Rogers State University encourages all current and future RSU students to complete their 2023-24 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and to use RSU’s school code 003168. The FAFSA opened Oct. 1 for all new and returning students who will be attending school for the 2023-24 academic year. It is the key to unlocking students’ financial aid packages, including available scholarships, grants and more.
Rogers State University’s Office of Financial Aid is dedicated to helping students achieve their educational goals by providing the best financial aid information available and reviewing options based on the student’s financial status. One of, if not the most, important means by which the financial aid office achieves this is through the FAFSA.
Information provided on the FAFSA is used to determine how much financial aid a student may receive to help pay for college, giving applicants the potential access to federal financial aid, such as grants and work-study programs, and the option to use available federal Direct Loans.
Many students underestimate their financial need or assume they don’t qualify for aid, but it’s important for every student – whether they be a high school senior entering college or a returning college student – to complete the FAFSA.
“The FAFSA is the basis for many of the scholarships we offer through RSU, so even if a student isn’t interested in receiving federal funds, this is still important because they may still be eligible to receive aid,” said Jason Reavis, interim director of financial aid.
According to www.startwithfafsa.org, approximately 1.7 million high school seniors did not submit a FAFSA for the 2020-21 school year, and nearly half of those who didn’t file were eligible for a Pell grant, which is a gift aid that generally doesn’t have to be repaid. The National College Attainment Network (NCAN) reported that in the same year, $3.7 billion in federal financial aid for college was left unclaimed by students who would have been qualified to receive the aid, simply because they did not submit a FAFSA.
Although the deadline for submitting a FASFA for the upcoming school year is the end of June, there are other deadlines to be met along the way, so expediency is important, Reavis said.
“We encourage everyone to submit their FASFA sooner rather than later, certainly by the end of the fall semester, as there are certain deadlines that must be met for specific funds,” he said. “There are some funds that are on a first come, first serve basis, so the earlier a FAFSA is submitted, the more likely it is that the applicant might receive those funds.”
Noteworthy deadlines for those filing for financial aid include Feb. 3, Honors and PLC application deadline; March 1, FAFSA Priority filing deadline; April 1, FAFSA filing deadline for state aid and the RSU Endowed Scholarship application deadline; and June 1, Financial Aid Award Acceptance and Endowed Scholarship acceptance.
In September 2022, U.S News and World Report placed Rogers State University among the top regional colleges in the western United States due to the university’s quality academics, affordability and accessibility. RSU was ranked No. 14 in the Regional Colleges category and ranked No. 6 among the Top Public Schools in the west – a grouping consisting of 15 states, including Oklahoma, Texas and California.
RSU also was recognized at No. 4 as a Best Value School, based on the school’s academic quality and net cost of attendance for an out-of-state student who received the average level of need-based financial aid. RSU’s affordability, coupled with the high quality of education received by its students, makes it an outstanding choice for first-time freshmen and transfer students alike.
Cost of attendance for tuition and fees, housing, meals, books and supplies combined ranges between $8,827 to $10,192 per semester for Oklahoma residents, considerably less than total costs relative to several other Oklahoma universities. By completing the FAFSA, students then find out how much they will receive in aid, whether it be scholarships, grants, etc., making their RSU education even more affordable.
Applicants can complete the FAFSA for the 2023-24 school year online at StudentAid.gov. The online FAFSA features skip-logic technology that eliminates irrelevant questions based on the applicant’s previous answers and allows them to choose the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, which automatically transfers tax return information to the FAFSA.
To complete and submit the FASFA online, students and one parent must create a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID, which serves as their electronic signature on the FASFA and certain student loan applications and allows them to access other federal student aid websites. It’s beneficial for families to create FSA IDs before starting the FASFA to expedite the application process.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, the average time for most families to complete the form is less than one hour. It’s critical to remember, when filling out the FASFA, the school code for Rogers State University is 003168.
Additionally, RSU TRIO Student Support Services will host FASFA Fridays through the end of November for students needing assistance with completing their FASFA applications. Staff and mentors are available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Room 105 at Preparatory Hall.
But the most important thing to do, whether you’re a high school senior or college student, is to complete the FAFSA, Reavis said.
“Should anyone have questions or want to schedule an appointment with us to discuss FAFSA, we would certainly encourage them to do so,” he said. “Students should never assume they’re not eligible for financial aid. They’ll never know what they’re eligible for unless they submit the application.”
For more information about FAFSA, visit https://studentaid.gov or https://startwithfafsa.org.
For more information about financial aid at RSU, contact the Office of Financial Aid at 918-343-7553 or visit www.rsu.edu/financialaid.