Applying for Aid - PIN

A PIN is a unique Personal Identification Number. Every student filing a FAFSA form online is required to have a PIN. Additionally, at least one parent for every dependant student who is filing a FAFSA form online must also have a PIN. The student must have his or her PIN before he or she can access FAFSA on the web. A PIN also serves as an electronic signature. It is for this reason that both the student and at least one parent must have a PIN before a FAFSA form can be submitted online. Since all financial aid is processed using the Financial Aid Office's website, students applying for a Federal Stafford Loan, as well as parents applying for a Federal Parent PLUS Loan, will be required to have a PIN to sign any Master Promissory Note (MPN) for a loan. Therefore, it is a good idea for every student to apply for a PIN, even if he or she has not or will not be completing the FAFSA form online.

Since a PIN serves as an electronic signature, it should never be given out to anyone. Once a PIN is assigned to a person, it will remain that person's PIN for life. If there will be more than one student in college in a family at any given time, the parent may use his or her PIN to sign the FAFSA form for each student submitting an application; however, each student must have his or her own unique PIN.

When a parent or student applies for a PIN, the U.S. Department of Education will deliver the PIN directly to the applicant. Students and parents have the option of having the PIN delivered via email or regular mail. Once a PIN has been requested, it will take 1-3 days to arrive via email and 7-10 days to arrive via the U.S. Postal Service. Please keep in mind that the processing time required to receive a valid PIN is in addition to the 72 hours it takes the U.S. Department of Education to process a FAFSA online. It is for this reason that our office recommends beginning the process of filing a FAFSA online no later than February 15th in order to meet our March 1st priority deadline. To apply for a PIN, please visit the PIN registration website by clicking the link below.