Get Help Filling Out College Financial Aid Forms

Are you trying to figure out how you can afford to go to college? The College of Southern Maryland can help you through the process of applying for financial aid. CSM’s Financial Assistance Department provides one-on-one assistance to members of the community completing a Free Application for Federal Aid, or FAFSA, the primary application for federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs.

As a credit student, you must submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid each academic year for all federal student and parent loan programs, need-based grants, the Federal Work-study program, and some need-based scholarships. Even if you don’t believe you will qualify for aid, the college urges you to complete the FAFSA.

The next financial aid workshop will be held at 2:30 pm Aug. 15 at the La Plata Campus in Administration Building (AD) in Room 110.

Workshops are offered at 2:30 pm every third Thursday of the month.

Other 2019 workshops will be held Sept. 19, Oct. 17, Nov. 21, and Dec. 19.

Students and parents will need to bring the following information with them:

• 2018 tax information such as W2 forms for parents and student and federal tax form 1040, 1040A, or 1040 EZ
• Records of untaxed income, Social Security benefits, child support received or paid in 2018

Once the FAFSA is complete, financial aid advisers will begin evaluating a students’ financial profiles for scholarship and aid opportunities, and they’ll contact students with any requests for additional documentation.

Applying for scholarships and grants? Scholarships and grants at CSM are sponsored by the college, the state of Maryland, and by private organizations, businesses, and individuals. Some scholarships are administered through CSM’s Financial Assistance Department. In the past 10 years, the CSM Foundation has awarded more than $3 million to more than 3,000 students.

For more information, call 301-934-7531 or visit the college’s website.

For more about the College of Southern Maryland, visit its Leader member page.