The 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now open to current and potential college students, and East Tennessee State University officials encourage students to complete the online form as soon as possible.
The U.S. Department of Education released the FAFSA in late November – ahead of its intended release date of Dec. 1 – after incorporating feedback from students, parents, schools, community-based organizations and other partners and conducting four successful rounds of beta testing.
“The FAFSA is the gateway not only to all federal financial aid, including the Pell Grant and Federal Work Study Program, but also to many other funding opportunities,” said Catherine Morgan, director of the ETSU Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. “Many scholarships, including the Tennessee HOPE Scholarship, or ‘lottery scholarship,’ and other forms of financial assistance are not available without a completed FAFSA.”
Morgan encourages students planning to attend ETSU in fall 2025 through summer 2026 to file the FAFSA online at FAFSA.gov at their earliest convenience, using ETSU’s school code, 003487.
“Students and their families should remember that some funding sources operate on a first-come, first-served basis,” she said. “It also gives great peace of mind knowing well in advance of the new school year that your financial aid is all lined up, and you won’t be scrambling at the last minute.”
Need help?
Morgan recognizes that the financial aid process can seem intimidating to students and families, but she emphasized that assistance is available.
“At ETSU, we have dedicated and caring experts ready to assist you,” she said. “Each student has a personal financial aid counselor on whom they may call for help, and our website has a great deal of information. In addition to links to the FAFSA and scholarship application, it contains a library of video tutorials called Financial Aid TV; a reference and resource guide called Bucky’s Financial Aid Treasure Map; a 24/7 virtual assistant named, appropriately, Bucky; and so much more.”
These resources are available at etsu.edu/financial-aid-and-scholarships.
Free assistance in submitting the FAFSA, as well as other concerns surrounding college and career preparation, is available through the Educational Opportunity Center at ETSU. This TRiO program is for students living in the Tennessee counties of Carter, Greene, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi or Washington. 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 2025-26 University Scholarship application to be in the running for many different scholarships. The application is available at etsu.edu/university_scholarships/application, and the deadline is March 1, 2025.
Students should routinely monitor their ETSU email for important reminders and updates. This will help ensure a smoother financial aid process.
East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a singular mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. Through its world-class health sciences programs and interprofessional approach to health care education, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practices. The university also boasts nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computing, and media studies. ETSU serves approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges in the nation for students graduating with the least amount of debt.
Stay in Touch
Follow ETSU on Social