Your guide to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a form to determine your eligibility for federal, state, and college-sponsored financial aid. This aid can be in the form of scholarships, grants, educational loans, and work-study. Learn more about the FAFSA on our FAFSA resources page.

File your FAFSA

To apply for financial aid, you must submit your FAFSA. If you have not completed this application, you can do so on the FASFA website.

The application opens on in October and the deadline to complete federal is June 30 and state deadline is April 15 of the school year that you plan to enroll. If you are transferring, please read our Transfer Students page for more information.

Apply for admission

Once you have completed your FAFSA, you need to apply for admission to Purdue Fort Wayne. You can apply for enrollment before or after you file your FAFSA application; however, financial aid will not be awarded until you are admitted.

Access your goPFW account

Once you are admitted, you must log on to goPFW to set up your account. Official correspondence and information concerning your financial aid status will be sent to your student email account.

Complete financial aid requirements

Log on to goPFW and click the Enrollment tab. If you have any unsatisfied Financial Aid Requirements, you must complete them prior to receiving any type of aid, including student loans. Some requirements can take up 7 to 10 business days to process, so be sure to fulfill your requirements ASAP!

Receiving your aid

Once we receive your FAFSA and all requirements have been cleared, you will be able to receive your financial aid. This process is called "packaging" and for each school year it begins in June and occurs several times a week during the school year. When your aid is packaged, an email will be sent to your student email address. If you are a freshman receiving aid for the first time, it will be delivered via regular mail.

Accepting and receiving financial aid

Financial aid terms and conditions. By accepting your aid, you are automatically agreeing to these terms and conditions. If accepting student loans for the time, you must also complete loan requirements (Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Note). These requirements can be completed at Federal Student Aid—Student Loans.

Once your financial aid funds are received, they are credited to your student account. When your balance is satisfied, any leftover aid will be refunded directly to you from our Office of the Bursar. You may also opt to have your refund directly deposited into your bank account or sent to your home address as a paper check.

Review your account balance

Log on to your goPFW to review your student account. Monitoring your balance will keep you updated on important due dates, fees, and help you avoid administrative actions due to a delinquent account.