Financial Aid

2024-2025 FAFSA Students:
Please subscribe to the Federal Student Aid YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@FederalStudentAid

This channel has videos explaining everything you need to know about the 2024-2025 FAFSA application.

The FAFSA has undergone a complete overhaul, and a simplified FAFSA form known as the Better FAFSA is now available. Students will use the Better FAFSA to apply for financial aid, including grants and scholarships, for the 2024-25 award year and beyond. Most students qualify for some kind of aid and having a FAFSA on file is required for many scholarships, including scholarships offered through Okaloosa Technical College. 

While colleges previously received FAFSA information in the beginning of February, the U.S. Department of Education announced last that colleges will likely receive the first batch of FAFSA information for 2024-25 in late spring instead. Due to this change, financial aid packages will likely be delayed. With this delay, Okaloosa Technical College is working diligently to provide information to make the financial aid process as smooth as possible for students.  

What Students Can Do Now

While Okaloosa Technical College awaits receipt of the first batch of FAFSA information, students can:

1. Create an FSA ID. The Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) will grant students access to the FSA platform and serve as their username and password. (Please note that you cannot create your FSA ID and complete the FAFSA in one sitting.)
2. Pro Tips for the 2024–25 FAFSA® Form Use these tips to help you successfully complete the 2024–25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form.
3. Complete and submit the 2024-25 FAFSA. Students who have not yet completed the FAFSA for next year are encouraged to do so now. Our School Code is 032303.

2024-2025 FAFSA: What you Need to Know About Financial Aid

Okaloosa Technical College is eligible for and participates in many forms of Student Financial Assistance which include, but is not limited to –

• Federal Pell Grant https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
• Florida Student Assistance Grant
• Florida Bright Futures Scholarship http://www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org
• Florida Dept of Education Scholarship Dependents of Deceased and Disabled Veterans
• Florida Pre-Paid College Program
• Veterans Benefits – vets.gov/education
  • Montgomery GI Bill – Chapter 30
  • Post 9/11 – Chapter 33
  • Post 9/11 (Dependent) – Chapter 33
  • VA Voc Rehab – Chapter 31
  • Dependents Educational Benefits (DEA) – Chapter 35
• JobsPlus/Career Source – Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Scholarship (WIOA)
• OTC Schoolboard Scholarship
• And many independent scholarships

OTC Forms: FSAG Application

Okaloosa Technical College – Federal school code – 032303 

Call 850-833-3500 to schedule your appointment

Students are responsible for payment of all tuition and fees regardless of any financial assistance.

NET PRICE CALCULATOR

Unaccompanied Homeless Youth Determinations

Section 480(d)(8) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), provides that an applicant for Title IV federal student aid is an independent student—that is, an applicant who does not need to provide parental information on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form—if the applicant is an unaccompanied homeless youth or unaccompanied and self-supporting youth at risk of homelessness.

To be considered an unaccompanied homeless youth on the FAFSA® form, an individual must be a youth who is (1) unaccompanied and homeless or (2) unaccompanied, self-supporting, and at risk of being homeless. Outlined below are some initial terms that support a homeless youth determination, as defined in section 725 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (McKinney-Vento) (42 U.S.C. 11434a). Note that the last two definitions do not appear in McKinney-Vento.

• Unaccompanied—when a student is not living in the physical custody of a parent or guardian
• Homeless—lacking fixed, regular, and adequate housing
• At risk of being homeless—when a student’s housing may cease to be fixed, regular, and adequate, for example, a student who is being evicted or has been asked to leave their current residence and has been unable to find fixed, regular, and adequate housing
• Self-supporting—when a student pays for his or her own living expenses, which includes paying for fixed, regular, and adequate housing

Starting with the 2024-25 FAFSA® form, applicants under the age of 24 will be presented with a single question to determine if they are a youth who is (1) unaccompanied and homeless or (2) unaccompanied, self-supporting, and at risk of becoming homeless. If they answer “Yes” to the homeless question, they will be asked if they have a documented determination from one of the eligible authorities listed below. Applicants who affirm they are an unaccompanied homeless youth will be able to submit their application as an independent student.