Prior to completing a FAFSA, you must first establish an FSA User ID, which you can establish at the FSA User ID website. If you have received an FSA User ID before you do not need to obtain another one. If you are a dependent student, your parent must also establish an FSA user ID so they can electronically sign your FAFSA.

You can complete your FAFSA online at the Federal Student Aid website. If you need assistance in completing your FAFSA, or require a paper application, please call the Department of Education at 1-800-433-3243 and a counselor will assist you. If you are hearing impaired and require assistance please call the TTY line at 1-800-730-8913).

The FAFSA application is specific to the academic year, so make sure you are completing the correct version of the application. New FAFSA applications typically become available every year on October 1st.

You will need to provide Harrisburg University’s Federal School Code in order for your FAFSA to be received and processed by the University. HU’s school code is 039483. If you attended another university or already completed a FAFSA but did not originally list Harrisburg University’s school code, you will need to update your application with our school code.

You will also need to sign your FAFSA in order for the Department of Education to process it and send the information to Harrisburg University. If you are a dependent student, then one of the parents listed on your FAFSA will also need to sign the application. If you are completing the form online, you and your parent can sign the FAFSA electronically using your FSA ID.

The Department of Education typically takes 5 to 7 business days to fully process your FAFSA. Once your FAFSA is fully processed, you will receive a FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS) that will indicate any issues with your application and potential next steps. Your FAFSA Submission Summary will also include your Student Aid Index (SAI) as calculated by the Department of Education.

The Student Aid Index (SAI) is an eligibility index number that we use to determine how much federal student aid you would receive if you attended Harrisburg University.  This number is not a dollar amount of aid eligibility or what your family is expected to provide.

This number results from the information that you provide on your FAFSA.  To calculate an SAI, we conduct a need-based analysis. The analysis takes into account your income and assets and those of your parents or spouse, if applicable. The analysis formula used considers both taxed and untaxed income, as well as any assets and federal benefits received, such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Social Security disability.