FAFSA/ORSAA Information

Create an FSA ID. Each student and parent (for dependent students) must create a Federal Student Aid Identification (FSA ID) to securely log in and sign the FAFSA online. There is a 1-3 delay between completing your FSA ID setup and being able to utilize it for the FAFSA Form. Please ensure you create your FSA ID before you plan to complete the FAFSA. 

Watch for emails from the US Department of Education. Once your FAFSA form is submitted and processed (usually 3-5 days), you can log into your StudentAid.gov account to view your FAFSA Submission Summary. It includes your estimated eligibility for a Federal Pell Grant and federal student loans, your Student Aid Index (SAI), and whether you’ve been selected for verification.

Fix FAFSA errors right away. If the FAFSA Submission Summary shows errors or any FAFSA information that needs to be corrected, resolve those errors right away. The most common errors are missing signatures/consent and conflicts between a student's name and social security number. Students with FAFSA errors are typically not considered eligible for financial aid until errors have been resolved. You can get help from your college’s financial aid office. Learn more about fixing FAFSA errors and walkthroughs for common issues from Federal Student Aid.

Use FAFSA resources when you have questions.

• Need help determining which parent to list on your FAFSA? There is a new tool to help students figure out which parent to list on FAFSA: Who Is My Parent?
• Use the FAFSA Help Center to find answers to frequently asked questions and contact their team with specific questions.
• The FAFSA Help Center YouTube channel also has videos to help you through the filing process.
• Curious about how much federal aid you might be eligible for? Check out the new 2025-26 Federal Aid Estimator while waiting for the 2025-26 FAFSA to launch. The Aid Estimator is not the FAFSA Form.
• Another resource is to reach out to your college's financial aid office for assistance.

Submit the ORSAA if you are: 

• An undocumented Oregon student
• If you have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), or a valid U-visa
• Students from mixed status families: U.S. citizens whose partner, spouse, or parent(s) (also known as a contributor) are undocumented or do not hold a Social Security Number (SSN).

Do NOT complete the ORSAA if you are an international student who is in the United States with a valid visa. You are not eligible to receive Oregon Opportunity Grants or Oregon Promise grants if you are an international student attending school in Oregon under one of the following visas: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, TN, TD, V, TROV, or NATO.

If you are an Oregon student who is (1) a U.S. citizen or (2) an eligible noncitizen with an alien number, you can choose to complete the FAFSA or ORSAA starting in the 2027-28 award year. Please note, the Oregon Promise Grant and some institutional aid require students to complete the FAFSA if eligible to receive this type of aid. Students who are eligible to complete the FAFSA and choose to complete the ORSAA will not be eligible for these programs.

For the 2026-27 ORSAA, please use the following resources:

• 2026-27 ORSAA Tip Sheets (English) (Español). This PDF will guide you through the ORSAA process and outline how to apply for other financial aid in Oregon.
• Guide to the 2026-27 ORSAA (English). This guide breaks down the application sections and purpose.
• 5 Tips for Completing the 2026-27 ORSAA (English  (Español). A video of tips for students and families as they start the 2026-27 ORSAA. A full playlist of videos for ORSAA filers is available here.

For the 2027-28 ORSAA, please use the following information and resources:

• 2027-28 ORSAA mixed status families pathway Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
• 2027-28 ORSAA webinars for students and families are scheduled for October 2026. Please see our OSAC Webinar Resource page for webinar dates, times, and links.
• The ORSAA team is actively working on creating tip sheets and an ORSAA guide for the new in-house ORSAA starting 2027-28. Please stay tuned as there is more to come!

If you have ORSAA-related questions, contact ORSAAHelp@hecc.oregon.gov or (541) 687-7400 (Monday - Friday, 8:00 - 4:30 PT).

• Add ORSAAHelp@hecc.oregon.gov to your email contacts so that important messages do not go to your spam/junk folder.

The ORSAA is an Oregon developed application for students who are not eligible to complete the FAFSA. It is a confidential application that is used solely by the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) to qualify students for financial aid in Oregon. It is not used for federal financial aid purposes. Information that is shared with the HECC via the ORSAA is used only by the HECC and partner colleges, universities, and foundations in order to administer grants and scholarships. The HECC does not share data with any other agency, state or federal. The HECC will do everything within its authority and jurisdiction to protect the ongoing confidentiality of the ORSAA information. 

Updated September 2026 memo from the Higher Education Coordinating Commission for education personnel, students, and families on the state financial aid application for Oregon undocumented, DACA, TPS, valid U-Visa students, or Oregon students from mixed status families. 

• HECC Memo Re: ORSAA - English
• HECC Memo Re: ORSAA - Español