Office of Student Financial Assistance

Massachusetts Commissioner of Higher Education Carlos E. Santiago has approved a recommendation to extend the priority deadline for state financial aid (MASSGrant) from May 1st to July 1st. This action follows a review of data analyzed by the Department of Higher Education’s Office of Student Financial Assistance which shows a 16% decrease in the number of Free Applications for Federal Student Aid (FAFSAs) received as of April 28, 2020, compared to similar period in 2019-2020. Among students, the biggest decline in applications was seen in the community college population.

“Our students and families are experiencing unprecedented levels of economic security and need our support as they attempt to plan for the coming academic year,” said Santiago. “Our goal with this FAFSA extension is to expand the pool of students who are eligible for financial aid. Such assistance can make all the difference aa to whether students remain on track to earn college credentials that lead to good jobs.”

The FAFSA is available for download at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. Students should contact their college financial aid office for further information, or DHE’s Office of Student Financial Assistance at osfa@osfa.mass.edu.

Students enrolled in one of the state’s 15 community colleges this year are eligible for additional financial aid to fully cover the cost of their tuition and fees, thanks to a boost in financial aid funding proposed by the Baker-Polito Administration. Learn more about the MASSGrant Plus program—and special thanks to Quinsigamond Community College for producing this informative video!

The Department of Higher Education’s Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) will move from its current location in Revere to a new office location in Malden effective next week, Higher Education Commissioner Carlos E. Santiago announced today. The office will close for business effective noon on Thursday, May 18 and reopen for business on Monday, May 22. During the office move, no official business or public correspondence regarding state grants, scholarships or tuition waivers will be conducted.

The new offices opening next week will be located at 75 Pleasant Street in Malden, in the same building that houses the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, as well as the Executive Office of Education’s IT and HR departments. It is a short walk from the Malden Center MBTA stop on the Orange Line, as well as the Commuter Rail station and multiple bus routes.

“Our new location is much more accessible to the public, and our proximity to the staff at DESE will give us fresh opportunities to collaborate with our K-12 partners to improve public access to financial aid information,” said Clantha McCurdy, Senior Deputy Commissioner for Access and Student Financial Assistance. “We look forward to hosting FAFSA completion events and other activities for students and families at our new offices.”

The financial aid filing season officially began at 1 a.m. ET on Sunday, October 1, 2017, with the launch of the 2018‒19 FAFSA® at fafsa.gov. Nearly 238,000 online applications were submitted the first day, representing an eight percent increase compared to one year ago. Most students and parents are eligible to use the IRS DRT to electronically transfer their 2016 tax return information. The tool returned Oct. 1 for the 2018‒19 FAFSA with extra security and privacy protections to safeguard sensitive taxpayer data.

Read the full announcement >