dependent student, use the Who’s My FAFSA Parent? wizard to identify which parent(s) will be a required contributor on your form.
How Long Will It Take?
It takes most people less than one hour to fill out the FAFSA form, including gathering any personal documents and financial information needed to complete it.
- The FSA ID is used to access the Federal Student Aid website, electronically sign the FAFSA application and other Federal Student Aid documents
- Dependent students that are required to provide parental information on the FAFSA application will also need their parents to create an FSA ID
- Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the California Dream Act Application (CADAA)
- Feather River College Federal School Code: 008597
StudentAid.gov Account Creation Instructions (step-by-step) for Individuals Without a Social Security Number (SSN)
This process outlines the steps needed in order for an individual without an SSN to have their identity verified and StudentAid.gov account created.
Step 1: An individual should visit StudentAid.gov, select “Create Account” and complete all steps, including answering 1-4 knowledge-based verification questions via TransUnion®.
Step 2: Upon completing the Create Account process, the individual will see a confirmation page with the results of their identity verification. If they fail the TransUnion® process, FSA will automatically assign a case number to the individual.
Step 3: Once the case number is created, FSA will send them a verification email in their preferred language (English or Spanish), which will include their case number, along with guidance on how to submit copies of unexpired acceptable documentation (listed below) to verify their identity. Individuals will also be required to submit an attestation and validation of identity form along with their approved identity documentation. This form will be available on https://studentaid.gov/forms-library.
Acceptable Documents to Establish an Individual’s Identity:
Provide one (1) of the following documents to establish identity:
-
U.S. Driver’s License
-
U.S. State/City Identification Card
-
Foreign Passport
or
One (1) set of documents below to establish identity:
- Municipal Identification Cards + utility bill
- Community ID + utility bill
- Consular Identification Cards/Matricula Consular + utility bill
Step 4: Upon receipt of the email that FSA was unable to verify their identity, an individual is then required to submit one or a combination of their acceptable documentation from the list above and a signed attestation form to: IDVerification@ed.gov.
Step 5: FSA will review an individual’s submitted documentation and signed attestation form to ensure it is acceptable and matches the account information provided during the Create Account process. If there is a successful match, the Department will finalize the account creation. The individual will receive an email indicating their identity has been verified and that they may now use their account username and password (FSA ID) to log in at StudentAid.gov and complete applications for student financial assistance programs.
For more infromation visit studentaid.gov
If you enjoyed the video above, feel free to check out the links below to help guide you through the FAFSA experience:
- Overview of the Financial Aid Process
- How to Create an Account and Username (FSA ID) for StudentAid.gov
- How to Fill Out the FAFSA
- FAFSA: Determining Your Dependency Status
- Federal Student Aid – Myths About Financial Aid
- Troubleshooting Your Account Username and Password (FSA ID)
- After the FAFSA: What Happens Next
For additional videos about financial aid, please visit Federal Student Aid's YouTube channel.
Submit your CADAA by March 2nd every year! Students attending a California Community College can apply by September 2nd.
While it is never too late to apply, you maximize your financial aid options the sooner you submit a CADAA and have time to address any challenges that may come up!
You only need a few items to get started and complete your CADAA.
- Valid and permanent email address (do not use an email provided by your school)
- Copies of tax information from two years before the award year you are applying for (if applicable) for you and your parent(s) or spouse
How do students apply for financial aid using the CADAA?
- Visit the CADAA Application site: https://dream.csac.ca.gov/landing
- Create a new account. You’ll need to answer a few pre-registration questions to confirm that you are eligible to apply.
- Once your CADAA account is created, you and your parent(s) or spouse, (if applicable) will complete the application questions.
- Electronically sign the CADAA. If parent information is required, only one parent’s electronic signature will be needed.
- Within a few days of submitting the CADAA, CSAC will process the application!
Taxes can be stressful to think about. Luckily, there are options for you and your family if you did not file taxes two years before the award year you are applying to CADAA for:
- If you indicate the option of “not going to file”, you must still report income. If you/ your parents earned more than what the IRS considers the threshold for filing taxes, the application will be flagged, and you/your parents will have to get an ITIN and file taxes for that year.
- If you indicate the option of “will file” a tax return, you will have to provide income estimates. After the tax return is filed, you will have to update your CADAA with the new tax information.
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- How to Apply for Financial Aid
- Important Dates
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- Financial Aid TV (opens in new window)
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