• Students submitting a FAFSA for the first time must establish an FSA ID and password. If a student is a dependent, a parent is also required to establish an FSA ID and password. This will serve as your electronic signature on the FAFSA.
• You will need your FSA ID and password each year when you reapply for financial aid.
• Get help accessing your FSA account if you don’t remember your password.

• If you included an email on your electronic or paper FAFSA application, the Department of Education will reply to you via email.
• If you apply by mailing a paper FAFSA but do NOT include an email address, you will receive a Student Aid Report via the U.S. Postal Service.

Submitting a FAFSA is NOT the final step in the application process. 

It takes up to five business days for your FAFSA to be received by our college, and a few weeks to process your application after all necessary documents have been submitted. Track the status of your financial aid application by regularly checking your CarteretCC student email and Carteret Compass.

We will contact you via your CarteretCC student email if we require additional documents.

Please respond promptly to any financial aid notices you receive, as failure to do so may delay the processing of your application. If you have any questions about your financial aid status or need assistance with the tracking process, don’t hesitate to contact our financial aid office.

If the financial aid you accepted doesn’t cover all of your tuition and fees, you will have to pay the remaining amount. You can do this on Carteret Compass or by setting up a payment plan before the payment deadline. Failure to make payment may result in being dropped from your classes.

If something changes in your family’s financial situation after you have already sent in your FAFSA, please tell CarteretCC’s Financial Aid Office right away. We will check if this change affects your financial aid and if we need to change the amount of aid we are able to give you. For example, if your family experiences a significant loss of income, you may be able to get more financial aid. But if your family starts making more money, we might have to give you less aid.

It’s important to be honest and to provide documentation of your new financial situation. We might ask for tax returns, pay stubs, or other financial papers.

It’s always a good idea to keep an open line of communication with the Financial Aid Office and to report any changes in your financial situation as soon as possible to ensure your financial aid package is right for your current situation.