Admissions
Financial Aid > FAFSA Process > More About the PIN
A PIN (personal identification number) is assigned to you by the U.S Department of Education for use in the process of applying for financial aid. With a PIN are are able to "sign" the FAFSA and make corrections to it at a later time. Your PIN also gives you access to your application data and other important personal financial aid-related information. For that reason you should never share your PIN with anyone...not even a family member, or the Financial Aid Office.
Here are some other points about the PIN.
- Students and parents may apply for a PIN at any time...even before the FAFSA is completed, and before start-up of FAFSA processing each January 1.
- Parents may use the same PIN for FAFSAs of different children
- Once you are assigned a PIN it is yours for life.
- You may change your PIN to a number easier to remember.
- NEW! Beginning January 1, you will receive your PIN immediately after applying online.
- If you apply for a PIN before January 1, your PIN will be sent by e-mail or regular mail. It will take 1-3 days to receive an e-mail notification, or 7-10 days to receive it in the mail.
- If you cannot obtain a PIN, you may submit the necessary signature(s) using a special Signature Page provided at the end of the FAFSA on the Web. Print, sign and mail that page to the federal processor immediately after submitting the FAFSA. Allow at least three weeks for your FAFSA to be processed this way.
- PIN Home Page Apply for a PIN Request a Duplicate PIN
