JOHNSON CITY – The 2023-2024 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as the FAFSA, is now open to current and potential college students.
“We certainly understand that the financial aid process may seem daunting,” said Catherine
Morgan, director of the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships at East Tennessee
State University. “At ETSU, we have dedicated and caring experts ready to assist you.”
Why it matters
The FAFSA is a student’s gateway to all federal financial aid, as well as the first
step for many other funding opportunities. Many scholarships – including the Tennessee
HOPE (Lottery) Scholarship – will not be available without a completed FAFSA.
Morgan encouraged students to file the FAFSA online at studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa and use the IRS Data Retrieval tool.
“It is difficult to overstate how important it is to file the FAFSA accurately and
timely,” said Morgan. “Students and their families should also remember that some
funding sources operate on a first-come, first-served basis.”
Need help?
ETSU provides a variety of services to help students and their families.
Financial Aid and Scholarships offers a 24/7 “chatbot” named Bucky, as well as Financial
Aid TV. In addition, the department provides students with a personal financial aid
counselor. These resources and more are available at etsu.edu/financial-aid-and-scholarships.
ETSU is also hosting Tri-Cities Financial Aid Night on Wednesday, Oct. 12 on campus.
The university will provide more details about the event later this week.
For free assistance submitting the FAFSA, students living in the Tennessee counties
of Carter, Greene, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi or Washington have access to
the Educational Opportunity Center. New participants must complete a short application,
which may be found at etsu.edu/academicaffairs/trio/eoc. Students may also call (423) 392-8041.
Scholarship assistance
Current and admitted ETSU students should also complete the 2023-2024 University Scholarship
Application. When you submit the application, you put yourself in the running for
many different scholarships. Find the application at etsu.edu/university_scholarships/application/. The deadline is March 1.
Students should routinely monitor their ETSU email for important reminders and updates.
It will help ensure a smoother financial aid process, officials said.