December 15th, 2024 by WCBC Radio
Allegany College of Maryland encourages anyone who plans to attend ACM, or any college or university, to complete their 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) this month or in January. The FAFSA is available online at www.studentaid.gov/fafsa. Meghan Palumbo, director of student financial aid at the college, recommends that even those individuals who haven’t fully committed to attending ACM next year use the holiday break to complete their FAFSA. “Knowing your total financial aid package this spring can help you decide if ACM is right for you.”
Expanded eligibility for federal aid
ACM uses the FAFSA to help students find money for college in the form of federal grants, state-specific scholarships, work-study jobs on campus, and student loans. Although last year’s overhaul of the FAFSA was “bumpy,” it expanded federal aid eligibility for millions of college students.
“Even if you doubt your eligibility or didn’t receive financial aid in the past, make time to do the 2025-26 FAFSA,” said Palumbo. “You may qualify for a Pell Grant and other forms of assistance because of the changes that were made last year.”
Family members considered “FAFSA contributors”
Another change that debuted during the FAFSA redesign is the use of “contributors” to describe parents, stepparents, or spouses of dependent students. Contributors submit demographic, income, and asset information. Submitting that information doesn’t necessarily mean that a contributor is financially responsible for the student’s education. ACM explains the process online at https://tinyurl.com/finaidcontrib.
Dependent students and their contributors continue to use their own unique Federal Student Aid IDs (FSA ID) to complete the FAFSA.
Connect with Student Financial Aid
More information about student financial aid and other money-saving resources is available online at www.allegany.edu/finaid. The ACM Financial Aid Office, located in the College Center, is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. ACM will be closed starting December 19 for Winter Break. It reopens on January 2 at 8:30 a.m.
