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Apply for Financial Aid

Personal Identification Number (PIN)

A PIN will allow you and your parents to apply online for financial aid. If you are a dependent student, both you and one parent will need a PIN. If you are an independent student, only you, the student, will need a PIN. Once you receive your PIN, you can apply online. It is a completely paperless process!

To obtain your PIN, apply online at www.pin.ed.gov. You will be able to receive your PIN immediately, and change it to a number meaningful to you.

Dependent vs. Independent Student
If you can answer YES to ANY of the following statements, you are considered an independent student for financial aid purposes. If you answer NO to ALL of the following statements, you are considered a dependent student for financial aid purposes. As a dependent student you are required to include your parents' information on the FAFSA regardless of whether your parents claim you on their taxes.
  • I was born before January 1, 1990.
  • I was married as of the date I filed the FAFSA.
  • I have children or other dependents who receive more than half of their financial support from me.
  • I will be working on a master's degree at the beginning of the school year.
  • I am currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training.
  • I am a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces.
  • When I was 13 or older, both of my parents were deceased, I was in foster care, or I was a dependent or ward of the court.
  • As of the date I filed the FAFSA, I was an emancipated minor or in legal guardianship determined by a court in my state of legal residence.
  • I was determined an unaccompanied youth who was homeless by my high school, by a transitional living program, or by an emergency shelter program on or after July 1, 2011.
Apply for Financial Aid Online
Once you have received the required Personal Identification Numbers, you may complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at www.fafsa.gov.

Don’t forget to input MSOE's Federal School Code, 003868, into your FAFSA!